The birth of the child Jesus brings hope to nations, shows the poor the power to rise again, and brings goodness in the face of violence and oppression, Pope Leo XIV said in his homily, celebrating his first Christmas Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve.
A few minutes before the start of the vigil, Pope Leo XIV walked out of the basilica onto St. Peter’s Square and spoke to those standing in the square, following the ceremony on large screens, at an outdoor altar at the top of the steps leading to the basilica, improvising in Italian, Spanish, and English.
The pope wished everyone a good evening and noted that while the basilica is large, it apparently is not enough for the crowd gathered for Christmas Eve. He thanked those who had come to the Vatican despite the rainy weather. “Christ was born for us and brings us peace,” the pope said, giving his blessing to those present and their families.
According to the Vatican, nearly six thousand people, including clergy and faithful, attended the pope’s first Christmas Mass in the basilica, with another five thousand gathering in St. Peter’s Square holding umbrellas.
Pope Leo XIV restored the 10 p.m. start time for the Mass, which his predecessors, Benedict XVI and Francis, had previously celebrated earlier due to their age.
The ceremony began at the basilica’s main entrance, and the priests, led by Pope Leo XIV, processed through the basilica to the main altar.
At the main altar, the pope unveiled the statue of the infant Jesus, which had been covered. Ten children representing the continents placed flowers at the statue: two from South Korea, two from India, two from Mozambique, two from Paraguay, one from Poland, and one from Ukraine, all dressed in their national traditional attire. At the end of the Mass, accompanied by the children, the pope placed the statue of Jesus in the Nativity scene set up inside the basilica.
In his Italian-language homily, Pope Leo XIV spoke about the message of Jesus’ birth. He stated that the coming of the child Jesus “does not provide a definitive answer to every problem, but it is a story of love that captivates us. Against the hopes of the nations, God sends a child to be the word of hope; against the pain of the poor, he sends a defenseless child representing the strength to rise again; against violence and oppression, he lights the flame of goodness, bringing the light of salvation to all the children of the world.”
The pope emphasized that while a distorted economy treats people as commodities, God becomes like us, pointing to the infinite dignity of every human being. While humans want to be God to dominate others, God wants to be human to free everyone from slavery, he added.
“Will this love be enough for us to change the course of humanity?” Pope Leo XIV asked.
He noted that for God, there is no place where there is no place for humans.
In his speech, he quoted Benedict XVI, Saint Augustine, and Pope Francis, recalling that his predecessor had opened the soon-to-end Jubilee Year exactly one year ago, on December 24.
“Christmas is a celebration of hope; let us become heralds of peace!” the pope proclaimed.
Nearly 250 cardinals, bishops, and priests concelebrated the Mass with Pope Leo XIV.
On the morning of December 25, the pope will celebrate a festive Mass in the basilica, and at noon, he will deliver his Christmas message from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.
(MTI)
Photo: vaticannews.va
