In a sermon at Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, the leading cleric denounced “the greed for wealth and power which leads to war and destroys human dignity.”

“The people of today’s world, in their greed for power and wealth, also devour their loved ones, their brethren. How many wars! And in how many places freedom and dignity are still trampled upon,” said the Pope. “I think above all the children who are consumed by war, poverty and injustice,” he explained.

Highlights December 24, 2022 Holy Mass at Night, Pope Francishttps://t.co/xmQbWYO2WK pic.twitter.com/Jou4I2IPSi

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The Pope pointed out with regret that the meaning of Christmas has disappeared, whose symbols are the austere cave in Bethlehem and the manger depicting the birth of Jesus.

According to a prominent Catholic cleric, there has been “a lot of consumerism” to celebrate the birth of Jesus. According to František, one of the main symbols of Christmas is the manger, which he says represents “closeness, poverty and concreteness”.

In his traditional message to the City and the World (Urbi et orbi) on Sunday, Francis criticized the “senseless war” in Ukraine and called for an end to it.

“May God enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence weapons and end this senseless war soon,” the cleric said before tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

The Pope also recalled other armed conflicts in the world, especially in the Middle East or Africa.

“Let’s think especially about the children who yearn for peace around the world. Let’s see the faces of Ukrainian brothers and sisters who spend this Christmas in darkness, outside or away from their homes because of the devastation caused by ten months of war,” said Francis.