VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged the faithful to cast aside indifference and respond with compassion to those suffering from war, poverty, displacement, and injustice, as he delivered his first Christmas Day message as pontiff.
Addressing an estimated 26,000 people from the central loggia overlooking St. Peter’s Square, the first U.S.-born pope used the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing to reflect on the world’s crises, citing the devastation in Gaza, widespread poverty in Yemen, and the plight of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea and the American continent in search of a better future.
The pope spoke after celebrating Christmas Day Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica, where thousands gathered despite steady rain earlier in the day. The weather had eased by the time Leo rode briefly through the square in the popemobile before delivering his address.
Reviving a tradition set aside by his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo offered Christmas greetings in several languages. He drew especially warm applause when he spoke in English, his native language, and Spanish, reflecting his years of service in Peru as a missionary and later as archbishop.
During his message, Leo stressed that peace begins with humility and personal responsibility.
“If one would truly enter into the suffering of others and stand in solidarity with the weak and the oppressed, then the world would change,” he said.
He appealed for “justice, peace and stability” in Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, and Syria, and asked prayers for “the tormented people of Ukraine.” He also called for peace and consolation for victims of war, injustice, political instability, religious persecution, and terrorism in countries including Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Congo.
The pontiff urged dialogue to confront what he described as “numerous challenges” in Latin America, called for reconciliation in Myanmar, and appealed for the restoration of “the ancient friendship between Thailand and Cambodia.” He also asked for assistance for communities suffering from natural disasters in South Asia and Oceania.
“In becoming man, Jesus took upon himself our fragility, identifying with each one of us,” Leo said, referring to those who “have nothing left and have lost everything, like the inhabitants of Gaza,” those suffering hunger and poverty such as the Yemeni people, and refugees and migrants forced to flee their homelands.
Leo also remembered those who have lost their jobs or are seeking work, particularly young people, underpaid workers, and prisoners.
Earlier, presiding over the Christmas Day Mass from the central altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, decorated with floral garlands and red poinsettias, the pope emphasized in his homily that peace can only arise through dialogue.
“There will be peace when our monologues are interrupted and, enriched by listening, we fall to our knees before the humanity of the other,” he said.
He again recalled the suffering of civilians in Gaza, exposed to harsh weather and prolonged conflict, as well as the vulnerability of populations affected by war and young people forced into combat.
Following the Mass and address, chants of “Viva il papa” echoed from the crowd as Leo offered a final wave before returning to the basilica.
This Christmas season coincides with the closing phase of the Holy Year celebrations, which are set to conclude on Jan. 6 with the Catholic feast of the Epiphany, commemorating the visit of the three wise men to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem.
