Pope Francis lit a candle at the Vatican on Sunday (December 2nd) for victims of conflicts around the world, and in particular the children of Syria, AFP reported.

"Advent is a time of hope. Right now, my hope is for peace for the children of Syria, tormented by a war that has lasted eight years," he said after the Angelus prayer.

"I am lighting a candle along with the many Syrian children and believers across the world who are lighting theirs," he said. "Let these flames of hope dispel the shadows of war!"

"May the flame of hope also reach all those who are victims of conflicts and tensions around the world, near and far."

The "Candles for Peace in Syria" Christmas initiative was launched Sunday by Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic charity.

The tall candle was decorated by a local craftsman from the Bab Touma quarter of Damascus and bore the photos of some 40 children, most from Aleppo.

The UN children's fund (UNICEF) warned last month that a funding gap and the start of winter could leave nearly one million children, including Syrians, "out in the cold" and prone to dangerous diseases in the Middle East and North Africa.