During Sunday prayer on Dec. 15, Pope Francis referred to Russia and Ukraine as "brothers," while reiterating calls for peace Russia’s war against Ukraine. "They are brothers, cousins. Let them come to an understanding.

Christmas revellers around the world donned red and white Santa hats, offered meals to the homeless and lit candles on Wednesday, as Pope Francis launched observation of the global holiday with a sombre mass in the Vatican.

Putting aggressors and victims on the same level is "ethically and morally wrong," said commenter Anton Gerashchenko in response to the pope's words.

The latest is a special gift as Christmas draws near: a vehicle converted into a small mobile hospital to care for the inhabitants of this country devastated by war. The person in charge of delivering the vehicle where the injured can be operated on will be the pope’s almoner, Cardinal Konrad Krajweski.

Ukrainian artist Yama Tarhonia has presented Pope Francis with a blue and yellow dove of peace made from a piece of stained glass from the Church of St Nicholas in Kyiv, which was damaged in a Russian attack on 20024.

Ukraine said Russia had attacked it with 60 drones overnight, of which 36 were downed, 23 were jammed by electronic warfare and one was still in the air.

I think of Gaza with great sorrow; so much cruelty, children hit by machine guns, schools and hospitals bombed,’ pontiff says - Anadolu Ajansı

The pope inaugurated the Catholic Church's historic 2025 Jubilee of "Hope" on Christmas Eve at the Vatican in traditional ceremonies before he addressed thousands of Catholic faithful.

The White House announced that President Joe Biden will head to Italy early next month for a public meeting with Pope Francis in Vatican City. During the trip he will also hold meetings with Italy's Prime Minister and President.

Christmas festivities in Bethlehem have been toned down for a second year running due to the ongoing war in Gaza. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest representative of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land,

The papal point man for charity, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, opened a soup kitchen in Fastiv, in Ukraine's Kyiv region, Dec. 23 and was heading east to Kharkiv to spend Christmas "in the city where Russian bombs fell first and the war started" on Feb.