Pope Francis warned in a solemn Christmas Eve Mass that the level of greed and hunger for power was such that some wanted to “consume even their neighbours”, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine.
Francis, celebrating the 10th Christmas of his pontificate, presided over a capacity crowd of about 7,000 in St. Peter’s Basilica after several years of restricted attendance because of Covid.
About 4,000 other people participated outside in St. Peter’s Square on a relatively warm night.
As was the case for the past several months, a knee ailment prevented Francis from standing for long periods, delegating a cardinal to be the main celebrant at the altar of the largest church in Christendom. » | Reuters | Sunday, December 25, 2022