Pope Francis urges people to end 'false neutrality' to combat injustices in New Years Day address

The Pope spoke to crowds in St Peter's Basilica

Pope Francis on Christmas Day (Franco Origlia/Getty Images))

The Pope has urged people to fight against, and not be indifferent to, the injustices, persecution, wars and misery in the world in his New Years day address.

Pope Francis urged the crowds engaging in mass in St Peter’s Basilica to “let ourselves be reborn, to overcome the indifference which blocks solidarity, and to leave behind the false neutrality which prevents sharing”.

Referring to the many people suffering in the world, he spoke of those “fleeing war, hunger and persecution, ready to risk their lives simply to encounter respect for their fundamental rights.”

He also asked “how long human evil will continue to sow violence and hatred in our world, reaping innocent victims”.

He then wondered aloud how it is possible that “the arrogance of the powerful continues to demean the weak, relegating them to the most squalid outskirts of our world.”

The 79-year-old addressed a crowd of around 10,000 people in Vatican City. He used his message to urge people to overcome a “torrent of misery” by “building an ever more just and fraternal world, a world in which every person and every creature can dwell in peace, in the harmony of God’s original creation”.

Additional reporting by agencies.