Pope Francis on Wednesday called on people to spend less on Christmas presents and celebrations, and donate the money saved to those in war-ravaged Ukraine.
"It is nice to celebrate Christmas. But let's lower the level of Christmas spending a bit," Francis said in his weekly general audience at the Vatican.
Nearly 10 months into the war, hardship from the fighting has compounded as winter sets in and Russia pounds Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
On Tuesday, Ukraine's Western allies pledged an additional one billion euros ($1.1 billion) in emergency winter aid to help the country withstand Russia's onslaught.
Source: Hindustan Times