Jesus entering the world as a little baby in need of everything is a sign of God’s solidarity with every person in need, longing for love and a helping hand, Pope Leo XIV said at Christmas morning Mass.
Vatican
Pope Leo XIV asked children to pray in front of their Nativity scenes this Christmas and, especially, to pray “that all the world’s children may live in peace.”
In today’s fast-paced world with pressures for results and efficiency, Pope Leo XIV said many have been stripped of their serenity and ability to live.
The Nativity scene and the Christmas tree are signs of faith and hope, Pope Leo XIV said.
Even in difficult situations and harsh places, like prisons, when people focus on caring for one another, respecting each other, and offering forgiveness, “beautiful flowers spring forth from the ‘hard ground’ of sin and suffering,” Pope Leo XIV said.
Condemning the attack on Jews celebrating Hanukkah in Sydney, Pope Leo XIV said, “Enough with these forms of antisemitic violence! We must eradicate hatred from our hearts.”
For the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, and for millions of other people as well, the Catholic Church’s 2025 was primarily about the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV.
Christian archaeology seeks to see, hear, and touch the Word made flesh, Pope Leo XIV said, inviting the world’s bishops and others to encourage young people, lay people, and priests to study archaeology.
The secret to living an authentic life is praying to understand what is truly beneficial according to God’s plan and letting go of the superfluous, Pope Leo XIV said.
Welcoming a group of new ambassadors to the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV told them, “The Holy See will not be a silent bystander to the grave disparities, injustices, and fundamental human rights violations in our human and global community.”