Do Not Turn Away from the Poor and the Marginalized
"Even a Stable Can Be More Sacred Than a Temple"
Over 6,000 Catholic Faithful Attend
On December 24 (local time), Pope Leo XIV emphasized human dignity during the first Christmas Eve Mass he presided over since his enthronement.
According to Reuters and AFP, Pope Leo XIV, in his homily at the Christmas Eve Mass held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, stated, "If there is no place for humanity, then there is no place for God either."
The Pope stressed, "To reject one (either humanity or God) is to reject the other."
He meant that since humans are created in the image of God and carry God within them, turning away from those suffering from poverty and alienation is, in fact, an act of rejecting God.
Pope Leo XIV said, "The Lord, in order to heal our blindness, chose to reveal Himself in every human being who reflects His true image, according to the plan of love that began at the creation of the world."
Quoting Pope Benedict XVI's 2012 Christmas Eve homily, he explained, "As long as we remain completely unaware of this error and the truth according to God's providence becomes unclear, there will be no place for others, for children, for the poor, or for foreigners."
Pope Leo XIV strongly stated that there is room for God when we respect those in difficulty and reach out a helping hand, adding, "Even a stable can become more sacred than a temple."
Additionally, Pope Leo XIV raised concerns that the spread of the capitalist economic system could undermine humanity.
The Pope said, "A distorted economy treats humans as mere commodities, but God, by becoming like us, reveals the infinite dignity of every human being."
About 6,000 Catholic faithful attended the Mass, and another 5,000 gathered in St. Peter's Square to watch the Pope's Mass on screens.
The Pope also plans to revive the tradition from the time of Pope John Paul II by presiding over the Christmas Day Mass on December 25.
Furthermore, in front of the crowd gathered at St. Peter's Basilica, he is scheduled to deliver the 'Urbi et Orbi' (Latin for 'to the city and to the world') message and blessing to the world, which is traditionally given on Easter and Christmas.
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