EM LIVE: Pope Francis denounces at the Christmas Midnight Mass a humanity insatiable of power and money

The Pope Francisco today denounced the existence of a humanity insatiable of money, power and pleasure that devours the weakest and causes wars, during the homily of the midnight mass celebrated in the basilica of San Pedro.

Francisco Today he presided over the traditional Midnight Mass which, like last year, was held at 7:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. GMT) but due to his knee problems he remained seated on one side of the altar and Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re was in charge of celebrating the Eucharist.

Sight: Pope Francis reveals that he signed a letter of resignation in case his health fails

For this reason, it was a deacon who uncovered the image of the Child at the foot of Bernini’s canopy and incensed it, while children from various parts of the world placed flowers next to it and in Saint Peter’s Square the bells rang to announce the birth. of Jesus.

Before the 7,000 people who packed the basilica, while another 3,000 waited outside in the square, in a ceremony broadcast on Mundovisión, he criticized that “After many Christmases celebrated among decorations and gifts, after so much consumerism that has involved the mystery we celebrate (…) its meaning has been forgotten.”

This photo taken on December 24, 2022 shows a general view of the Christmas Eve Mass celebrated by Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. (Andreas SOLARO / AFP /)

The pope read his homily seated and explained the three words that he said can inspire the nativity scene: “closeness, poverty and the concrete.”

Regarding the proximity, the Pope affirmed “that the manger serves to bring food close to the mouth and consume it more quickly” and that “It can thus symbolize an aspect of humanity: voracity in consumption.”

“Because, while the animals in the stable consume the food, the men in the world, hungry for power and money, devour their neighbors, their brothers in the same way” said Francisco which added: “How many wars! And in so many places, still today, dignity and freedom are trampled on. And the main victims of human voracity are always the fragile, the weak.

“This Christmas, as happened to Jesus, a humanity insatiable of money, power and pleasure does not make room for the little ones, for so many unborn children, for the poor, for the forgotten. I am thinking above all of the devoured children by wars, poverty and injustice”, he lamented.

Pope Francis attends the Christmas Eve mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on December 24, 2022. (Andreas SOLARO / AFP/)

On poverty, the Pope took the opportunity to recall his invitation “to be a Church that adores the poor Jesus and serves Jesus in the poor.”

And then he quoted the words of the murdered and proclaimed holy Archbishop of San Salvador, Óscar Arnulfo Romero: “the Church supports and blesses the efforts to transform these structures of injustice and only places one condition: that the social, economic and political transformations result in true benefit of the poor”.

“True, it is not easy to leave the warm warmth of worldliness to embrace the wild beauty of the Bethlehem grotto, but let us remember that it is not truly Christmas without the poor. Without them, Christmas is celebrated, but not that of Jesus. Brothers, sisters, at Christmas, God is poor. Let charity be reborn!” urged the pope.

Pope Francis (C) arrives for the Christmas Eve mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on December 24, 2022. (Andreas SOLARO / AFP/)

On the other hand, the pontiff called for “a concrete faith, made of adoration and charity, not of verbiage and exteriority.”

“Let’s not let this Christmas go by without doing some good. Since it’s his party, his birthday, let’s give him gifts that please him. At Christmas God is concrete, in his name let us revive a little hope for those who have lost it, ”said the Argentine pontiff.

Jorge Bergoglio will once again look out on the balcony of the Central Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican tomorrow, just as he did when he was elected Pope in 2013, to read his Christmas message and give the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing (to the city and to the world).

With today’s mass the Christmas ceremonies began, which will continue with the message and blessing on Christmas day, the Angelus prayer on December 26, and on December 31 they will celebrate Vespers and the Te Deum, to thank for the new year. , and on January 1 the mass of Solemnity of Mary.

Source: Elcomercio