Pope Francis asks for "vaccines for all" while giving the Christmas blessing Urbi et Orbi

With his traditional Christmas blessing "Urbi et Orbi" on Friday, Pope Francis called for coronavirus vaccines to be made available to the world's most needy people.

The pope made a special appeal to leaders to ensure that the poor have access to vaccines against the virus that claimed more than 1,7 million lives worldwide as of December 25.

He said: “Today, in this period of darkness and uncertainty regarding the pandemic, various lights of hope appear, such as the discovery of vaccines. But for these lights to illuminate and bring hope to all, they must be available to all. We cannot allow the various forms of nationalism to close in on themselves to prevent us from living as the truly human family that we are “.

“Nor can we allow the virus of radical individualism to get the better of us and make us indifferent to the sufferings of other brothers and sisters. I cannot put myself in front of others, letting the law of the market and patents take precedence over the law of love and the health of humanity “.

“I ask everyone - heads of government, companies, international organizations - to encourage cooperation and not competition, and to seek a solution for all: vaccines for all, especially for the most vulnerable and needy in all regions of the planet. Before everyone else: the most vulnerable and needy! "

The pandemic forced the pope to break with the custom of appearing on the central balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square to deliver his blessing "To the city and to the world". To avoid a large gathering of people, he spoke instead in the Blessing Room of the Apostolic Palace. About 50 people were in attendance, wearing masks and sitting on red chairs that ran along the sides of the hall.

In his message, delivered at noon local time and broadcast live on the Internet, the pope invoked his latest encyclical, “Brothers all”, which called for greater fraternity among people around the world.

He said the birth of Jesus allowed us to "call each other brothers and sisters" and prayed that the Christ Child would inspire acts of generosity during the coronavirus pandemic.

"May the Child of Bethlehem help us, therefore, to be generous, supportive and available, especially towards those who are vulnerable, the sick, the unemployed or in difficulty due to the economic effects of the pandemic and women who have suffered domestic violence during these months of blockade, ”he said.

Standing before a transparent lectern under a nativity tapestry, he continued: “In the face of a challenge that knows no boundaries, we cannot erect walls. We are all in this together. Every other person is my brother or sister. In everyone I see the face of God reflected and in those who suffer I see the Lord who begs for my help. I see it in the sick, the poor, the unemployed, the marginalized, migrants and refugees: all brothers and sisters! "

The pope then focused on war-affected countries like Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as other hotspots around the world.

He prayed for an end to the conflicts in the Middle East, including the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, and the Yemeni civil war, which broke out in 2014 and claimed some 233.000 lives, including those of over 3.000 children.

"On this day, when the word of God has become a child, we turn our gaze to the many, too many, children all over the world, especially in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, who still pay the high price of war," he said. said. in the echoing room.

"May their faces touch the consciences of all men and women of good will, so that the causes of conflicts can be addressed and courageous efforts can be made to build a future of peace."

The pope, who plans to visit Iraq in March, has prayed for a reduction in tensions across the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean.

"May the Child Jesus heal the wounds of the beloved Syrian people, who for a decade have been devastated by the war and its aftermath, now aggravated by the pandemic," he said.

"May it bring comfort to the Iraqi people and to all those involved in the work of reconciliation, and in particular to the Yazidis, severely tested by these last years of war."

"May it bring peace to Libya and allow the new phase of negotiations underway to put an end to all forms of hostility in the country."

The pope also launched an appeal for "direct dialogue" between Israelis and Palestinians.

He then addressed the Lebanese people, to whom he wrote a letter of encouragement on Christmas Eve.

"May the star that shone brightly on Christmas Eve offer guidance and encouragement to the Lebanese people, so that, with the support of the international community, they cannot lose hope amid the difficulties they currently face," he said.

"May the Prince of Peace help the leaders of the country to put aside partial interests and commit themselves with seriousness, honesty and transparency to allow Lebanon to embark on a process of reform and persevere in its vocation of freedom and peaceful coexistence".

Pope Francis also prayed that the ceasefire will take place in Nagorno-Karabakh and eastern Ukraine.

He then turned to Africa, praying for the peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, who according to him suffered from "a serious humanitarian crisis caused by extremism and armed conflicts, but also by the pandemic and other natural disasters. ".

He called for an end to violence in Ethiopia, where conflict broke out in the northern region of Tigray in November.

He asked God to comfort the inhabitants of the Cabo Delgado region in northern Mozambique who have suffered an onslaught of terrorist attacks.

He prayed that the leaders of South Sudan, Nigeria and Cameroon "would follow the path of fraternity and dialogue they have undertaken".

Pope Francis, who celebrated his 84th birthday last week, was forced to adapt his Christmas schedule this year due to the increase in coronavirus cases in Italy.

Less than 100 people were present in St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday evening when he celebrated midnight mass. The liturgy began at 19pm local time due to the 30pm curfew across Italy to curb the spread of the virus.

In his "Urbi et Orbi" speech, the pope highlighted the suffering caused by the virus in the Americas.

"May the Eternal Word of the Father be a source of hope for the American continent, particularly affected by the coronavirus, which has intensified its many sufferings, often aggravated by the effects of corruption and drug trafficking," he said.

"May it help alleviate recent social tensions in Chile and end the suffering of the people of Venezuela."

The pope recognized the victims of natural disasters in the Philippines and Vietnam.

He then identified the Rohingya ethnic group, hundreds of thousands of whom were forced to flee Myanmar's Rakhine State in 2017.

“When I think of Asia, I cannot forget the Rohingya people: may Jesus, who was born poor among the poor, bring them hope amidst their sufferings,” he said.

The Pope concluded: "On this feast day, I think in a special way of all those who refuse to allow themselves to be overcome by adversity, but instead work to bring hope, comfort and help to those who suffer and to those who are alone".

“Jesus was born in a stable, but he was embraced by the love of the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. With his birth in the flesh, the Son of God consecrated family love. My thoughts at this moment go to families: to those who cannot get together today and to those forced to stay at home ”.

"May Christmas be an opportunity for all of us to rediscover the family as the cradle of life and faith, a place of welcome and love, dialogue, forgiveness, fraternal solidarity and shared joy, a source of peace for all humanity".

After delivering his message, the pope recited the Angelus. Wearing a red stole, he then gave his blessing, which brought with it the possibility of a plenary indulgence.

Plenary indulgences remit all temporal penalties due to sin. They must be accompanied by full detachment from sin, as well as by sacramental confession, receiving Holy Communion and praying for the Pope's intentions, once it is possible to do so.

Finally, Pope Francis offered Christmas greetings to those present in the hall and to the guardians around the world via the Internet, television and radio.

“Dear brothers and sisters,” he said. “I renew my wishes for a happy Christmas to all of you who are connected from all over the world through radio, television and other means of communication. I thank you for your spiritual presence on this day marked by joy “.

“In these days, when the atmosphere of Christmas invites people to become better and more fraternal, let us not forget to pray for the families and communities who live in the midst of so much suffering. Please, also continue to pray for me "