Christmas across the globe: Tradition and tensions amid turbulent times

At the Vatican, the pope called for unity. In the U.S., a federal government shutdown cast a pall. So dawned Christmas Day 2018.

At the Vatican, the pope called for unity, despite a world fractured by differences.

In England, the 92-year-old monarch tapped into her age for words of wisdom.

In the U.S., a federal government shutdown cast a pall as families flocked to churches and children tore open Santa gifts.

And at the White House, President Donald Trump derided Democrats over border wall funding and attacked the Federal Reserve 24 hours after another Wall Street plunge.

So dawned Christmas Day 2018, a mix of tradition and unease amid turbulent times.

Pope Francis said his Christmas wish was for stronger bonds among people from different cultures, faiths and nations, a reference to rising nationalism across the globe.

The universal message of Christmas is that “God is a good Father and we are all brothers and sisters,” Francis said before an enthusiastic crowd of about 50,000 packed into Rome's St. Peter's Square. Without that bond, “even our best plans and projects risk being soulless and empty.”

Francis pressed for solidarity among individuals of “every nation and culture” as well as among people “with different ideas, yet capable of respecting and listening to one another. For this reason, my wish for a happy Christmas is a wish for fraternity.”

The pope referenced the drawn-out war in Syria, famine and warfare in Yemen, social strife in Venezuela and Nicaragua, conflicts in Ukraine and tensions on the Korean Peninsula, appealing for truces and paths to peace.

More: In tsunami-ravaged parts of Indonesia, a somber Christmas

More: Government shutdown, day 3: Trump complains he's 'all alone' waiting for Democrats to deal

In the U.S., as the government shutdown rolled into its fourth day, one symbol of the paralysis, the National Christmas Tree, again twinkled brightly on Tuesday.

The evergreen on the Ellipse south of the White House, which has been an icon in the nation's capital since 1923, reopened after a brief closure because of the shutdown when the National Park Foundation and other philanthropic partners stepped in to make up the funding lapse. Its signature star, however, remained unlit after being damaged by a rogue climber on Friday.

About 800,000 employees are affected by the partial shutdown, which covers about 25 percent of government agencies.

The president, who delayed his end-of-the-year trip to Florida because of the shutdown, reached out by video conference Tuesday morning to service members in Guam, Bahrain, Qatar and Alaska.

“I know it’s a great sacrifice for you to be away from your families, but I want you to know that every American family is eternally grateful to you, and we’re holding you close in our hearts, thoughts and prayers,” Trump said. “We love what you do and love your work. Amazing people.”

Trump also touched on a smattering of subjects before reporters in the Oval Office: saying he didn't know when the shutdown would end, denying collusion with Russia during the 2016 election and blasting the Federal Reserve after a 653-point market plummet a day earlier.

Trump's comments came 24 hours after a bizarre Christmas Eve in which the president unleashed a tweetstorm lambasting critics, lamented being "all alone" in the White House and questioned a 7-year-old, who called in to the government's official Santa Tracker, for believing in the jolly old elf.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II broadcast her annual Christmas message, which started in 1952, to 53 Commonwealth countries after attending church services with her family.

The queen, who noted that it was an engaging year for her family with two weddings and two new babies, was reflective on her 92 years.

“Some cultures believe a long life brings wisdom,” Elizabeth said. “I’d like to think so. Perhaps part of that wisdom is to recognize some of life’s baffling paradoxes, such as the way human beings have a huge propensity for good and yet a capacity for evil.”

And in Indonesia, a country still stunned by a ferocious weekend tsunami that killed more than 400 people and left thousands homeless, holiday celebrations were muted and grief-stricken as jittery residents feared another tragedy.

Church leaders called on Christians across Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, to pray for victims of the disaster.

Pastor Rusman Anita Sitorus led an emotional candlelight vigil at a Mass in her small church in the hard-hit seaside town of Caritas, Reuters reported.

“We usually celebrate with joy and festivities, but with the tsunami, we can only pray humbly and not celebrate much for this year’s Christmas,” he said.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Christmas across the globe: Tradition and tensions amid turbulent times