VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis on Saturday led the world’s Catholics into Christmas, saying in an obvious reference to the conflict in Ukraine and different conflicts that the extent of greed and starvation for energy was such that some wished to “consume even their neighbors”.
Pope Francis, celebrating the tenth Christmas of his hold forth, presided at a solemn Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. It was the primary with a capability crowd of about 7,000 following a number of years of restricted attendance due to COVID-19.
About 4,000 different folks participated outdoors in St. Peter’s Square on a comparatively heat night time.
As has been the case for the previous a number of months, a knee ailment prevented Pope Francis from standing for lengthy durations, delegating a cardinal to be the primary celebrant on the altar of the biggest church in Christendom.
Sitting to the facet of the altar for many of the Mass, he wove his homily across the theme of greed and consumption on numerous ranges, asking folks to look past the consumerism that has “packaged” the feast, rediscover its that means, and keep in mind these affected by conflict and poverty.
“Men and women in our world, in their hunger for wealth and power, consume even their neighbors, their brothers and sisters,” he stated. “How many wars have we seen! And in how many places, even today, are human dignity and freedom treated with contempt!”
Since Russia invaded it neighbor in February, Pope Francis has spoken out towards the conflict at almost each public occasion, no less than twice every week, denouncing what he has known as atrocities and unprovoked aggression.
He didn’t particularly point out Ukraine on Saturday night time.
“As always, the principal victims of this human greed are the weak and the vulnerable,” he stated, denouncing “a world ravenous for money, power and pleasure…”
“I think above all of the children devoured by war, poverty and injustice,” additionally mentioning “unborn, poor and forgotten children”.
Drawing a parallel between the toddler Jesus born in a manger and the poverty of right now, the pope stated: “In the manger of rejection and discomfort, God makes himself present. He comes there because there we see the problem of our humanity: the indifference produced by the greedy rush to possess and consume.”
Earlier this month, the Pope Francis urged folks to spend much less on Christmas celebrations and presents and ship the distinction to Ukrainians to assist them get via the winter.
The pope marked his 86th birthday final week and, aside from the knee ailment, seems to be in general good well being.
On Sunday, he is because of ship his twice-year “Urbi et Orbi” (to the town and the world) blessing and message from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to tens of hundreds of individuals within the sq. beneath. —Reuters
