Pope on Christmas: Jesus was poor, so don’t be power-hungry
- The pontiff rebuked those who sought to gain at the expense of children and other vulnerable people in a homily decrying war and consumerism
- In a voice that sounded tired and almost hoarse, Pope Francis delivered presided over a Christmas Eve Mass attended by about 7,000 faithful
Recalling Jesus’ birth in a stable, Pope Francis rebuked those “ravenous” for wealth and power at the expense of the vulnerable, including children, in a Christmas Eve homily decrying war, poverty and greedy consumerism.
In the splendour of St Peter’s Basilica, Francis presided over the evening Mass attended by about 7,000 faithful, including tourists and pilgrims.
In his homily, Francis drew lessons from the humility of Jesus’ first hours of life in a manger.
“While animals feed in their stalls, men and women in our world, in their hunger for wealth and power, consume even their neighbours, their brothers and sisters,” the pontiff lamented.
“How many wars have we seen! And in how many places, even today, are human dignity and freedom treated with contempt!”