Pope Calls for Holy Land Harmony

In his Christmas address Friday, Pope Francis called for direct dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians and a solution that will let them live side by side, in a speech that broadly addressed the theme of peace around the world. “Where God is born, peace is born,” he said. “And where peace is born, there is no longer room for hatred and for war. Yet precisely where the incarnate son of God came into the world, tensions and violence persist, and peace remains a gift to be implored and built.” The pontiff also specifically named several other locations, including Syria, Ukraine, and Colombia.