In the rain in Rome, the Pope remembers the manger and says that refusing the poor is “refusing God”

Pope Leo

In his homily, the pontiff insisted that faith cannot be separated from the way we treat those on the margins, saying that “on earth there is no place for God if there is no place for the human person” and that refusing one thing is refusing another.

Leo XIV, 70 years old, who was elected in May to succeed Francis and became the first Pope born in the United States, has made support for migrants and the poor one of the central themes at the beginning of his pontificate and, in this context, has already criticized US President Donald Trump’s immigration policy. Before around 6,000 people inside the basilica, the Pope cited Benedict XVI to criticize the world’s indifference towards children, the poor and foreigners. And he linked this indifference to what he called a “distorted economy”, which reduces people to merchandise. In contrast, he said, Christmas proclaims the dignity of every human being, because God “becomes like us.”

Returning to the image of the nativity scene, he added that, where there is space for the person, there is space for God and that even a stable can become “holier than a temple”.

Outside, around 5,000 faithful followed the celebration on screens installed in Saint Peter’s Square, under heavy rain, with umbrellas and waterproofs. Before the beginning of the mass, Leo XIV went to the square to greet those waiting and thanked them for their presence, praising their “courage” for being there despite the bad weather.

This Thursday, Christmas Day, the Pope will once again preside at Mass and will deliver the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” message and blessing, a pronouncement that the Vatican reserves for two annual occasions and that usually condenses the spiritual and political priorities of the pontificate.