Vatican Pope Francis expressed hope that peace will be realized for children, particularly in Syria.

lighting a candle for aid and solidarity with the people of Syria during his Sunday Angelus prayer on the first Sunday of the Advent season leading up to Christmas, Pope Francis said that “Advent is a time of hope… At this time, I would like to make my own the hope of peace of the children of Syria.”

Lifting the candle to the window, Francis prayed “May these flames of hope dispel the darkness of war.”

Pope Francis called on people of goodwill all over the world to respond to this cry of peace from the children of Syria, among other things by lighting a candle … in order to spread this message of peace from the children of Syria and send a message of hope during the season of Advent.”

A candle decorated with the faces of Syrian children suffering from war was placed next to Pope Francis during the Angelus noon prayer which he delivered from his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

The candle lighted by the Pope was decorated by craftsman from the Old City of Damascus, and it also bears the photos of some 40 Syrian children most of them from Aleppo.