Jerusalem: As Christmas approaches, a senior Franciscan friar serving in the Holy Land has issued a heartfelt appeal for peace, warning that continued violence is destroying innocent lives and numbing the conscience of the world.
Father Ibrahim Faltas, a member of the Custody of the Holy Land, said the Advent season reminds Christians of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, at a time when people in the region are living with fear, loss, and deep uncertainty.
Reflecting on the situation in Gaza Strip and other conflict affected areas, Father Faltas said violence only creates more death and destruction, while revenge breeds hatred and long lasting suffering. He noted that since October 7, the scale of human pain has grown beyond what can be tolerated.
He described Gaza as a place facing multiple threats to life, including airstrikes, clashes, shortages of food, lack of medical care, and the absence of essential medicines. Despite repeated appeals and mediation efforts by Popes and world leaders, he said the situation remains desperate, with humanitarian aid reaching only a small fraction of those in need.
Father Faltas expressed concern that global reactions often stop at outrage, while real action remains limited. He warned that fear and silence prevent people from holding decision makers accountable, adding that silence risks making everyone complicit in suffering.
He also criticised restrictions that block access to war zones, saying that humanitarian workers, journalists, and observers are often prevented from reaching those in need. According to him, not only physical walls but also barriers to truth have been built, making justice and human dignity harder to achieve.
Raising a series of moral questions, Father Faltas asked why help is withheld when resources are available, why medical supplies remain blocked just beyond checkpoints, and why vulnerable people such as children, the elderly, and the sick are treated as enemies.
Turning to the message of Christmas, he said hope is found in the image of the Child Jesus, born in poverty and cold, who came to reconcile humanity and defend the innocent. That message from Bethlehem, he said, remains relevant today.
Father Faltas concluded by stressing that peace is not a dream or an empty word, but a daily choice that demands courage, solidarity, and a commitment to protect life.