Quoting Leo I, pope of the 5th century, Leo XIV recalled that “the birth of the Lord is the birth of peace”. In his first Christmas message since being elected in May, Robert Francis Prevost took advantage of his speech The city and the world – to the City and the World – to renew its call for peace and dialogueon a tour of the world through conflicts, more or less forgotten.
The American Pope prayed for “justice, peace and stability for Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Syria”. Also the war in Ukraine was not forgotten in the message that Leo XIV left to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican and to the many others who listened to him around the world. The Pope asked that “the clamor of weapons be silent” and that everyone involved in the conflict, which is about to enter its fifth year, on February 22, 2026, find the courage to engage in “sincere, direct and respectful dialogue”with the support of the international community.
While the Middle East and Ukraine dominate media attention, other conflicts take place far from television cameras and newspaper pages. It was these that Leo XIV wanted to remember, showing himself solidarity with the victims of violence in Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Pope drew attention to the fate of all those who suffer as a result of injustice, political instability, religious persecution or terrorism.
Haiti, ravaged by gang violence, was mentioned by Leo XIV, who called on the parties involved to move towards peace. Reconciliation was also what the head of the Catholic Church wished for Myanmar (the former Burma)speaking of hope for new generations. The country, which since the 2020 coup has been led by a military junta and has been embroiled in a civil war, will vote this Sunday in the first phase of elections that the opposition denounces as a farce.
Citing 15 countries, the pope specifically mentioned “those who have lost everything, like the people of Gaza” and “those who are ravaged by hunger and poverty, like the people of Yemen”.
Leo XIV also spoke of “the many migrants who cross the Mediterranean or travel across the American continent” in search of a better future. And he prayed for the “restoration of the ancient friendship between Thailand and Cambodia”, whose conflict in the last two weeks alone has caused more than 40 deaths.
In his message, the Pope recalled “the populations of South Asia and Oceania, severely tested by recent and devastating natural calamities”. And he appealed: “In the face of such trials, I invite everyone to renew with conviction our common commitment to helping those who suffer.”
A month after his first trip to Turkey and Lebanon, the pope addressed a special message to Christians in the Middle East: “I have heard your fears and I am well aware of your feeling of powerlessness in the face of power dynamics that are beyond your control.”
And he left an appeal to all Christians: “Sisters and brothers, this is the path to peace: responsibility. If each of us, at all levels, instead of accusing others, first recognized our own faults, asked God for forgiveness and, at the same time, put ourselves in the shoes of those who suffer, showing solidarity with the weakest and most oppressed, then the world would change.”
Christmas is “a festival of faith, charity and hope”
At Midnight Mass, the pope had already lamented “a distorted economy” that “induces us to treat men as merchandise”. In his homily, Leo XIV he cited the words of Pope Benedict XVI, according to whom “while the night of error obscures this providential truth, there is also no room for others, for children, the poor, foreigners”.
“The words of Pope Benedict XVI, so current, remind us that on earth there is no room for God if there is no room for Man: not welcoming one means rejecting the other. On the other hand, where there is room for Man, there is room for God”, said Robert Francis Prevost.
The American pope also stated that, with the birth of Jesus, “God gives the world a new life, his own, for everyone” and “it is not an idea that solves all problems, but a love story that involves us”.
The pope explained that God, “in the face of the expectations of the people, sends a child, to be a word of hope; in the face of the pain of the miserable”. “He sends a defenseless person, so that he may have the strength to rise; in the face of violence and oppression, He lights a soft light that illuminates all the children of this world with salvation,” he added.
And “while a distorted economy leads us to treat men as merchandise, God becomes similar to us, revealing the infinite dignity of each person. While man wants to become God to dominate others, God wants to become man to free us from all slavery”, he added.
Before the mass, Leo XIV greeted the 5,000 faithful who waited in Saint Peter’s Square, despite the rain, to follow the Midnight Mass on screens.. “St. Peter’s Basilica is very big, but not so big that it can accommodate all of you. So thank you for your courage in waiting here this afternoon,” the pope said in English as he walked out into St. Peter’s Square before celebrating Mass inside. Switching to Italian, Leo XIV added: “Thank you for coming at this time as well. Let’s celebrate the feast of Christmas. The boy who was born and who brings us peace, brings us the love of God.”
At the end of the homily, concluded: “Christmas is a celebration of faith, charity and hope”.