Pope deplores Gaza cruelty in first Christmas address
The Independent
|December 26, 2025
Pope Leo XIV used his inaugural Christmas Day sermon to remember the people of Gaza, who he said have been “exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold”, saying that the world’s numerous conflicts can only be resolved through genuine dialogue.
Leading the Christmas Day Mass from the central altar beneath the balustrade of St Peter's Basilica, which was adorned with festive floral garlands and clusters of red poinsettias, the pontiff delivered a poignant message.
White flowers were carefully placed at the feet of a statue of Mary, mother of Jesus. Recalling the incarnation of God through Jesus's birth in a Bethlehem manger, Leo likened God's word to "a fragile tent among us".
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