VATICAN CITY (AP) — Remembering the birth of Jesus in a stable, Pope Francis rebuked those “hungry” for wealth and power at the expense of the vulnerable, including children, in a Christmas Eve homily that denounced war, poverty and greedy consumerism.
In the splendor of St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis presided over an evening mass attended by some 7,000 faithful, including tourists and pilgrims, who flocked to the church on a warm afternoon and took their places behind the rows of robed pontiffs. of white.
Francis drew lessons of humility from the first hours of Jesus’ life in a manger.
“While the animals feed in their stables, the men and women of our world, in their hunger for wealth and power, consume even their neighbors, their brothers and sisters,” lamented the pontiff. “How many wars have we seen! And in how many places, even today, human dignity and freedom are treated with contempt!”
“As always, the main victims of this human greed are the weak and the vulnerable,” said Francisco, who did not cite any specific conflict or situation.
“Also this Christmas, as in the case of Jesus, a world hungry for money, power and pleasure leaves no room for the little ones, for so many unborn, poor and forgotten children,” the Pope said when reading his homily. in a voice that sounded tired and almost hoarse. “I am thinking above all of the children devoured by war, poverty and injustice.”
Still, the pontiff urged people to have courage.
“Do not let yourself be overcome by fear, resignation or discouragement.” The fact that Jesus lay in a manger shows where “the true riches of life lie: not in money and power, but in relationships and people.”
Commenting on the “so much consumerism that has shrouded the mystery” of Christmas, Francis said there was a danger that the meaning of the day would be forgotten.
But, he said, Christmas focuses attention on “the problem of our humanity: the indifference produced by the greed to possess and consume.”
“Jesus was born poor, he lived poor and he died poor,” Francis said. “He didn’t talk so much about poverty as about living it, to the end, for our good.”
Francis urged people “not to let this Christmas go by without doing something good.”
When the mass ended, the pope, pushed in a wheelchair by an aide, made his way through the basilica with a life-size statue of Baby Jesus on his lap and flanked by several children carrying bouquets of flowers. The statue was then placed in a manger in a nursery scene in the basilica.
Francis, 86, has been using a wheelchair to travel long distances due to knee ligament pain and a cane for shorter distances.
Traditionally, Catholics celebrate Christmas Eve by attending mass at midnight. But over the years, the start time at the Vatican has been brought forward, reflecting the health or resilience of the popes and then the pandemic.
Two years ago, the start of the Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica was brought forward to 7:30 p.m. to allow the faithful to get home before the nightly curfew imposed by the Italian government as a measure to combat the pandemic. of COVID-19. Although virtually all of the restrictions brought about by the pandemic were lifted long ago in Italy, the Vatican kept the early start time.
During the Saturday night service, a choir sang hymns. Clusters of red poinsettia plants in pots near the altar contrasted with the pontiff’s cream-colored vestments.
On Sunday, tens of thousands of Romans, tourists and pilgrims were expected to gather in St. Peter’s Square to hear Pope Francis deliver a speech on world issues and give his blessing. The speech, known in Latin as “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world), is generally an occasion to review crises such as war, persecution and famine, in many parts of the world.
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Associated Press journalist Luigi Navarra contributed.
