Pope Leo decried conditions for Palestinians in Gaza in his Christmas sermon on Thursday, in an unusually direct appeal during what is normally a solemn, spiritual service on the day Christians across the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Leo, the first US pope, said the story of Jesus being born in a stable showed that God had “pitched his fragile tent” among the people of the world.

“How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind, and cold?” he asked.

Leo, celebrating his first Christmas after being elected in May by the world’s cardinals to succeed the late Pope Francis, has a quieter, more diplomatic style than his predecessor and usually refrains from making political references in his sermons.

But the new pope has also lamented the conditions for Palestinians in Gaza several times recently and told journalists last month that the only solution in the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people must include a Palestinian state.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in October after two years of intense bombardment and military operations, but humanitarian agencies say there is still too little aid getting into Gaza, where nearly the entire population is homeless.

In Thursday’s service attended by thousands in St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo also lamented conditions for the homeless across the globe and the destruction caused by the wars roiling the world.

“Fragile is the flesh of defenseless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds,” said the pope.

“Fragile are the minds and lives of young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths,” he said.

In a later Christmas blessing, the pontiff, who has made care for immigrants a key theme of his early papacy, also lamented the situation for migrants and refugees who “traverse the American continent.”

Leo, who has previously criticized US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, did not mention him. In a Christmas Eve sermon on Wednesday, the pope said refusing to help the poor and strangers was tantamount to rejecting God himself.

In an appeal during the Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message and blessing given by the pope at Christmas and Easter, Leo called for an end to all global wars.

Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to thousands of people in the square below, he lamented conflicts – political, social, or military – in Ukraine, Sudan, Mali, Myanmar, and Thailand and Cambodia, among others.

Leo said people in Ukraine, where Russian troops are threatening cities critical to the country’s eastern defenses, have been “tormented” by violence.

“May the clamor of weapons cease, and may the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct, and respectful dialogue,” said the pope.

For Thailand and Cambodia, where border fighting is in its third week with at least 80 killed, Leo asked that the nations’ “ancient friendship” be restored, “to work towards reconciliation and peace.”

In addition, during the Midnight Mass in Bethlehem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, delivered a message focusing on the ongoing challenges in the Holy Land and the broader Middle East. His speech highlighted the political tensions, humanitarian concerns, and the need for peace and justice in the region.

Pizzaballa began his address by referring to the historical context of Jesus’ birth, noting that political decisions, both in ancient times and today, have long shaped the fate of people. He drew attention to the significant impact of current political choices.

“Here, in the Holy Land, this truth resonates with special force. To celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem is to recognize that God has chosen a real land marked by wounds and expectations,” he said.

The patriarch then turned to the ongoing situation in Gaza, acknowledging that despite the official cessation of war, the region continues to face immense challenges. “Families in Gaza remain in the rubble, and the future is uncertain,” he stated, speaking of their resilience and how they are rebuilding their lives despite the hardships.

Pizzaballa also spoke about the broader tendency among both local and international communities to disengage from difficult issues. “There is a widespread desire to escape from reality. People flee from responsibilities that are too heavy, flee from caring for the common good in order to retreat into their own private interests,” he said.

“We come from years of great hardship, in which war, violence, hunger, and destruction have deeply marked the lives of so many, especially the little ones. The situation has become too heavy, relationships too conflicting. Starting over and rebuilding has become too hard. In these years, history has shown all its contradictions, reality has come to us with its heavy, complicated, and sad side. However, what is concrete and painful evidence for us is also felt elsewhere in the world.”

The patriarch called for a renewed focus on justice and reconciliation. “The difficult situations of this time are not the result of destiny, but of political choices, of human responsibilities, and of decisions that often put the interests of a few before the good of all,” Pizzaballa said. “Peace may not only be a dream, but a concrete commitment and responsibility for all.”

He emphasized that Christmas should serve as a reminder to reflect on how each individual can contribute to peace. “Every gesture of reconciliation, every word that does not fuel hatred, every choice that centers on the dignity of the other, becomes the place where God’s peace takes flesh,” he said. “Christmas entrusts us with a great and real responsibility,” he said, and “does not distance us from history but profoundly engages so that we are not neutral, but partakers.”

Pizzaballa concluded his message by urging all individuals and leaders to take responsibility for creating a better future. “Tonight’s Gospel also challenges us here [who are] present from different countries, cultures, and histories. It asks us not to remain neutral; to not run away from the complexity of the present, but to navigate it in the light of the Child. The world’s night may be deep, but it is not definitive.”

The patriarch’s comments focused on the urgent need for political and social change in the region. He expressed hope for a future marked by justice, peace, and reconciliation.