Pope Francis Urges World peace!

Pope Francis, in his Christmas message to tens of thousands of people on St Peter's Square, and million others who watched from across the globe, condemned the activities of Islamic State(IS) fighters in Syria and Irag, and the Boko - haram insurgent group in Nigeria, for indiscriminate killings of people they believe not to share their ideologies.

"I ask him, the savior of the world, to look upon our brothers and sisters in Iraq and Syria, who for too long now have suffered the effects of ongoing conflict, and who, together with those belonging to other ethnic and religious groups, are suffering a brutal persecution," he said.

May Christ the Savior give peace to Nigeria, where more blood is being shed and too many people are unjustly deprived of their possessions, held as hostages or killed,” he said. He noted African countries dealing with an increase in Islamic militancy and those fighting the Ebola virus outbreak. 

“Truly there are so many tears this Christmas,” he lamented.

He also spoke on "contemporary Herods," with blood on their hands, referring to the Biblical king who ordered children to be killed because he saw Jesus as a threat to his reign.

"May Christmas bring them hope, as indeed also to the many displaced persons, exiles and refugees, children, adults and elderly, from this region and from the whole world," he prayed.

The Papal urged for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, as he condemned Taliban attacks in Pakistan.