Christmas was observed across the world on Thursday as people around the world in prayers and traditional festivities with religious devotion and celebrations.
With churches lit up and decorated with Christmas trees, worshippers took part in services
Pope Leo XIV held the first Christmas mass of his pontificate, greeting thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square before the service.
During the mass, Leo said Christmas was a feast of “faith, charity and hope” and criticised 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.
The US pope has adopted a more discreet and moderate style to that of his charismatic predecessor Francis, who died on April 21.
The mass was attended by high-ranking Church figures, diplomats and around 6,000 faithful.
Leo stuck to a very religious homily without any direct reference to current affairs.
The ceremony celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and is one of the most important days in the Catholic Church calendar.
The service combines traditional music with symbolic gestures such as placing a statue of the baby Jesus in a cradle.
