Pope Leo XIV holds the statue of Baby Jesus during the Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, on Wednesday, December 24, 2025. GREGORIO BORGIA / AP
Pope Leo XIV held the first Christmas mass of his pontificate on Wednesday, December 24, greeting thousands of faithful in St Peter's Square before the service in an informal style.
During the mass, Leo said Christmas was a feast of "faith, charity and hope" and criticized a "distorted economy" that "leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise".
Before, he spoke in front of St Peter's basilica to offer Christmas wishes and thank those who had come to follow the mass on outdoor screens despite rainy weather.
"St Peter's is very large but unfortunately it is not large enough to receive all of you," he told the crowd of around 5,000 people.
