Church - Pope urges peace at Christmas mass
Pope Francis used the Christmas Mass in St. Peter's Basilica to make an urgent appeal for peace. The head of the approximately 1.3 billion Catholics recalled the Christmas message "Peace on earth to men" during the service in the Vatican this evening.
With regard to the war in the Middle East, Francis added: "Our hearts are in Bethlehem tonight, where the Prince of Peace is still rejected by the doomed logic of war, by the noise of weapons."
This year's feast is particularly marked by the war in Gaza and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. According to the Vatican, around 7,000 people took part in the service in St. Peter's Basilica. Thousands also followed the events on St. Peter's Square in front of the church on large screens. On Monday, the head of the Catholic Church then spoke the blessing Urbi et Orbi, to the city and the world, from the balcony of St. Peter 's Basil ica.
Hardly any tourists in Bethlehem
Christmas is being celebrated very quietly in the Holy Land this year due to the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas. In Bethlehem in the West Bank - according to tradition the birthplace of Jesus Christ - there are hardly any tourists, unlike usual. Christmas trees have been dispensed with. Access to the city is extremely restricted by Israeli army roadblocks. There are practically no Christmas decorations in Jerusalem either.
In St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope led the Christmas mass in person. However, the 87-year-old remained seated for most of the time due to a knee ailment. Francis called on the faithful to think about their image of God, especially at Christmas. "There is a danger that we celebrate Christmas with a pagan idea of God in our heads. As if he were a powerful ruler who is in heaven; a God who is associated with power, worldly success and the idolatry of consumption."
The Pope continued: "The false image of an indifferent and resentful God who treats the good well and is angry with the bad, a God who is made in our image and only serves to solve our problems and free us from evil, is always recurring." However, there is no "commercial God of 'everything and immediately'". God comes to people "to change reality from within".
Francis continued: "This is the miracle of Christmas: not a mixture of kitschy sentiments and worldly consolation, but the incredible tenderness of God, who saves the world by becoming man."
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- Despite the challenging circumstances in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza and Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of peace during this year's Christmas mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
- In the Palestinian territories, specifically Bethlehem, known as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, Christmas is being celebrated quietly due to the ongoing conflicts in the region.
- Pope Francis, who serves as the head of approximately 1.3 billion Catholics, led the Christmas mass in person at St. Peter's Basilica, despite his knee ailment that required him to remain seated for most of the service.
- The lack of tourists and Christmas decorations in Jerusalem during this festive season is a reflection of the ongoing tensions between Israel and the Islamist Hamas in Gaza.
- During his Christmas message, Pope Francis urged the faithful to avoid falling into the trap of celebrating Christmas with a pagan view of God, highlighting the danger of perceiving God as a powerful ruler associated with worldly success and consumption.
- The Pope warned against the false image of an indifferent and resentful God who only serves to solve problems and punishes evil, emphasizing instead that God comes to people "to change reality from within."
- The miracle of Christmas, according to Pope Francis, is not one of kitschy sentiments and worldly consolation, but the incredible tenderness of God who saves the world by becoming man.
- This call for peace and reflection on the true meaning of Christmas was echoed by Pope Francis, who also officiated the Urbi et Orbi blessing from St. Peter's Basilica balcony on Monday, addressing both Rome and the world.
- As the Pope continued to spread his message for peace and understanding during the Holidays, his influence extends far beyond the Vatican, reaching countries like Italy, Ukraine, Israel, and beyond.
Source: www.stern.de
