Pope Leo condemns suffering in Gaza in first Christmas sermon

Pope Leo XIV led his first Christmas Day Mass and hit out at the conditions facing Palestinians in Gaza

Pope Leo XIV used his inaugural Christmas Day sermon on Thursday to remember the people of Gaza, who he said have been "exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold," asserting that the world’s numerous conflicts can only be resolved through genuine dialogue.

Leading the Christmas Day Mass from the central altar beneath the balustrade of St. Peter’s Basilica, which was adorned with festive floral garlands and clusters of red poinsettias, the pontiff delivered a poignant message.

White flowers were carefully placed at the feet of a statue of Mary, mother of Jesus, whose birth is celebrated on this day.

Recalling the incarnation of God through Jesus’s birth in a Bethlehem manger, Leo likened God’s word to "a fragile tent among us."

He then drew a direct parallel, asking: "How then can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold; and of those so many other refugees and displaced persons on every continent, or of the makeshift shelters of thousands of homeless people in our own cities?"

Pope Leo insisted the conflicts around the world can only end through dialogue (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The pontiff also reflected on the vulnerability of "defenseless populations, tried by so many wars," and the plight of "young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them, and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths."

Emphasising that peace can only emerge through genuine conversation, Leo stated: "There will be peace when our monologues are interrupted and, enriched by listening, we fall to our knees before the humanity of the other."

Thousands of worshippers filled the Basilica for the Pope’s first Christmas Day Mass, many holding smartphones aloft to capture the opening procession.

Leo was later scheduled to deliver the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" blessing – Latin for "to the City and the World" – from a loggia overlooking St. Peter’s Square, where the faithful gathered despite a steady rain.

This Christmas season marks the conclusion of the Holy Year celebrations, which are set to close on 6 January, coinciding with the Catholic Epiphany holiday commemorating the visit of the three wise men to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem.