VATICAN CITY, Dec 25, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Pope Leo XIV held the first Christmas mass of his pontificate on Wednesday, greeting thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter's Square before the service. During the mass, Leo said Christmas was a feast of "faith, charity and hope" and criticised a "distorted economy" that "leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise". The 70-year-old pope decided to hold the mass at a later time than under the more elderly Francis who would hold Christmas mass at around 1830 GMT. In another change, Leo will hold another mass on Christmas Day on Thursday, renewing a tradition from the times of late pope John Paul II (1978-2005). Leo on Tuesday called for a global truce around the world on Christmas Day, expressing "great sadness" that "apparently Russia rejected a request" for one in Ukraine.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha December 25, 2025 03:06 UTC