VATICAN CITY, Dec 25 — Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful Thursday to shed indifference toward those suffering across the world, calling for humility and responsibility as a path to peace.
Speaking to some 26,000 people from the loggia overlooking St. Peter’s Square during his first Christmas “Urbi et Orbi” address, the first US-born pope drew attention to the plight of those affected by conflict, poverty, and displacement.
“In becoming man, Jesus took upon himself our fragility, identifying with each one of us: with those who have nothing left and have lost everything, like the inhabitants of Gaza; with those who are prey to hunger and poverty, like the Yemeni people; with those who are fleeing their homeland to seek a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean or traverse the American continent,” the pope said.
Leo also called for justice, peace, and stability in Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Israel, and Syria. He prayed for the “tormented people of Ukraine” and victims of wars, political instability, persecution, and terrorism in Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Congo.
He urged dialogue to address challenges in Latin America, reconciliation in Myanmar, and the restoration of “ancient friendship” between Thailand and Cambodia, as well as aid for those affected by natural disasters in South Asia and Oceania.
“If he would truly enter into the suffering of others and stand in solidarity with the weak and the oppressed, then the world would change,” Leo said.
The pontiff revived the tradition of offering Christmas greetings in multiple languages, receiving warm applause when he spoke in English and Spanish, the language of his adopted country, Peru.
Earlier, Leo led the Christmas Mass from the central altar beneath the basilica’s balustrade, adorned with red poinsettias and floral garlands. In his homily, he stressed that peace emerges through dialogue, not monologues.
“There will be peace when our monologues are interrupted and, enriched by listening, we fall to our knees before the humanity of the other,” he said.
