As Christians celebrate Christmas, Pope Francis, in his traditional Christmas message, urges “all people of all nations” to find courage during this Holy Year “to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions," from the Holy Land to Ukraine, Africa to Asia.
Christmas around the world
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A priest holds a mass on Christmas Eve, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, Dec. 24, 2024.
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Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa leads the Christmas midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Dec. 24, 2024.
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A salesperson speaks to visitors next to the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Dec. 25, 2024.
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Faithful attend the Christmas morning Mass at the Lady of Damascus church, following the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, Dec. 25, 2024.
