In his first Christmas Mass since his election, Pope Leo XIV delivered a heartfelt message to Rome and the world, calling for hearts to be opened to divine peace and for attention to the call for peace “rising from every land and reaching the heart of God.” He cited a poet who described peace not as “merely a ceasefire, nor the scene of the wolf lying with the lamb, but as the calm of the heart when noise subsides… coming like wildflowers because the field needs it.”
During the Mass, Pope Leo XIV denounced the “absurdity” of war and the “open wounds” it leaves behind. He emphasized that opening our hearts to those in need and suffering is, in essence, opening ourselves to the child Jesus, who welcomes all with open arms.
26,000 people in St Peter’s Square to hear Pope Leo’s Christmas Urbi at Orbi message and receive his blessing pic.twitter.com/LOQS0YO3EU
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) December 25, 2025
Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful not to succumb to indifference toward those who suffer, reminding them that God is not indifferent to human misery. By taking on human nature, Jesus bore our weaknesses and identified with every person in pain: those who have nothing, like the people of Gaza; those ravaged by hunger and poverty, such as in Yemen; those fleeing their homelands in search of a future, like refugees crossing the Mediterranean or traveling across the Americas; those who have lost work or are seeking employment, including struggling youth; those exploited, such as low-wage workers; and those imprisoned in inhumane conditions.
This Christmas message reinforces the Pope’s long-standing emphasis on global solidarity, social justice, and the human dignity of the marginalized.
Source: News Agencies