Refusing help to the poor and strangers is tantamount to rejecting God, Pope Leo XIV said in his Christmas Eve sermon, quoted by "Reuters". According to him, the story of Christ being born in a stable should remind Christians not to refuse to help those in need.
"There is no place for God on Earth if there is no place for man. To refuse one is to refuse the other," the pope said during the service in "St. Peter's Basilica". He added that the birth of Christ showed the presence of God in every person.
About 6,000 people attended Pope Leo XIII's first Christmas mass inside the basilica, while 5,000 watched on large screens in St. Peter's Square outside.
The total number of Catholics in the world is one billion and 400 million people, Reuters recalls.
The first pope born in the United States made the issues of caring for migrants and the poor central after he was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church. Leo XIII has criticized US President Donald Trump for his policy towards migrants, Reuters reports.
Pope on Christmas: Refusing help to the poor and strangers is a rejection of God
About 6,000 people attended Leo XIV's first Christmas mass in St. Peter's Basilica
Dec 25, 2025 02:52 72
