Pope Francis has called for a “humble” Christmas this year – with savings from reduced spending on gifts donated to help the “suffering people of Ukraine”.

During his weekly general audience, Francis called for “concrete gestures” of charity for Ukrainians this holiday season.

“It’s nice to celebrate Christmas and have parties but let’s lower the level of Christmas spending a bit,” he said.

“Let’s make a more humble Christmas, with more humble gifts, and let’s send what we save to the people of Ukraine who need it.”

Pope Francis, right, presides over a mass in honor of our lady of Guadalupe in St Peter’s Basilica at The Vatican, on Monday December 12 2022
Pope Francis, right, presides over a mass in honor of our lady of Guadalupe in St Peter’s Basilica at The Vatican, on Monday December 12 2022 (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Francis has spoken out frequently about the “martyred” people of Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24. T

The Vatican has organised humanitarian deliveries over recent months, including a clothing drive to send thermal wear to Ukrainians suffering the winter cold with reduced heating and electricity.

“They are hungry. They are cold. So many die for lack of doctors and nurses,” Francis said.

“Let’s not forget them. Christmas, yes, in peace and with the Lord, yes, but with Ukrainians in the heart.”

Francis recently sparked a new diplomatic row with Moscow when he blamed most of the “cruelty” in Russia’s war on Chechen and other minority fighters, who he said were not of “the Russian tradition”.

A man pushes his daughter on a swing in front of a tax office building heavily damaged by a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday December 14 2022
A man pushes his daughter on a swing in front of a tax office building heavily damaged by a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday December 14 2022 (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)

Russia’s ambassador to the Holy See lodged a formal protest after the remarks, and Russian officials said this week the Vatican has not yet apologised.

In another Christmas gesture, the Vatican said this week Francis has sent letters to heads of state around the globe asking them to undertake a “gesture of clemency” for eligible prisoners.

Francis reasoned that doing so could show “an opening to the grace of the Lord in a time marked by tensions, injustices and conflicts”.