In 1st Christmas mass, Pope Leo laments ‘rain, wind, cold’ facing displaced Gazans |
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV decried conditions for Palestinians in Gaza in his Christmas sermon on Thursday, in an unusually direct appeal during what is normally a solemn, spiritual service on the day Christians across the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Leo, the first US pope, said the story of Jesus being born in a stable showed that God had “pitched his fragile tent” among the people of the world.
“How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?” he asked.
Heavy rains have battered Gaza in recent weeks — compounding the harsh conditions of the Strip’s residents, nearly all of whom were displaced during the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. The UN has said that an estimated 1.3 million people currently need shelter assistance in Gaza and has warned of the increasing risk of hypothermia as temperatures dip.
Leo, celebrating his first Christmas after being elected in May by the world’s cardinals to succeed the........