Pope Francis urges aid access to Syria in Christmas speech

Pope Francis has used his first Christmas Day address to urge access for humanitarian aid in Syria, the BBC reported Wednesday. He told thousands of pilgrims in St Peter's Square in the Vatican to pray for a peaceful end to violence in Syria and other conflict zones. The Argentine Pope also said tragic incidents involving migrants trying to reach Europe should not be repeated. "Too many lives have been shattered in recent times by the conflict in Syria, fueling hatred and vengeance," said the 77-year-old pontiff. Conflicts in Africa were another focus of the Pope's address. He called the violence in the Central African Republic "often forgotten and overlooked" in a country "torn apart by a spiral of violence and poverty". He also urged an end to fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and for "social harmony" in South Sudan.