Pope Francis asked to think this Christmas of the children of Ukraine who suffer and who bear the consequences of an "inhuman" war that has made them lose "the ability to smile".

At the end of Wednesday's General Audience, Pope Francis asked that "on this feast of God who becomes a child, let us think of Ukrainian children."

He said this during his greeting to the Polish faithful, where he recalled that, according to their tradition, "on Christmas Eve they leave an empty place for an unexpected guest".

"This year," the Holy Father noted, "it will be occupied by the multitude of refugees from Ukraine, to whom you have opened the doors of your homes with great generosity.

Then, speaking of the Child Jesus, he prayed to think "of the many children of Ukraine who suffer, suffer so much, because of this war. On this feast of God who becomes a child, let us think of the Ukrainian children".

The Holy Father recalled the times he has met in the Vatican with Ukrainian refugee children and lamented that "most of them cannot smile, and when a child loses the ability to smile, it is serious."

"These children carry the tragedy of that war so inhuman, so hard. Let us think of the Ukrainian people, this Christmas: without light, without heating, without the main thing to survive, and let us pray to the Lord to bring them peace as soon as possible," he said.

Later, he asked the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph "to teach us to understand the true meaning of this feast, to help us live it with peace and joy, sharing what we are and what we have with the people who need it most."

He also invited the faithful to "contemplate the manger more closely during these days. There, in the cold and ice, the Son of God is born: his gaze awakens our hearts and commits us to build a more fraternal world."  

"With a prayer for peace and good for each of you and your families, I wish you all a Merry Christmas," Pope Francis concluded.