In a powerful and morally charged first Christmas homily, Pope Leo XIV decried the "rubble and open wounds" left by global conflicts, delivering a pointed condemnation of the dire situation in Gaza. The newly elected pontiff, marking the solemn occasion on 25 December 2025, used the imagery of Christ's Nativity to highlight the suffering of civilians in modern war zones.
A Sermon of Moral Urgency and Imagery
Presiding over Holy Mass at 10am inside St Peter’s Basilica, the 70-year-old American pope addressed thousands gathered in Rome and millions watching worldwide. His sermon drew a stark parallel between the vulnerability of the infant Jesus and defenceless populations caught in warfare today. "Fragile is the flesh of defenseless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds," he declared from the Vatican altar.
Reflecting on the story of Christ born in a stable, Pope Leo said it demonstrated God pitching "his fragile tent" among humanity—a symbol he directly connected to the plight of displaced Palestinians. "How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?" he asked the congregation, making one of his most explicit references to the ongoing crisis.
Breaking from Diplomatic Caution
The remarks signified a notable moment for the pontiff, elected in May 2025 to succeed the late Pope Francis. Known for a more cautious and diplomatic tone than his predecessor, Leo XIV has nonetheless repeatedly lamented the Palestinian plight in recent weeks. He has consistently stated that a viable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must include the creation of a Palestinian state.
Beyond Gaza, his homily criticised leaders who send the young to fight. "Fragile are the minds and lives of young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths," he said, addressing a packed basilica. He also spoke movingly about global homelessness and the devastation wrought by wars.
Cautious Celebrations in Bethlehem and Beyond
As the pope spoke in Rome, Christmas celebrations returned cautiously to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. The city witnessed its first full festive Christmas in over two years, emerging from the shadow of the Gaza war. Hundreds gathered at the Church of the Nativity for midnight mass on Christmas Eve, where Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, urged peace and renewal.
Cardinal Pizzaballa, who recently visited Gaza, told worshippers that "suffering is still present" despite a fragile ceasefire, but noted the strength and desire to rebuild among Gazans. In Rome, Pope Leo later delivered his traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing at noon, an address that typically appeals for peace in global conflict zones.
The Christmas Day homily followed a potent Christmas Eve sermon where the pope warned that turning away those in need was tantamount to rejecting God. "On earth, there is no room for God if there is no room for the human person. To refuse one is to refuse the other," he told around 6,000 worshippers, reinforcing the central themes of his early papacy: care for immigrants, the poor, and human dignity.
Outside the basilica, approximately 5,000 people watched the service on giant screens in a rain-soaked St Peter’s Square, with the pope briefly emerging to praise their dedication. The global Christmas picture was mixed: while messages of peace dominated from religious leaders, US President Donald Trump issued a divisive seasonal greeting, and severe weather cast a shadow over celebrations in places like California and Australia.
