In his first Christmas address at St Peter’s Square, Pope Leo delivered a powerful appeal aimed straight at the world’s war zones. Calling for the guns to fall silent in Ukraine, he urged leaders to show courage and engage in sincere, direct dialogue. The pontiff also turned attention to Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis, speaking of displacement, suffering and fragile lives caught in endless conflict. His message went beyond politics, warning of young lives lost to war and urging nations to choose compassion over violence at a defining moment.