Pope Francis had a word for Bethlehem and the victims of the conflict in Gaza during the traditional Christmas mass…
Around 6,500 faithful attended the Christmas mass presided over by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican this Sunday, December 24, in the presence of religious leaders and the diplomatic corps. Hundreds were able to follow the event on giant screens installed in Saint-Pierre Square.
The Argentine pope had a word for the West Bank city of Bethlehem. A high place of Christianity, where Christ was born according to tradition, which decided to cancel the nativity celebrations due to the war and was deserted this year by pilgrims.
“Our heart, this evening, is in Bethlehem, where the principle of peace is still rejected by the losing logic of war, with the clash of arms which, even today, prevents it from finding a place in the world ” said the pontiff, echoing his thoughts for “Palestine, Israel and Ukraine” earlier in the day, during the weekly Angelus prayer.
Francis will pronounce his urbi et orbi blessing (“to the city and the world”) this Monday at noon, which traditionally gives the pope the opportunity to speak on the state of the world. Several other events will take place until January 7, when Pope Francis will preside over a celebration at 9:30 a.m. in the Sistine Chapel for the feast of the Baptism of Jesus, where several children will be baptized.
These Christmas celebrations come at a difficult time for the sovereign pontiff. On December 17, François celebrated his 87th birthday and his health has often been the cause of the cancellation of several events. The man now only uses a wheelchair, 10 years after becoming Pope. In March, he first suffered from a respiratory infection, before undergoing abdominal surgery in June. But those close to him would like to point out that the Jesuit remains lucid. “His health is declining, he is a tired man, but he is in his right mind, he is more than ever at the helm,” defends a Vatican source. But François is still experiencing difficulties traveling and was forced to cancel his trip to Dubai for COP28.
Another recent difficulty for Pope Francis: his decision to bless homosexual couples, which is not accepted by certain episcopal conferences. While Germany and Belgium were delighted, others spoke publicly to contest this announcement and to make it known that this new regulation would not be applied. However, the blessing of homosexual people has long been accepted by the Church, but on an individual level. On the other hand, the Holy See had never authorized the blessing of homosexual couples. The LGBT community, for its part, welcomed this new decision.
