69制片厂制作传媒播

"I invite every individual, and all people of all nations ... to become pilgrims of hope,'' the pope said from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica to throngs of people below.

The pope invoked the Holy Door of St. Peter69制片厂制作传媒檚, which he opened on Christmas Eve to launch the 2025 Jubilee, as representing God69制片厂制作传媒檚 mercy, which he said tears down walls of division and dispels hatred.

He called for arms to be silenced in war-torn Ukraine and in the Middle East, singling out Christian communities in Israel and the Palestinian territories, as well as Lebanon and Syria. Francis repeated his calls for the release of hostages taken from Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

Pilgrims were lined up on Christmas Day to walk through the great Holy Door at the entrance of St. Peter69制片厂制作传媒檚 as the Jubilee is expected to bring some to Rome. Traversing the Holy Door is one way that the faithful can obtain indulgences, or forgiveness for sins during a Jubilee, a once-every-quarter-century tradition that dates from 1300.

69制片厂制作传媒淵ou feel so humble when you go through the door, that once you go through it is almost like a release, a release of emotions,69制片厂制作传媒� said Blanca Martin, a pilgrim from San Diego. "You feel like now you are able to let go and put everything in the hands of God. See, I am getting emotional. It69制片厂制作传媒檚 just a beautiful experience.69制片厂制作传媒�

Pilgrims submitted to security controls, amid new safety concerns following

A Chrismukkah miracle as Hanukkah and Christmas coincide

Hanukkah, , begins this year on Christmas Day,

The calendar confluence has inspired some religious leaders to host interfaith gatherings, such as a Hanukkah party hosted last week by several Jewish organizations in Houston, Texas, bringing together members of the city69制片厂制作传媒檚 Latino and Jewish communities for latkes, the traditional potato pancake eaten on Hanukkah, topped with guacamole and salsa.

While Hanukkah is intended as an upbeat, celebratory holiday, rabbis note that it69制片厂制作传媒檚 taking place this year as wars rage in the Middle East and fears rise over widespread . The holidays overlap infrequently because the Jewish calendar is based on lunar cycles and is not in sync with the Gregorian calendar, which sets Christmas on Dec. 25.

The last time Hanukkah began on Christmas Day was in 2005.

Ukraine marks second Christmas at war

On the front lines of eastern Ukraine, soldiers spent another Christmas locked in grinding battles with Russian forces. It's their second Christmas at war and away from home since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.

A soldier with the call sign OREL, the Ukrainian commander of 211th battalion, said he had forgotten it was Christmas Day.

69制片厂制作传媒淗onestly, I remembered about this holiday only in the evening (after) someone wrote in the group that today is a holiday,'' he said. 69制片厂制作传媒淲e have no holidays, no weekends. ... I don69制片厂制作传媒檛 know, I have no feelings, everything is plain, everything is gray, and my thoughts are only about how to preserve my personnel and how to stop the enemy.69制片厂制作传媒�

Others, however, said the day brought hope that there would one day be peace. Ukrainians expect the inauguration of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump may bring about a ceasefire deal, and many soldiers who have borne the brunt of nearly three years of fighting, said they hoped that would be the case.

69制片厂制作传媒淥n such a day, today, I69制片厂制作传媒檇 like to wish for all of this to be over, for everyone,'' said Valerie, a Ukrainian soldier in the 24th Mechanized Brigade who would only give his first name. 69制片厂制作传媒淥f course, there is always hope, there is always hope. Everyone wants peace, everyone wants peace and to return home.69制片厂制作传媒�

White Christmas in the U.S. Northeast

Residents of New York City awoke to their first white Christmas in Central Park since 2009, according to the National Weather Service New York. The 843-acre urban park recorded a snow depth of 1 inch at 7 a.m.

In Massachusetts, school children came up with names for a dozen hardworking snowplows, including 69制片厂制作传媒淭aylor Drift,69制片厂制作传媒� 69制片厂制作传媒淐ontrol-Salt-Delete69制片厂制作传媒� and 69制片厂制作传媒淚t69制片厂制作传媒檚 Snow Problem.69制片厂制作传媒� The Massachusetts Department of Transportation this week announced the winners of its competition to name the snowplows, which was open to elementary and middle school students. Other winning names included 69制片厂制作传媒淢eltin69制片厂制作传媒� John,69制片厂制作传媒� 69制片厂制作传媒淚ce Ice Baby69制片厂制作传媒� and the 69制片厂制作传媒淎bominable Plowman.69制片厂制作传媒�

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden spent part of Christmas Day calling each branch of the military stationed overseas to thank them for their service.

German celebrations muted by market attack

German celebrations were darkened by a car attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg on Friday that left five people dead, including a 9-year-old boy, and 200 people injured.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier rewrote his recorded Christmas Day speech to address the attack, saying that 69制片厂制作传媒渢here is grief, pain, horror and incomprehension over what took place in Magdeburg.69制片厂制作传媒� He urged Germans to stand together and said 69制片厂制作传媒渉ate and violence must not have the last word.69制片厂制作传媒�

A 50-year-old Saudi doctor who had practiced medicine in Germany since 2006 was arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and bodily harm. The suspect69制片厂制作传媒檚 X account describes him as a former Muslim and is filled with anti-Islamic themes.

Some Germans participated in joyful holiday traditions despite tough times. Members of the winter and ice swimming club Seehunde Berlin, or the Berlin Seals, waded into Oranke Lake wearing Santa hats as part of their annual Christmas Day swim. Meanwhile, rabbis gathered in town to watch the set-up of a giant Hanukkah menorah in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

Displaced Christians in Gaza pray for peace

An elderly Christian couple in the Gaza Strip has marked Christmas in a squalid tent camp, separated from their families and friends.

Amal Amouri and her husband, Tony Al-Masri, are members of Gaza69制片厂制作传媒檚 tiny Christian community. While many of Gaza69制片厂制作传媒檚 1,000 or so Christians have sheltered in a Gaza City church throughout the war, the couple is among the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians who have fled to southern Gaza.

The tent camps in the Muwasi area barely have enough food or proper shelter. Al-Masri recently recovered from a stroke and walks with a cane.

Al-Masri said that before the war, his family would travel to the West Bank town of Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, to celebrate the Christmas. He said being separated from them was especially difficult.

69制片厂制作传媒淥n days like these, I would be with my children in Bethlehem and with my grandchildren, sitting with all the family. We have been deprived of all of this,69制片厂制作传媒� he said. 69制片厂制作传媒淭his is the hardest thing for me. For two years I have not seen my children or grandchildren.69制片厂制作传媒�

His wife hung a wooden cross inside their tent, which has pictures of Christian leaders and Jesus and Virgin Mary as well as written prayers in every corner. 69制片厂制作传媒淚 only wish for peace,69制片厂制作传媒� she said.

Barry reported from Milan. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem; Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City; Rashid Yehya in Teleskaf, Iraq; Evgeniy Maloletka in the Donetsk region, Ukraine; Nick Perry in Boston; and David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed to this report.