Pope Leo Appeals for Gaza in First Christmas Sermon, Urbi et Orbi Blessing Calls for Peace

Pope Leo used his first Christmas sermon as pontiff to issue a direct humanitarian appeal for Palestinians in Gaza, asking worshippers to imagine the exposed tents and the hardship of people living through cold, rain and displacement.

Elected by the cardinals in May to succeed the late Pope Francis, Leo — the first American pope — framed his message around the Nativity image of God “pitching his fragile tent” among humanity. He asked: “How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?”

A Rarely Political, Yet Personal Plea

Though known for a quieter, diplomatic style and typically avoiding explicit political references in liturgical sermons, Leo has repeatedly highlighted the humanitarian toll in Gaza in recent weeks. He told journalists last month that any durable resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict must include the recognition of a Palestinian state.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in October after two years of intense bombardment and military operations in Gaza. Humanitarian agencies warn that aid remains insufficient to meet urgent needs in the largely devastated Strip, where a large proportion of the population has been displaced and many now face a harsh winter in makeshift shelters.

“Fragile is the flesh of defenceless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds,” the pope said. “Fragile are the minds and lives of young people forced to take up arms… who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them.”

In his traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing later in the service, Leo broadened his appeal, calling for an end to conflicts around the world and naming crises in Ukraine, Sudan, Mali, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia among the theatres of suffering he lamented.

Christmas in Bethlehem: A Return to Public Festivities

In Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank, Christians marked the first full Christmas celebrations in more than two years as the city emerged from the shadow of the war in Gaza. Parades, music and large crowds returned to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity, the site traditionally venerated as the birthplace of Jesus.

Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa presided at the midnight mass and urged peace, hope and renewal. He described his recent visit to Gaza, saying that despite the ceasefire “suffering is still present” and hundreds of thousands face a bleak winter in tents. “The wounds are deep,” he said, but he praised the resilience and desire to restart shown by those he met.

The basilica — built in the fourth century over the grotto believed by Christians to be the Nativity — stood at the heart of renewed festivities as residents hoped the return of celebrations would help revive life in the city.