Pilgrims lined up to walk through the great Holy Door at the entrance of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome as Christmas marks the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration.

JERUSALEM – Israel accused Pope Francis of “double standards” on Dec 21 after he condemned the bombing of children in Gaza as “cruelty” following an air strike that killed seven children from one family.

Pope Francis called for peace around the world and for global conflicts to end in his annual “Urbi et Orbi” Christmas message to the faithful. Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome,

Pope Francis condemned what he called the “cruelty” of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. Pope Francis: “Cardinal Re spoke about the war. Yesterday they did not let the patriarch enter into Gaza as they had promised.

Israel accused Pope Francis of "double standards" Saturday after he condemned the bombing of children in Gaza as "cruelty" following an air strike that killed seven children from one family.

Christmas message, Pope Francis urged the world to “silence the sound of arms" and find reconciliation, “even (with) our enemies."

Pope Francis reflected on the devastating consequences of the Gaza war in an address at the Vatican on Saturday, expressing deep sorrow over the bombing of children in the Gaza Strip the previous day.

Pope Francis has called for a “negotiation” to end the war in Ukraine in a Christmas Day message where he appealed for weapons to be laid down in global conflicts and reconciliation between enemies.

Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Wednesday urged “all people of all nations” to find courage during this Holy Year “to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions” plaguing the world,

Pope Francis in his Christmas message called for talks between Ukraine and Russia to end the war that followed Moscow's full-scale invasion two years ago.

"I invite every individual, and all people of all nations ... to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions," the pope said from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica to throngs of people below.