Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Christmas Day Mass and “Urbi et Orbi” blessing on December 25, 2025, from St. Peter’s Basilica, addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza and calling for an end to global conflicts. The address was part of the traditional Christmas observances attended by thousands at the Vatican.
In his sermon, the pope referenced the biblical account of Jesus’s birth, connecting it to contemporary events. “How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?” he stated during the service.
The pope’s remarks come after a ceasefire was established in October between Israel and Hamas, following a two-year period of military operations. Humanitarian agencies have continued to report on conditions in the Gaza Strip, where much of the population has been displaced. In a statement to journalists last month, Pope Leo said a solution to the conflict should include a Palestinian state.
During the Christmas Day service, Pope Leo also spoke more broadly on the effects of war worldwide. “Fragile is the flesh of defenceless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds,” he said.
He continued, referencing soldiers involved in conflicts: “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.”
In the subsequent “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) blessing, Pope Leo called for an end to conflicts in multiple nations, including Ukraine, Sudan, Mali, Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia.
As observances took place at the Vatican, Christmas celebrations were also held in Bethlehem in the West Bank. Events included public parades and a traditional midnight mass at the Church of the Nativity, which was attended by hundreds of worshippers.
Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, presided over the mass. In his homily, he spoke about a recent visit to Gaza. “The wounds are deep, yet I have to say, here too, there too, their proclamation of Christmas resounds,” Pizzaballa said, noting that “suffering is still present” despite the ceasefire. He added, “When I met them, I was struck by their strength and desire to start over.”
The return of larger-scale Christmas festivities in Bethlehem, a city where tourism is a significant part of the local economy, followed a period of more subdued observances during the recent conflict.
