Pope Leo XIV He used his first Christmas message to appeal for sympathy to the poor, people in war-torn regions such as Ukraine and immigrants “across the American continent.”
Leo XIV, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis PrevostIn May, he made history when he became the first American pope. Catholics in his hometown of Chicago and many who worked with him during his long career cheered his election.
Pope’s”city and world” Message – Latin meaning “to the city” [of Rome] To all the world” – this was the blessing he issued from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on special occasions such as Christmas and Easter, a tradition that the Catholic Church has followed for centuries. It was cold and rainy, but thousands of believers still showed up to hear Leo speak.
In this year’s message (here transcribed in Italian, English), Leo begins by speaking of the “duty” Christians have to “love their brothers and sisters” and “stand with the weak and oppressed”:
In the birth of Jesus we have seen a fundamental decision that would guide the Son of God throughout his life, even to his death on the cross: the decision not to let us carry the burden of our sins, but to bear our sins Himself, to bear our sins Himself. Only he can do this. But at the same time, he shows us what we can do alone, which is to take our own responsibility. In fact, God created us without us and will not save us without us, that is, without our free will to love. Those who do not love cannot be saved; they are lost. Those who do not love their brother or sister whom they see cannot love God whom they cannot see.
Brothers and sisters, responsibility is the only way to peace. If we all, at whatever level, stopped blaming others and instead admitted our own faults and asked God for forgiveness, if we truly felt the pain of others and stood with the weak and oppressed, the world would change.
Leo offered special prayers for people in many troubled areas around the world, including “Prayers[ing] “For justice, peace and stability in Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Syria;” pray for those in war zones “in Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of the Congo”; pray that “all forms of violence” in Haiti “will cease and progress on the path to peace and reconciliation”; those in South Asia and Oceania who have suffered “recent devastating natural disasters”; and pray for an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:
Let us entrust the entire European continent to the Prince of Peace, asking him to continue to inspire a spirit of community and cooperation, true to its Christian roots and history, and in solidarity with and acceptance of those in need. Let us pray in a special way for the tortured people of Ukraine: may the clamor of weapons cease, and may the parties involved find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue, with the support and commitment of the international community.
The Pope urges us to show compassion to the poor and immigrants: “Let us not succumb to indifference towards those who suffer, for God is not indifferent to our suffering”:
Jesus came into the world to take on our vulnerabilities and identify with each of us: identify with those who have nothing and have lost everything, like the residents of Gaza; identify with the vulnerability of each of us. With people who suffer from hunger and poverty, like the people of Yemen; with those who have fled their homes to find a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean or across the American continent; with those who are unemployed and looking for work, like the many young people struggling to find work; with those who are exploited, like many low-wage workers; with people in prisons who often live in inhumane conditions.
Leo concluded by wishing that everyone would “open their hearts to our brothers and sisters in need or pain,” because “in doing so, we open our hearts to the Child Jesus, who welcomes us with open arms and reveals to us his divinity: ‘But to all who receive him…he gives the power to become children of God.'”
“In a few days, the Jubilee will end,” he continued. “The Holy Door will be closed, but Christ, our hope, is always with us! He is the door that is always open, leading us into divine life. This is the joyous announcement of today: the born Holy Child is God’s creature; he comes not to condemn, but to save; his appearance is not fleeting, for he stays and gives himself. In him every wound is healed, every heart finds rest and peace. ‘The birth of the Lord is the birth of peace.'”
“I send you all my best wishes for a peaceful and holy Christmas!”
Watch the video above via Vatican News on YouTube.
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