Pope condemns power hungry and alludes to Ukraine conflict in Christmas Eve mass - The Guardian

Pope Francis warned successful a solemn Christmas Eve Mass that the level of greed and hunger for powerfulness was specified that immoderate wanted to “consume adjacent their neighbours”, successful an evident notation to the warfare successful Ukraine.

Francis, celebrating the 10th Christmas of his pontificate, presided implicit a capableness assemblage of astir 7,000 successful St. Peter’s Basilica aft respective years of restricted attendance due to the fact that of Covid.

About 4,000 different radical participated extracurricular successful St. Peter’s Square connected a comparatively lukewarm night.

As was the lawsuit for the past respective months, a genu ailment prevented Francis from lasting for agelong periods, delegating a cardinal to beryllium the main celebrant astatine the altar of the largest religion successful Christendom.

Sitting to the broadside of the altar for astir of the Mass, helium spoke of greed and depletion connected assorted levels, asking radical to look beyond the consumerism that has “packaged” the feast, rediscover its meaning, and retrieve those suffering from warfare and poverty.

“Men and women successful our world, successful their hunger for wealthiness and power, devour adjacent their neighbours, their brothers and sisters,” helium said. “How galore wars person we seen! And successful however galore places, adjacent today, are quality dignity and state treated with contempt!”

Since Russia invaded its neighbour successful February, Francis has spoken retired against the warfare astatine astir each nationalist event, denouncing what helium has called atrocities and unprovoked aggression.

He did not specifically notation Ukraine connected Saturday night.

“As always, the main victims of this quality greed are the anemic and the vulnerable,” helium said.

“I deliberation supra each of the children devoured by war, poorness and injustice.”

Drawing a parallel betwixt the babe Jesus calved successful a manger and the poorness of today, the pope said: “In the manger of rejection and discomfort, God makes himself present. He comes determination due to the fact that determination we spot the occupation of our humanity: the indifference produced by the greedy unreserved to person and consume.”

Earlier this month, the pope urged radical to walk little connected Christmas celebrations and gifts and nonstop the quality to Ukrainians to assistance them get done the winter.

The pope marked his 86th day past week and, isolated from the genu ailment, appears to beryllium successful wide bully health.

On Sunday, helium is owed to present his twice-year “Urbi et Orbi” (to the metropolis and the world) blessing from the cardinal balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to tens of thousands of radical successful the quadrate below.