Just days before Christmas, Pope Francis expresses deep concern for the suffering caused by war and violence in different parts of the world. Immediately after the recitation of the Angelus, the Pontiff recalled Mozambique, which is marked by poverty and conflict, calling for dialogue and the search for the common good, so that faith and good will prevail over distrust and discord. The Pope's thoughts then turned to the tormented Ukraine, still suffering from bombings that damaged schools, hospitals and churches. In a heartfelt appeal, Francis called for the silence of arms so that Christmas would bring a truce on all war fronts: in the Holy Land, Ukraine, the Middle East and the rest of the world. "With pain I think of Gaza," he said, "of the children machine-gunned, the bombing of schools and hospitals ... How cruel!" The Pope called on the faithful to join in prayer that the suffering of the victims would be alleviated and that peace would prevail everywhere. "Let the weapons be silent and the Christmas carols resound," he concluded.