Pope Leo to call for peace in first Christmas blessing

Pope Leo XIV is expected to renew his calls for peace when he delivers his first Christmas blessing from St Peter's Basilica at the end of a year overshadowed by conflict, but also marked by hopes for peace in Gaza. Pope Leo presided over his first Christmas Eve mass at St Peter's Basilica last night In Bethlehem, the Christian community celebrated its first festive Christmas in more than two years as the occupied West Bank city emerged from the shadow of the war in Gaza. However, the Pope's call this week for a one-day global truce went unheeded in Ukraine, where fighting continued, as the pontiff prepared to deliver his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing at 11am Irish time - during which popes usually speak about conflicts around the world and urge peace. Before the address, the Pope celebrated his first Christmas Mass yesterday evening where he described the celebration as a feast of "faith, charity and hope". He also spoke in front of St Peter's Basilica to offer Christmas wishes and thank those who had come to follow the mass on outdoor screens despite rainy weather. "St Peter's is very large but unfortunately it is not large enough to receive all of you," he told the crowd of around 5,000 people. Leo will also hold another mass on Christmas Day, renewing a tradition from the times of late pope John Paul II (1978-2005). Celebration in Bethlehem Hundreds of worshippers also gathered for mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem last night as the Palestinian city ushered in its first festive Christmas during the Gaza war. Throughout the conflict that began with Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023, a sombre tone had marked Christmases in the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ. But celebrations returned on Christmas Eve with parades and music in the West Bank city, as a fragile truce held in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people face winter in makeshift tents. With pews of the Church of the Nativity filled long before midnight, many stood or sat on the floor for the traditional mass to usher in Christmas Day. At 11.15pm organ music rang out as a procession of dozens of clergymen entered, followed by Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who blessed the crowd with signs of the cross. In his homily, Pizzaballa urged peace, hope and rebirth, saying the Nativity story still held relevance in the turbulence of modern times. He also spoke of his visit to Gaza over the weekend, where he said "suffering is still present" despite the ceasefire. "The wounds are deep, yet I have to say, here too, there too, their proclamation of Christmas resounds," he said. "When I met them, I was struck by their strength and desire to start over." 'Desire of life' Hundreds took part in the parade down Bethlehem's narrow Star Street on Wednesday, while a dense crowd massed in the square. "Today is full of joy because we haven't been able to celebrate because...

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