Pope Leo XIV presides over a Christmas Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, late Wednesday night, which is the first held there in 31 years. Photo by Giuseppe Lami/EPA
Dec. 24 (UPI) — Pope Leo XIV brought back the Christmas Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Wednesday night, which is the first held there since 1994.
About 11,000 attended the mass, inside and out, despite rainy conditions, the Catholic News Agency reported.
Regarding the birth of Jesus, Pope Leo described it as, “God gives us nothing less than his very self, in order to ‘redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own.'”
To find the savior, he said, “We must look below to find God among us in the manger.”
A baby’s need for care “becomes divine since the son of the father shares in history with all his brothers and sisters,” he continued.
“The omnipotence of God shines forth in the powerlessness of a newborn; the eloquence of the eternal word resounds in an infant’s first cry; the holiness of the Spirit gleams in that small body, freshly washed and wrapped in swaddling clothes.”
Pope Leo also discussed the “infinite dignity of every person” and contrasted that with a world in which humanity often tries become god-like while dominating others, according to Vatican News.
“In the heart of Christ beats the bond of love that unites heaven and Earth, creator and creatures,” the Pope said, adding that the key to changing history is to recognize such realities.
“As long as the night of error obscures this providential truth, then ‘there is no room for others either, for children, for the poor, for the stranger,'” he added, quoting Pope Benedict XIV’s homily at Christmas Mass on Dec. 24, 2012.
“These words of Pope Benedict XVI remain a timely reminder that on Earth, there is no room for God if there is no room for the human person,” the pontiff said.
The pope afterward greeted those standing in the rain in St. Peter’s Square and told them that, while St. Peter’s Basilica is large, it is not large enough to hold all of them.
He thanked those who attended the mass while outside, wished them a merry Christmas and gave them his blessings.
About 6,000 attended the mass that started at 10 p.m. local time in the basilica, while another 5,000 watched on large video screens placed outside in St. Peter’s Square.