Pope on Christmas: Jesus was poor, so don’t be greedy for power

VATICAN CITY (AP) Recalling the birth of Jesus in a stable, Pope Francis chastised those greedy for wealth and power at the expense of the vulnerable, including children, in a Christmas Eve homily denouncing war, poverty and greedy consumerism.

In the splendor of St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis presided over evening mass which was attended by around 7,000 faithful, including tourists and pilgrims, who flocked to the church on a warm evening and took their places behind rows of white-robed pontiffs.

Francis learned from the humility of Jesus the first hours of his life in a manger.

While the animals feed in their stables, the men and women of our world, in their thirst for wealth and power, consume even their neighbors, their brothers and sisters, the pontiff lamented. How many wars have we seen! And in how many places, even today, human dignity and freedom are despised!

As always, the main victims of this human greed are the weak and vulnerable, said Francis, who did not cite any specific conflict or situation.

This Christmas too, as in the case of Jesus, a world greedy for money, power and pleasure does not make room for the little ones, for the many unborn children, poor and forgotten, the pope said while reading his homily in a voice that sounded tired and almost hoarse. I think above all of the children devoured by war, poverty and injustice.

Still, the pontiff urged people to take heart.

Do not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by fear, resignation or discouragement. Jesus lying in a manger shows where the true riches of life are found: not in money and power, but in relationships and people.

Noticing so much consumerism that has wrapped up the mystery of Christmas, Francis said there was a danger that the significance of the days could be forgotten.

But, he says, Christmas draws attention to the problem of our humanity, the indifference produced by the greedy race to possess and consume.

Jesus was born poor, lived poor and died poor, Francis said. He didn’t talk about poverty so much as he lived it, right to the end, for us.

Francis urged people not to let this Christmas go by without doing something good.

At the end of the mass, the pope, pushed in a wheelchair by an assistant, descended the basilica with a life-size statue of the Child Jesus in his lap and flanked by several children carrying bouquets. The statue was then placed in a manger in a nativity scene in the basilica.

Francis, 86, uses a wheelchair for long distances due to a sore knee ligament and a cane for shorter distances.

Traditionally, Catholics mark Christmas Eve by attending mass at midnight. But over the years, the departure time at the Vatican has slipped earlier, reflecting the health or stamina of popes and then the pandemic.

Two years ago, the start of Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica was moved to 7.30pm to allow worshipers to return home ahead of a nighttime curfew imposed by the Italian government as a measure combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Although virtually all of the restrictions triggered by the pandemic have long since been lifted in Italy, the Vatican has adhered to the early start time.

During the Saturday evening service, a choir sang hymns. Clusters of potted red poinsettias near the altar contrasted with the pontiff’s cream-colored vestments.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of Romans, tourists and pilgrims were expected to throng St. Peter’s Square to hear Pope Francis deliver a speech on global issues and give his blessing. The speech, known in Latin as Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world), is usually an opportunity to review crises such as war, persecution and hunger, in many parts of the world.

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Associated Press reporter Luigi Navarra contributed.