News - World: Pope Francis deplored Saturday in his Christmas message that "immense tragedies" in conflict-torn Syria, Yemen and Iraq were "being passed over in silence".

He described the situations in Syria and Yemen as forgotten “tremendous tragedies”, noting that the conflicts in the two countries had left many victims and “countless refugees.”

Pope Francis, in his annual Christmas message, said that these countries witnessed horrific events amid a deafening international silence,

Before a crowd in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, he saw that the strength of human social relations was being tested at this time.

And the Pope warned of what he described as a tendency to withdraw during the outbreak of the Corona epidemic, saying that a wave of dulled sense of the crises and suffering of others was sweeping the world.

Pope Francis pointed out that the effects of the epidemic threaten efforts to resolve conflicts at the international level.

Unlike last year, the Pope delivered his message this year from a balcony overlooking the square and not from inside the building.

Thousands of Catholics were seen in St. Peter’s Square listening to Pope Francis, wearing masks amid preventive measures from Covid.

The Pope said that the epidemic has left people “more inclined to withdraw and to refrain from making an effort to meet and synergize… At the international level, there is a reluctance to dialogue, and the danger of this lies in what may tempt him to rush rather than delay in resolving conflicts.”

He added, “We are still witnessing an increasing number of conflicts, crises and disagreements. They never seem to end, yet we hardly notice them now because we are used to such horrific tragedies passing in silence.”

And the Pope identified Syria, Iraq and Yemen, “where horrific events are taking place in full view and hearing of everyone without anyone uttering for years.”

The Pope also called for remembering the continuing tensions between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the unprecedented economic crisis in Lebanon.

On Asia, the Pope called for the Afghans to enjoy stability, noting that they “have been living through bitter conflicts for more than 40 years.”

The Pope also called for providence to the people of Myanmar, where “intolerance and violence target Christians and churches relentlessly”.

Also, the Pope prayed for peace in the tense parts of the world, including Ukraine, Ethiopia and the Sahel region.

Source: Pope Francis Syria Yemen forgotten tremendous tragedies