Pope Francis mourns Istanbul attack, prays for peace in New Year's address

Pope Francis on Sunday gave his annual New Year's address to about 50,000 people in St. Peter's Square, mourning Sunday's deadly terror attack in Istanbul, Turkey, and expressing hope for a more peaceful 2017.

"Unfortunately, violence has stricken even in this night of good wishes and hope. In sorrow, I express my closeness to the Turkish people. I pray for the many victims and for the wounded and for the entire nation in mourning," he said. "I ask the Lord to sustain all men of good will to courageously roll up their sleeves to confront the plague of terrorism and this stain of blood that is covering the world with a shadow of fear and a sense of loss."

Still, the "new year will be good in the measure in which each of us, with the help of God, tries to do good, day by day," Francis charged. "That's how peace is created" as we "say no to hate and violence and yes to brotherhood and reconciliation."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up