Pope Calls on Atheists, Believers

Pope Francis called for members of all religions to join together with atheists to work for “a homemade peace” in his first Christmas Day service at St. Peter’s Basilica. About 70,000 gathered to hear the Pope speak on the Basilica’s central balcony, calling for the environment to be saved from “human greed and rapacity.” In his first “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and world) speech, Francis veered from his prepared words to ask atheists to unite with believers. He also noted the ongoing ethnic violence in South Sudan that is believed to have killed thousands, calling for “social harmony.”