On Christmas Day 2024, Pope Francis delivered his Urbi et Orbi message from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, reflecting on the profound mystery of Christ’s birth and offering a message of peace, reconciliation, and hope for a suffering world.
“The mystery that never ceases to amaze and move us was renewed this night,” Pope Francis began. “The Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. That is how the shepherds of Bethlehem, filled with joy, found him, as the angels sang: ‘Glory to God and peace to men.’”
The Pope emphasized that this message of peace remains as vital today as it was over two thousand years ago. “Today, amid the travail of our times, the eternal Word of salvation is once more truly made incarnate and speaks to every man and woman, to the whole world. This is the message: ‘I love you, I forgive you; come back to me, the door of my heart is open for you!’”
As usual, Pope Francis delivered the Urbi et Orbi blessing, to the city of Rome and to the world, from the central balcony in St. Peter’s Basilica.
A Call for Reconciliation and Courage
Central to Pope Francis’ message was the image of Jesus as the “Door of Peace,” which he linked to the Holy Door he opened for the Jubilee Year in St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve. “Brothers and sisters, the door of God’s heart is always open; let us return to him! Let us go back to the heart that loves and forgives us! Let us be forgiven by him; let us be reconciled with him!”
Pope Francis pauses in prayer on the threshold of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 24, 2024, after he opened it and inaugurated the Holy Year 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
Pope Francis invited people not only to reconciliation with God but also with one another. “Taking a step towards something so great calls us to leave behind our disputes and divisions, surrendering ourselves to the outstretched arms of the Child who is the Prince of Peace. This Christmas, at the beginning of the Jubilee Year, I invite every individual, and all peoples and nations, to find the courage needed to walk through that Door, to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sound of arms and overcome divisions!”
A Global Plea for Peace
Pope Francis turned his focus to the world’s most pressing conflicts, calling for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Myanmar, among other regions. He issued a heartfelt plea: “May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine! May there be the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation and to gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace.”
“May the sound of arms be silenced in the Middle East! In contemplating the Crib of Bethlehem, I think of the Christian communities in Palestine and in Israel, particularly the dear community in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave,” Pope Francis prayed. “May there be a ceasefire, may the hostages be released and aid be given to the people worn out by hunger and by war. I express my closeness to the Christian community in Lebanon, especially in the south, and to that of Syria, at this most delicate time. May the doors of dialogue and peace be flung open throughout the region, devastated by conflict. Here I also think of the Libyan people and encourage them to seek solutions that enable national reconciliation.”
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, looks at the destruction on the streets of Gaza City Dec. 22, 2024. He made a pre-Christmas visit aiming to bring the joy of the season to the suffering Christian community in the Gaza Strip in the 14th month of Israel-Hamas war. (OSV News photo/courtesy Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
The Pope highlighted the plight of those suffering from hunger, war, and displacement in Africa, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, and Sudan. He also spoke of the Americas, urging leaders to work for justice and truth in Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia, and Nicaragua, and expressed his hope for an end to the long-standing division in Cyprus.
Missionaries: “Light and Comfort to So Many”
During his blessing to the city of Rome and the world-Urbi et Orbi-, Pope Francis reserved special gratitude for those who dedicate their lives to serving others, particularly missionaries. “On this festive day, let us not fail to express our gratitude to those who spend themselves, quietly and faithfully, in doing good and in serving others. I think of parents, educators and teachers, who have the great responsibility of forming future generations. I think too of healthcare workers, the forces of order, and all those men and women who carry out works of charity, especially missionaries throughout the world: they bring light and comfort to so many people in difficulty. To all of them we want to say: Thank you!”
This acknowledgment resonates deeply with the work of The Pontifical Mission Societies, whose mission is to support the Church’s evangelizing work in over 1,150 mission territories. From building schools and clinics to proclaiming the Gospel in remote areas, missionaries embody Pope Francis’ call to bring Christ’s light to the world.
A Jubilee of Hope
Pope Francis concluded his Urbi et Orbi blessing and message by inviting the faithful to embrace the transformative power of God’s mercy, calling for the forgiveness of debts for the world’s poorest nations. “Let us open to him the doors of our hearts, as he has opened to us the door of his heart. Jesus, the eternal Word of God made incarnate, is the wide-open Door… He awaits each one of us, especially the most vulnerable.”
