Overview
- Speaking from the Apostolic Palace balcony, he said he follows events with pain and expressed closeness to those who suffer.
- He warned that the prolongation of hostilities deepens the fracture between peoples and pushes a just resolution further away.
- He highlighted winter hardship after strikes on energy infrastructure that leave entire communities exposed to the cold.
- Media reports noted recent Russian operations that left thousands of families without heating during winter.
- He called young members of Catholic Action to be peace activists who reject violence in words and gestures, and he marked World Leprosy Day with a message of support for patients and caregivers.