December 25, 2025 | 09:27 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Pope Leo XIV gave his first Christmas Mass after being elected to the role in May this year.
The pontiff spoke about the holiday, calling it a day of "faith, charity and hope," while also criticizing a "distorted economy" that, according to the pope, brings people to "treat human beings as mere merchandise."
High-ranking Church figures, diplomats, and around 6,000 faithful attended the mass.
Outside St. Peter's Basilica, thousands of people followed the mass on large screens.
"St Peter's is very large but unfortunately it is not large enough to receive all of you," he told the crowd of around 5,000 people.
Ahead of Christmas, Pope Leo XIV called for "24 hours of peace in the whole world," later expressing "great sadness" due to Russia's unwillingness to accept the offer and halt the hostilities in its war in Ukraine.
In Palestine, Christians Celebrate Christmas Amid Fragile Truce
Thousands of people gathered in Bethlehem's Manger Square on Christmas Eve, as Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic leader in the Holy Land, formally opened the celebrations.
He said that amid widespread destruction, he also witnessed a strong desire to live and rebuild.
"We, all together, we decide to be the light, and the light of Bethlehem is the light of the world," he told the crowd of Christians and Muslims gathered in the square.
Crossing the separation wall into the West Bank from Jerusalem earlier, Pizzaballa called for "a Christmas full of light," saying, "after two years of darkness, we need light."
Despite the festive scenes, the economic impact of the war remains severe in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In Bethlehem, about 80% of residents depend on tourism-related businesses, according to local authorities.
Most of those celebrating were local residents, with only a small number of foreign visitors present.
Read: Bethlehem Sees Return of Christmas Crowds After War-Hit Years
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