Thousands of people are expected in St. Peter's Square in Rome on Sunday to see Pope Francis deliver his Christmas message, which is expected to give prominence to war-torn Ukraine.
The spiritual leader of the Catholic Church will address the faithful from the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, where he traditionally gives an overview of the conflicts in the world, before pronouncing the blessing "Urbi et Orbi” (“to the city and to the world”).
During this speech broadcast live around the world, the pope should dwell on the conflict in Ukraine, for the first Christmas since the invasion of the country by Moscow in February.
If the Argentinian Jesuit tirelessly pleads for peace, he has also tried to maintain a delicate dialogue with Moscow, which has earned him some criticism for not having taken a more clear position against the policy of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A Church at the service of the poor
On Saturday evening, some 7,000 people attended the traditional Christmas Eve Mass presided over by the Pope in St. Peter's Basilica, according to the Vatican.
The 86-year-old pope, who still suffers from knee pain, prayed for "
children devoured by wars, poverty and injustice
", lamenting that "
men greedy for power and money, consume their loved ones, their brothers
”.
Faced with “
consumerism
”, the pontiff invited us to “
leave the heat of worldliness
” and “
rediscover the meaning of Christmas
”, pleading for a charitable Church at the service of the poor.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: how the date of Christmas has become a very political dilemma for the Orthodox
"
It's very inspiring to be here with all these people, we are happy and moved to see the pope, even if we are outside, and to feel this connection between us
," said Victoria Machado, 19, from Mexico with his family.
Like her, some 4,000 people who could not get tickets followed the celebration on giant screens set up outside.
"
The Pope is a very humble man, I think he is able to bring a message of peace and try to unite people and ease tensions
," said Julie, 50, head of business in Nice.
As 1.3 billion Catholics celebrate the birth of Christ, Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski traveled to Ukraine to spend Christmas alongside war-affected populations.
