Des Moines / Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Christmas mass as pontiff on Wednesday, addressing thousands of faithful gathered at St Peter’s Square. In a moving homily, he described Christmas as a feast of “faith, charity and hope”, while strongly criticising a “distorted economy” that reduces human beings to “mere merchandise”.
Despite rainy weather, nearly 5,000 people gathered outside St Peter’s Basilica to watch the ceremony on large screens. “St Peter’s is very large but unfortunately it is not large enough to receive all of you,” Pope Leo told the crowd warmly, greeting them in an unusually informal style.
The Christmas mass was attended by senior Church officials, diplomats, and around 6,000 worshippers, combining sacred hymns with symbolic rituals, including placing the statue of baby Jesus in the cradle. Unlike his charismatic predecessor Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, Pope Leo has adopted a more discreet and moderate tone in his papacy so far.
The 70-year-old Pope also introduced notable changes to Christmas observances, including scheduling the mass later than in previous years. He will celebrate another mass on Christmas Day and deliver the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing at 1100 GMT, typically used to call for peace and address global conflicts.
Earlier, Pope Leo renewed his appeal for a global Christmas truce, expressing sadness that Russia reportedly rejected proposals for a ceasefire in Ukraine. “I am renewing my request to all people of good will to respect a day of peace,” he urged.
Christmas 2025 also marks the conclusion of the Jubilee Holy Year, which has seen millions of Catholic pilgrims visit Rome.