Pope Francis says world suffering a "famine of peace" - BBC

Pope Francis has called for an "immediate end" to what helium described arsenic the "senseless warfare successful Ukraine", successful his yearly Christmas Day message.

Speaking successful beforehand of a ample assemblage successful St Peter's Square astatine the Vatican, the Pope besides condemned the usage of "food arsenic a weapon" of war.

Ukraine shipped astir 30% of the world's wheat and prices person jumped since the Russian penetration successful February.

It was Pope Francis' 10th Christmas Day code since helium assumed the papacy.

While the warfare successful Ukraine occupied overmuch of his 10-minute speech, helium besides mentioned conflicts and humanitarian crises successful Syria, Myanmar, Iran and Haiti, arsenic good arsenic the Sahel portion of Africa, saying the satellite was experiencing a "famine of peace".

Pope Francis has warned that the satellite is becoming truthful desensitised to crises and suffering that they are present happening portion hardly being noticed.

In his yearly Christmas Day message, the pontiff pointed to ongoing turmoil successful Syria, Yemen and Iraq, arsenic good arsenic successful areas of Africa, Europe and Asia.

He besides said the effects of the pandemic threatened efforts to resoluteness conflicts connected an planetary level.

He spoke outdoors again this twelvemonth aft making his code indoors past year.

Thousands of Catholic faithful - wearing look masks amid Covid precautions - watched successful St Peter's Square astatine the Vatican arsenic the Pope delivered his Urbi et Orbi code from the balcony of the Basilica.

Pope Francis warned astir the societal consequences of the pandemic, saying determination was "a increasing inclination to withdraw... to halt making an effort to brushwood others and bash things together".

He said that "on the planetary level excessively determination is the hazard of avoiding dialogue, the hazard that this analyzable situation volition pb to taking shortcuts alternatively than mounting retired connected the longer path" to resoluteness conflicts.

"We proceed to witnesser a increasing fig of conflicts, crises and disagreements," helium said. "These ne'er look to extremity and by present we hardly adjacent announcement them.

"We person go truthful utilized to them that immense tragedies are being passed implicit successful silence."

He singled retired Syria, Iraq and Yemen "where an tremendous calamity overlooked by everyone has silently gone connected for years". He besides urged radical to support successful caput continuing tensions betwixt Israel and the Palestinians, and the "unprecedented" economical and societal situation gripping Lebanon.

Turning to Asia, the Pope asked God to comfortableness the radical of Afghanistan "who for much than 40 years person been sorely tested by conflicts", and to "sustain the radical of Myanmar wherever intolerance and unit not infrequently people the Christian assemblage and its places of worship".

He besides prayed for bid to travel to conflicts successful different troublespots astir the world, including Ukraine, Ethiopia and the Sahel, which has been a beforehand enactment successful the warfare against Islamist militancy for astir a decade.

Earlier, Pope Francis, who is 85, marked Christmas Eve with Mass astatine the Basilica, wherever helium urged followers to amusement much compassion towards the mediocre and to "value the small things successful life".

"On this nighttime of love, whitethorn we person lone 1 fear: that of offending God's love, hurting him by despising the mediocre with our indifference," helium said.