Pope Leo XIV Calls for ‘Solidarity’ With Migrants ‘Who Traverse the American Continent,’ ‘Tormented People of Ukraine’ in First Christmas Message

Pope Leo XIV used his first Christmas message to call for compassion for the poor, people in war-torn areas like Ukraine, and migrants “who traverse the American continent.”

Leo XIV, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, made history in May when he became the first American pope. Catholics in his hometown of Chicago cheered his selection, as did many others who had worked with him during his long career.

The pope’s “Urbi et Orbi” message — Latin for “to the city [of Rome] and to the world” — is a blessing he delivers from the St. Peter’s Basilica balcony on special occasions like Christmas and Easter, a tradition that has been followed by the Catholic Church for centuries. The weather was cold and rainy but thousands of the faithful still showed up to hear Leo speak.

In this year’s message (delivered in Italian, English transcript here), Leo began by speaking about the “share of responsibility” Christians have to “love their brother or sister” and “stand in solidarity with the weak and oppressed”:

Already in the birth of Jesus, we glimpse the fundamental decision that would guide the entire life of the Son of God, even to his death on the cross: the decision not to leave us under the burden of sin, but to bear it himself for us, to take it upon himself. He alone could do so. At the same time, however, he showed us what we alone can do, which is to take on our own share of responsibility. Indeed, God, who created us without us, will not save us without us, that is, without our free will to love. Those who do not love are not saved; they are lost. And those who do not love their brother or sister whom they see, cannot love God whom they do not see.

Sisters and brothers, responsibility is the sure way to peace. If all of us, at every level, would stop accusing others and instead acknowledge our own faults, asking God for forgiveness, and if we would truly enter into the suffering of others and stand in solidarity with the weak and the oppressed, then the world would change.

Leo specifically prayed for people in many troubled regions around the world, including “ask[ing] for justice, peace and stability for Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, and Syria;” praying for people in war zones in “in Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo;” a prayer that “all forms of violence” in Haiti “will cease and that progress will be made on the path of peace and reconciliation;” those suffering from the “recent, devastating natural disasters” in South Asia and Oceania; and a prayer for an end of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:

Let us entrust the entire European continent to the Prince of Peace, asking him to continue to inspire a spirit of community and cooperation, in fidelity to its Christian roots and history, and in solidarity with – and acceptance of – those in need. Let us pray in a particular way for the tormented people of Ukraine: may the clamor of weapons cease, and may the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue.

“Let us not allow ourselves to be overcome by indifference towards those who suffer, for God is not indifferent to our distress,” the pope urged empathy for the poor and migrants:

In becoming man, Jesus took upon himself our fragility, identifying with each one of us: with those who have nothing left and have lost everything, like the inhabitants of Gaza; with those who are prey to hunger and poverty, like the Yemeni people; with those who are fleeing their homeland to seek a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean or traverse the American continent; with those who have lost their jobs and those who are looking for work, like so many young people who struggle to find employment; with those who are exploited, like many underpaid workers; with those in prison, who often live in inhumane conditions.

Leo concluded his message by hoping everyone could “open our hearts to our brothers and sisters who are in need or in pain,” because “in doing so, we open our hearts to the Child Jesus, who welcomes us with open arms and reveals his divinity to us: ‘But to all who received him… he gave power to become children of God.'”

“In a few days’ time, the Jubilee Year will come to an end,” he continued. “The Holy Doors will close, but Christ our hope remains with us always! He is the Door that is always open, leading us into divine life. This is the joyful proclamation of this day: the Child who was born is God made man; he comes not to condemn but to save; his is not a fleeting appearance, for he comes to stay and to give himself. In him, every wound is healed and every heart finds rest and peace. ‘The Lord’s birth is the birth of peace.'”

“To all of you, I offer heartfelt good wishes for a peaceful and holy Christmas!”

Watch the video above via Vatican News on YouTube.