In this year’s Christmas message, the Patriarch of Jerusalem has invited the Holy Land’s parishes to switch off their Christmas tree lights for five minutes in solidarity with the those who tragically lost their lives in recent months. Addressing the Middle East which has been rocked to its core by wars and intifadas, he said: “Mercy is a political act par excellence”.

Marking the first anniversary of the forced displacement of the brethren who fled from Mosul and its environs to Jordan, Lebanon and the Western countries; coinciding with the numerous conferences being convened to discuss “the future of Christians” in the Orient; and after my return from “the intellectual retreat” held in Como, Italy--organized by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, which is active in Amman, and attended by 17 intellectuals and specialists, mostly Arabs, living in various parts of the world or teaching in several univ

A “non-aggression pact” jointly signed by the Islamic and Christian warring parties of the devastated Central African capital Bangui, helped avert any incidents unravelling during Francis’ recent visit. The document carries the signatures of Abdoulaye Hissen representing ex-Seleka Muslims and Maksim Mokom representing Christian-friendly anti-Balakas. The date of its signing is destined to remain imprinted in Europe’s memory: 13 November, the day of the Paris attacks.

The persecution of Christians in the Middle East, especially in the areas occupied by the so-called Islamic State, is “terrible”. The mercy Francis is calling for during the Jubilee, is necessary in the international political sphere as well. Regarding Syria, “every effort needs to be made” to reach a political and diplomatic solution. This is according to Mgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s “foreign affairs minister”, who was speaking at the end of a conference titled “Under Caesar’s sword”, taking place at the Pontifical Urbaniana University.

Pope Francis launched, on Tuesday, December 8, his yearlong push for a global Catholic church of mercy and forgiveness, starting the Jubilee year focused on the subject by opening the holy door at St. Peter’s Basilica and calling for a church that always puts mercy before judgment.

In a solemn Mass attended by tens of thousands in a chilly St. Peter’s Square and marked by an unusually high security presence, the pontiff also praised the work of the Second Vatican Council and said the newly-opened Jubilee “compels us not to neglect the spirit which emerged” from that event.

This year, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception marks the beginning of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy announced by Pope Francis in a papal bull.

This year, Christmas in Bethlehem will have a new and different flavor. Although the political situation continues to deteriorate and unrest is on the rise, this Christmas is exclusively dedicated to our children – the children of Palestine delivering messages of peace, joy, and justice to the whole world.

According to Pew Research Center, 38 per cent of the world Christians and 28 per cent of the world Muslims will be living in Africa with the advent of the year 2050. Consequently, the major challenge lying ahead will be promoting a climate of peace and cooperation among the followers of religions, especially between Christians and Muslims which will have a deep impact on spreading peace at a global level.

"Do not let the urgent take the place of the important in your life,” a strong statement that I read and was impressed by. Life to some is a maze and the directions are uncertain, while they should be clear, and aims should be obvious.

‘UOLO’, is something the young people repeat regularly nowadays ‘You only live once’, but do they really know how to live it right? Do you? The answer, to those of us who are clueless, is in setting our priorities right.

At the Mass he celebrated at the Barthélémy Boganda Stadium in Bangui, Francis said: “Certainly we need to beg the Lord’s forgiveness for our all too frequent reluctance and hesitation in bearing witness to the Gospel”.