The Pope used his sermon at Midnight Mass to offer his solidarity with people in the Middle East – and condemn the “futile logic of war”.
Francis, 87, told 6,500 people inside St Peter’s Basilica: “Our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war”.
He added that the “clash of arms today” prevents Jesus from “finding room in the world”.
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In Bethlehem itself, Mass was held by Palestinian Christians who reflected on the war around them in Israel and Gaza.
The traditional Nativity scene in Manger Square was also surrounded by rubble and barbed wire.
The Nativity scene in Manger Square, Bethlehem
In Vatican City, recalling that Jesus was born during a census meant to reinforce King David’s power, the pontiff “the quest for worldly power and might, fame and glory, which measures everything in terms of success, results, numbers and figures, a world obsessed with achievement”.
By contrast, Jesus entered the world humbly. “Here, we see not a god of wrath and chastisement, but the God of mercy, who takes flesh and enters the world in weakness,” he said.
A pagan deity is linked to “power, worldly success and idolatry of consumerism,” the pope said.
“God, on the other hand, waves no magic want; he is no god of commerce who promises everything all at once. He does not save us by pushing a button, but draws near us, in order to change our world from within.”
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2023-12-25 06:00:00
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