Pope Francis called for ending armed conflicts worldwide in his “Urbi et Orbi” blessing on Wednesday. The 88-year-old pontiff, who launched the 2025 Jubilee year by opening the St. Peter’s Basilica’s “Holy Door” on Tuesday, urged solutions to many of the world’s ongoing hostilities.

“May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine!” Pope Francis said from the basilica’s central balcony. “May there be the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation and gestures of dialogue and encounter to achieve a just and lasting peace.”

The pontiff’s 2024 Urbi et Orbi (“To the city and to the world”) speech marked the start of the Jubilee year, which, according to Christian tradition, is a time for forgiveness and reconciliation.

Pope Francis called for peace across the Middle East, urging a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine so that “aid be given to the people worn out by hunger and by war.” He prayed for “the doors of dialogue and peace be flung open throughout the region,” mentioning Lebanon and Syria. He also pointed to children suffering from the African measles outbreak and wished for “social harmony” in Cyprus, Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia, and Nicaragua.

“This Christmas, at the beginning of a Jubilee year, I invite every person, all peoples, and all nations to gather the courage to become pilgrims of hope, lay down the weapons, and overcome differences,” Pope Francis said.