On December 25, 2025, Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Christmas "Urbi et Orbi" blessing from the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica. As the first American pope, elected in May 2025 following the death of Pope Francis, Leo XIV brought a message deeply rooted in the Nativity story while addressing the world's ongoing conflicts and sufferings. His address emphasized that true peace is both a divine gift and a human responsibility, urging dialogue, justice, and solidarity in the face of war, poverty, and displacement.
The Pope framed his reflection around the proclamation that Christ is our peace, born in humility to identify with the marginalized. He highlighted specific crises, including the situations in Gaza, Yemen, Ukraine, Syria, and forgotten conflicts in Africa, while calling for an end to indifference toward migrants and the exploited. Notably, he quoted the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai's "Wildpeace" to contrast superficial ceasefires with a deeper, unexpected peace that blooms like wildflowers after exhaustion.
This message continues the tradition of papal Christmas addresses as a global appeal for peace, blending spiritual hope with concrete calls to action.
Full Text of Pope Leo XIV's Urbi et Orbi Message (Christmas 2025)
Dear brothers and sisters,
“Let us all rejoice in the Lord, for our Savior has been born in the world. Today, true peace has come down to us from heaven” (Entrance Antiphon, Christmas Mass during the Night).
Thus sings the liturgy on Christmas night, and the announcement of Bethlehem resounds in the Church: the Child born of the Virgin Mary is Christ the Lord, sent by the Father to save us from sin and death. Indeed, he is our peace; he has conquered hatred and enmity through God’s merciful love. For this reason, “the Lord’s birth is the birth of peace” (Saint Leo the Great, Sermon 26).
Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room for him in the inn. As soon as he was born, his mother Mary “wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger” (cf. Lk 2:7). The Son of God, through whom all things were created, was not welcomed, and a poor manger for animals was his crib. The eternal Word of the Father whom the heavens cannot contain chose to come into the world in this way.
Out of love, he accepted poverty and rejection, identifying himself with those who are discarded and excluded. Without a heart freed from sin, a heart that has been forgiven, we cannot be men and women of peace or builders of peace.
In becoming man, Jesus took upon himself our fragility, identifying with each one of us: with those who have nothing left and have lost everything, like the inhabitants of Gaza; with those who are prey to hunger and poverty, like the Yemeni people; with those who are fleeing their homeland to seek a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean or traverse the American continent.
With those who have lost their jobs and those seeking employment, like so many young people struggling to find work; with those who are exploited, like countless underpaid workers; with those in prison, often living in inhumane conditions.
To Him, we implore justice, peace, and stability for Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, and Syria, trusting in these divine words: “The work of justice will be peace, and the fruit of justice, tranquility and security forever.”
Let us pray especially for the afflicted Ukrainian people, that the roar of arms may cease and that the parties involved, with the support of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct, and respectful dialogue.
From the Child of Bethlehem, we implore peace and consolation for the victims of all current wars in the world, especially those that are forgotten, and for those who suffer due to injustice, political instability, religious persecution, and terrorism — thinking in particular of Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Responsibility is the sure way to peace.
[Here the Pope quoted from Yehuda Amichai's poem "Wildpeace":]
Not the peace of a cease-fire,
not even the vision of the wolf and the lamb,
but rather
the peace that lets the wildflowers grow
without being trampled,
the peace without speeches,
the peace that comes when people are exhausted
from fighting and simply want to live.
To all of you, I offer heartfelt good wishes for a peaceful and holy Christmas!
Merry Christmas! May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts and in your families.
(The Pope then extended Christmas greetings in multiple languages, including Italian, French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, and Latin.)
This poignant message reminds us that the joy of Christmas is inseparable from our commitment to justice and peace in a wounded world. As Pope Leo XIV begins his pontificate's first full year, his words invite believers and people of goodwill everywhere to embrace shared responsibility for building a more fraternal society.
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