Pope Francis used his annual Christmas Day message to pray for a peaceful two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 'Defense of immigrants'On Sunday, the Pope issued a strong defense of immigration in his Christmas Eve mass, saying faith demands foreigners be welcomed, even as support for far-right parties has risen in Europe. "They had to leave their people, their home and their land," Francis told an audience at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. We see the tracks of millions of persons who do not choose to go away, but driven from their land, leave behind their dear ones." While he was in Myanmar, Francis did not use the term "Rohingya," which is politically sensitive but widely accepted outside the country.

Source: CNN December 25, 2017 15:11 UTC