A statue of Baby Jesus, which was unveiled for the Christmas Eve celebration, is pictured during the Christmas Eve mass held by Pope Francis in St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica at the Vatican, on December 24, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
VATICAN CITY 鈥� Pope Francis on Saturday led the world鈥檚 Catholics into Christmas, saying in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine and other conflicts that the level of greed and hunger for power was such that some wanted to 鈥渃onsume even their neighbors.鈥�
Francis, celebrating the 10th Christmas of his pontificate, presided at a solemn Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica. It was the first with a capacity crowd of about 7,000 following several years of restricted attendance because of COVID-19.
About 4,000 other people participated outside in St. Peter鈥檚 Square on a relatively warm night.
As has been the case for the past several months, a knee ailment prevented Francis from standing for long periods, delegating a cardinal to be the main celebrant at the altar of the largest church in Christendom.
Sitting to the side of the altar for most of the Mass, he wove his homily around the theme of greed and consumption on various levels, asking people to look beyond the consumerism that has 鈥減ackaged鈥� the feast, rediscover its meaning, and remember those suffering from war and poverty.
鈥淢en and women in our world, in their hunger for wealth and power, consume even their neighbors, their brothers and sisters,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ow many wars have we seen! And in how many places, even today, are human dignity and freedom treated with contempt!鈥�
Since Russia invaded its neighbor in February, Francis has spoken out against the war at nearly every public event, at least twice a week, denouncing what he has called atrocities and unprovoked aggression.
He did not specifically mention Ukraine on Saturday night.
Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve mass in St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica at the Vatican, on December 24, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
鈥淎s always, the principal victims of this human greed are the weak and the vulnerable,鈥� he said, denouncing 鈥渁 world ravenous for money, power, and pleasure鈥︹��
鈥淚 think above all of the children devoured by war, poverty and injustice,鈥� also mentioning 鈥渦nborn, poor, and forgotten children.鈥�
Drawing a parallel between the infant Jesus born in a manger and the poverty of today, the Pope said: 鈥淚n the manger of rejection and discomfort, God makes himself present. He comes there because there we see the problem of our humanity: the indifference produced by the greedy rush to possess and consume.鈥�
Earlier this month, the Pope urged people to spend less on Christmas celebrations and gifts and send the difference to Ukrainians to help them get through the winter.
READ: Ukrainians brace for blackouts, hard winter after Russia pummels power grid
The Pope marked his 86th birthday last week and, apart from the knee ailment, appears to be in overall good health.
On Sunday, December 25, he is due to deliver his twice-year 鈥淯rbi et Orbi鈥� (to the city and the world) blessing and message from the central balcony of St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica to tens of thousands of people in the square below.
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