Pope Francis called Wednesday for people to restrain spending ahead of the upcoming Christmas holiday and use the money saved to help the people of Ukraine.
Speaking during his weekly audience at the Vatican, the pope said, “there is so much suffering in Ukraine” as he advocated for a “humble Christmas.”
“They are hungry, they are cold, so many die for lack of doctors and nurses,” he said. “Let’s not forget them. Christmas yes, in peace and with the Lord, yes. But with Ukrainians in the heart.”
Ukraine has experienced repeated Russian airstrikes on its infrastructure in recent months, causing power and water outages.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
