By Ayomide Otitoju
Pope Leo XIV held his first Christmas Mass as pontiff on Wednesday, addressing thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square and offering Christmas greetings before the service.
During the Mass, Leo described Christmas as a celebration of “faith, charity and hope” and criticised a “distorted economy” that reduces human beings to “mere merchandise.” Speaking outdoors before St Peter’s Basilica, he thanked the crowd of around 5,000 people who followed the service on screens despite rainy weather. “St Peter’s is very large but unfortunately it is not large enough to receive all of you,” he said.
The US-born pope, 70, has adopted a more discreet and moderate style compared with his charismatic predecessor, Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21. Wednesday’s Mass was attended by high-ranking Church officials, diplomats, and roughly 6,000 faithful, and featured a traditional religious homily without direct reference to current affairs.
The ceremony, one of the Catholic Church’s most important annual celebrations, combined traditional music with symbolic rituals, including placing a statue of the baby Jesus in a cradle. Leo also adjusted the timing of the Mass, holding it later than Francis’ traditional evening service.
In another change, Leo will celebrate a second Mass on Christmas Day, reviving a tradition from the era of Pope John Paul II. He will also deliver his “Urbi et Orbi” blessing at 1100 GMT from the basilica balcony, during which popes usually address global conflicts and call for peace.
On Tuesday, Pope Leo urged a global truce for Christmas, expressing “great sadness” over Russia’s reported refusal to observe a ceasefire in Ukraine. “I am renewing my request to all people of good will to respect a day of peace — at least on the feast of the birth of our Saviour,” he said at his residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome.
This Christmas also marks the conclusion of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Holy Year, which has brought millions of pilgrims to Rome.
