Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the Christmas Eve evening Mass for the first time on December 24. Compared to his predecessors, Pope Leo XIV will begin the ceremony at a later hour in St. Peter’s Basilica, where prayers will also be offered in Tagalog and Igbo for the first time.
According to tradition, the Christmas Eve Mass begins at the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica and opens with the Latin Kalenda chant announcing the birth of Christ.
At the main altar of the basilica, the statue of the Child Jesus placed in the manger is covered with a veil, which is lifted at the beginning of the ceremony. Children representing the continents place flowers at the manger of the Infant Jesus, while adult worshippers bring offerings to the altar. At the end of the Mass, the Pope, accompanied by children, places the statue of the Infant Jesus into the Nativity scene set up inside the basilica.
Elected pope in May, Leo XIV is presiding over the Christmas celebrations for the first time. A novelty this year is that the ceremony preceding the Mass begins at 9:40 p.m., with the Mass itself starting at 10:00 p.m.
During the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, the Christmas Eve Mass began at 9:30 p.m., while from 2020 Pope Francis celebrated it from 7:30 p.m.
It is customary on Christmas Eve for prayers and intercessions to be said in various languages. This year, prayers will be offered in Arabic for the Church, in English for political leaders, in Igbo for people who have received mercy and forgiveness during the Holy Year, in Portuguese for women who have chosen a religious vocation, and in Tagalog for peoples around the world.
Igbo is spoken in southeastern Nigeria, while Tagalog—also known as Filipino—is spoken in the Philippines. This is the first time these two languages are being used in a Vatican liturgy. During the pontificate of John Paul II, it was more common for less widely spoken languages to be heard at the center of Christianity.
Pope Francis made an apostolic visit to the Philippines in 2015, and according to a previous Vatican announcement, Pope Leo XIV’s next foreign trip may lead to Africa. The two languages represent the Asian and African Catholic Churches, which are growing steadily in numbers.
Expectations are high ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s homily on December 24.
The elderly Pope Francis, who has been ill in recent years, did not celebrate the festive Mass at 10:00 a.m. on December 25. This Mass will be celebrated by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Basilica, followed at noon by his Christmas message delivered from the central loggia of the basilica, and the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing to the City of Rome and the world.
The Christmas message of each pope traditionally lists the regions of the world affected by war and suffering. As this will be Pope Leo XIV’s first festive message, it may contain new elements. The Vatican has not yet announced whether the pope will revive the custom of individually greeting nations at Christmas, a practice abolished by Pope Francis in 2013.
Despite rainy weather, the Vatican expects large crowds of faithful and tourists to accompany Pope Leo XIV’s first Christmas. The largest crowds are expected on December 25. Vehicle traffic has been banned around St. Peter’s Square, and several security checkpoints have been set up along the avenue leading from Castel Sant’Angelo to the square.
This Christmas, Pope Leo XIV will conclude the Jubilee Holy Year that was opened by Pope Francis on December 24 last year.
From December 25 onward, the Holy Doors of the papal basilicas will be closed one after another. The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore will be the first on December 25, followed by the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. Finally, on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, Pope Leo XIV will ceremonially close the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.
(MTI)
Photo: illustration
