Pope Leo has called on Christians to remember their duty to help the poor and strangers, saying that refusing aid is akin to rejecting God. In his Christmas Eve sermon at St Peter’s Basilica, the pontiff highlighted the Nativity story, where Jesus was born in a stable due to a lack of lodging, as a lesson for the faithful.
“On earth, there is no room for God if there is no room for the human person. To refuse one is to refuse the other,” the pope told about 6,000 attendees inside the basilica, with another 5,000 watching from St Peter’s Square in pouring rain. Leo, who has made care for immigrants and the impoverished central to his papacy, stressed that God’s presence resides in every individual.
The first US-born pope, elected in May to succeed Francis, criticised what he called a “distorted economy” that treats people as commodities. “While a distorted economy leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise, God becomes like us, revealing the infinite dignity of every person,” he said, adding that “even a stable can become more sacred than a temple.”
Before the mass, Leo greeted the crowd outside, praising their courage in the adverse weather. He is set to deliver a Christmas Day mass and the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing on Thursday.
