As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, a Franciscan voice from the Holy Land is urging the faithful to confront the reality of war with renewed moral clarity, reminding Catholics that peace is not passive sentiment but an active commitment rooted in the Gospel.
In a Christmas message published by Vatican News, Father Ibrahim Faltas, a friar of the Custody of the Holy Land, reflects on the devastation unfolding in Gaza and throughout other war-torn regions, warning that prolonged violence risks numbing the human conscience. He observes that “violence generates death and destruction” while “revenge breeds hatred and suffering,” describing an escalating cycle that leaves little room for solidarity or understanding.
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According to Father Faltas, the suffering of civilians has reached a point that can no longer be considered tolerable. He writes that “the threshold of tolerable violence has been exceeded,” pointing to bombings, clashes, shortages of essential goods, and the collapse of medical care as daily realities for countless innocent people. Despite repeated appeals and diplomatic efforts, he notes that “countless appeals, along with mediation efforts by Popes and other heads of state, have failed to change or resolve this desperate situation.”
The Franciscan friar expresses deep concern that even humanitarian responses have fallen tragically short. Aid deliveries and medical evacuations, he explains, have been “little more than a drop in the ocean,” leaving families exposed to prolonged suffering with limited hope of relief. This failure, he suggests, raises uncomfortable moral questions not only for political leaders but for humanity as a whole.
Father Faltas warns that fear and silence risk making the global community complicit in injustice. He writes that “silence makes us all accomplices,” especially when access to war zones is restricted and barriers prevent journalists, humanitarian workers, and international observers from reaching those in need. Beyond physical walls, he says, there appears to be “a barrier… built to block any path to truth,” undermining justice and human dignity.
The message repeatedly returns to questions meant to stir consciences: Why are the vulnerable treated as enemies? Why are resources withheld when they are readily available? Why does indifference persist even as children, the elderly, and the sick endure unimaginable hardship?
For Catholics, Father Faltas insists that the answer is found not in political ideology but in the mystery of Christmas itself. He points to “a child wrapped in swaddling clothes, born in the cold darkness of a stable,” who came to reconcile humanity and defend the innocent. This Child, he writes, affirms that “love of neighbour is the only truth.”
The friar urges believers to carry the message of Bethlehem beyond the Christmas season, reminding them that “peace is not an illusion, but a choice for life.” Peace, he insists, is not a hollow word but “courage—the courage to help and to bear witness to the Saviour’s truth.”
As the Church celebrates the Nativity, Father Faltas’ message challenges Catholics to examine whether their faith is shaping concrete choices. In a world scarred by war and indifference, his appeal echoes the heart of the Gospel: that peace begins when believers choose compassion, truth, and responsibility for one another—every day of the year.
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