Pope Francis called for people around the world to see their differences as a positive, not a threat, as he prayed for peace in war-torn countries during his Christmas address from the Vatican on Tuesday.

“My wish for a happy Christmas is a wish for fraternity — fraternity among individuals of every nation and culture,” the pontiff said from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

“God is a good father, and we are all brothers and sisters,’’ the 82-year-old pope said. “Our differences, then, are not a detriment or a danger; they are a source of richness.’’

Without unity, “even our best plans and projects risk being soulless and empty.”

Addressing about 50,000 tourists, pilgrims and Romans gathered for his annual “Urbi et Orbi” address, Francis made an appeal for peace in war-ravaged nations, including Yemen and Syria.

“My thoughts turn to Yemen in the hope that the truce brokered by the international community may finally bring relief to all those children and people exhausted by war and famine,” he said.

Francis also said he hoped countries would work together to find a solution to the conflict in Syria “so that the Syrian people, especially all those who were forced to leave their own lands and seek refuge elsewhere, can return to live in peace in their own country.”

The Holy Father encouraged dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, too, to end a conflict “that for over 70 years has [consumed] the land chosen by the Lord to show his face of love.”

Francis also noted that some Christians were celebrating Christmas “in difficult, if not hostile situations,” perhaps alluding to China, which imposed strict restrictions on the celebration of holiday this year.

The first pope from Latin America also alluded to the world’s polarization over immigration, telling the crowd that God wants “love, acceptance, respect for this poor humanity of ours, which we all share in a great variety of races, languages, and cultures.”

With Post wires