Pope Leo Then, as usual, the Pope dedicated his Christmas message – before giving the Urbi et Orbi blessing to the city and the world – to shaking consciences, reviewing the wars and international conflicts that afflict the world. The American pontiff, who also has Peruvian nationality, called for “rejecting hatred, violence and confrontation, and practicing dialogue, peace and reconciliation”.
Leo XIV reviewed the current geopolitical situation, marked by instability and conflict in much of the planet. He focused on the situation in the Middle East and called for “justice, peace and stability for Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Syria”, recalling a biblical quote: “The work of justice will be peace, and the fruit of righteousness will be tranquility and security forever.”
He also mentioned Gaza in particular, whose inhabitants “have nothing left and have lost everything” after two years of war. Although the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip came into effect last October, violence perpetrated by Israel remains a constant in the region. During the previous mass, the pontiff deplored the conditions in which Palestinians live in Gaza, “exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold.”
On Christmas Day, one of the most important celebrations for Christians, the Pope also remembered the “Ukrainian people in difficulty” and called for dialogue: “May the roar of arms cease and may the parties involved, with the support of the international community, find the courage to dialogue in a sincere, direct and respectful way,” he said. This week, the pontiff said he was “very saddened” that Russia had rejected the truce request and demanded that the war be stopped in all regions of the world for at least 24 hours on Christmas Day.
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In his first Christmas message, delivered from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope called for “peace and comfort for the victims of all the wars fought in the world, especially the forgotten ones, and for those who suffer because of injustice, political instability, religious persecution and terrorism.” He recalled in particular Sudan, a country plunged for more than two years into a bitter civil war and one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the world; and South Sudan, plagued by tensions, insecurity and at high risk of further outbreaks of violence.
The pontiff also spoke of Mali, marked by a military regime fighting a persistent jihadist insurgency and widespread violence; in Burkina Faso, dominated by a military regime and in permanent security crisis; and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, torn by an armed conflict which remains active, despite the recent peace agreement signed with Rwanda.
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He prayed for Myanmar, shaken by a devastating civil war five years after the military coup, and asked for “the light of a future of reconciliation, which gives hope to the younger generations, guides all the Burmese people on the paths of peace and accompanies those who live without homes, without security and without confidence in the future”.
The Pontiff also implored “that the ancient friendship between Thailand and Cambodia be restored and that the parties involved continue to strive for reconciliation and peace.” In recent weeks, border clashes between the two countries have intensified, calling into question the strength of the ceasefire that U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker. Leo XIV also recalled on Christmas Day “those who suffer from hunger and poverty, like the Yemeni people”, massacred by a long and complex conflict.
And finally, he spoke of the drama of migration, expressing solidarity with “those who flee their land in search of a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean or cross the American continent”. During his so-far short pontificate, history’s first American pope has made it clear that immigration is one of the issues that concerns him most. In the past, he has criticized Trump’s restrictive immigration policies. Although he never mentioned it directly, on Christmas Eve the pontiff said that refusing to help the poor or strangers was tantamount to rejecting God himself.
Unlike his predecessors Benedict XVI and Francis, who limited their December 25 agenda to the Urbi et Orbi message, Leo XIV decided to preside over Christmas mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica. He also chose to celebrate Christmas Eve Mass – known as Midnight Mass, with which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus – at 10 p.m., instead of 7:30 p.m. as has been done in recent years. This change of time represents a partial return to tradition since until 2009 the mass began at midnight.
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