Last month, the Pope publicly underlined the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state as an essential step toward resolving the long-standing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people, a dispute that has endured for decades and continues to inflict immense human suffering.
During his Christmas Day sermon on Thursday, Pope Leo spoke with striking directness about the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, a departure from the typically solemn and purely spiritual tone associated with the occasion marking the birth of Jesus for Christians worldwide. His words drew attention to the lived realities of people enduring war and displacement.
Reflecting on the Nativity story, Leo said that Jesus being born in a stable symbolised God choosing to dwell among humanity in its most vulnerable form. He described this as God having “pitched his fragile tent” among ordinary people, emphasising divine solidarity with human suffering.
He then drew a powerful parallel to present-day Gaza, asking how it was possible not to think of the makeshift tents there, where displaced Palestinians have been left exposed for weeks to rain, cold winds and harsh living conditions, with little protection or certainty about the future.
This was Pope Leo’s first Christmas since his election in May, when he succeeded the late Pope Francis and became the first pontiff from the United States. Known for his more restrained and diplomatic approach compared to his predecessor, Leo generally avoids overt political references in sermons, making his remarks all the more notable.
Later, during his Christmas blessing, the Pope also expressed concern for migrants and refugees travelling across the American continent, highlighting their vulnerability and the hardships they face. Care for migrants has emerged as a central theme of his early papacy.
Although he has previously criticised US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, Leo did not mention Trump by name. However, in a Christmas Eve homily the previous day, he had stated that refusing help to the poor and to strangers was equivalent to turning one’s back on God.
The Pope has repeatedly spoken about the dire situation in Gaza in recent weeks. He told journalists last month that any lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must involve the creation of a Palestinian state, describing it as indispensable to achieving peace.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in October after two years of intense Israeli military operations that followed the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israeli communities in October 2023. Despite the ceasefire, humanitarian organisations say aid reaching Gaza remains insufficient, with nearly the entire population rendered homeless.
Speaking before thousands gathered inside St Peter’s Basilica, Leo also broadened his focus to include the global homeless population and the widespread devastation caused by war. He spoke of how defenceless civilians are left physically and emotionally scarred by conflicts, even after fighting has ended.
He described war as leaving behind rubble and “open wounds,” both in cities and in people’s lives. He also lamented the plight of young people forced into combat, saying their minds and futures are damaged as they confront the senselessness of violence and the empty rhetoric of leaders who send them into danger.
In his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” address, delivered from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to crowds gathered below, Pope Leo issued a broader appeal for an end to wars across the world. He referred to conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Mali, Myanmar, and the border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia, among others.
Addressing the war in Ukraine, where Russian forces continue to threaten key eastern cities, the Pope said the population had been “tormented” by prolonged violence. He urged all sides, with the support of the international community, to find the courage to engage in sincere, respectful and direct dialogue.
Turning to Thailand and Cambodia, where border clashes have entered their third week and left dozens dead, Leo called for the restoration of the two nations’ historic friendship. He appealed for reconciliation and peace, stressing that dialogue, not violence, was the only path toward lasting stability.
