Advertisement

Pope Francis: Do not Confuse Christmas with Consumerism

Pope Francis gives his Angelus address on Dec. 24, 2023. | Vatican Media
Courtney Mares

By Courtney Mares

Vatican, 24 December, 2023 / 8:50 pm (ACI Africa).

On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis urged Christians not to confuse Christmas with consumerism, but to celebrate the birth of Christ by sharing with those who are lonely and in need.

Speaking to the crowd in St. Peter’s Square from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the pope offered his greetings for a Christmas holiday full of “warmth, affection, and moderation.”

“And allow me to make one recommendation: do not confuse celebration with consumerism,” Pope Francis said on Dec. 24.

“We can — and as Christians we must — celebrate in simplicity, without waste, and by sharing with those who lack necessities or lack companionship.”

A crowd gathers in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus with the pope on Christmas Eve. Vatican Media

Advertisement

The pope said that we are called to reflect God’s kindness to others by “welcoming, protecting, and respecting others,” especially “those who are marginalized and who are far from the joy of Christmas these days.”

“And so, on Christmas Eve, let us ask ourselves: ‘Do I desire to allow myself to be enveloped by the shadow of the Holy Spirit, by the gentleness and meekness of God, by the kindness of the God, making room for Him in my heart, drawing near to His forgiveness, to the Eucharist?’”

The pope also asked people to think of which lonely or needy people could be comforted by their friendship during the Christmas season.

Pope Francis gives his Angelus address on Dec. 24, 2023. Vatican Media

Pope Francis encouraged Christians to remember all who suffer from war, particularly in the Holy Land and Ukraine. “We also think of those who suffer from misery, from hunger, from slavery,” he added.

More in Africa

Mauritius

Church 2025 Jubilee Year in Mauritius: “Journey in hope” Guided by Island’s “Apostle”, Spiritan Missionary Blessed Laval

Read the article

He prayed for the Lord “ to infuse humanity into the hearts of men” in the midst of war.

Pope Francis’ Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square marked the fourth Sunday of Advent, which falls on Christmas Eve this year. Catholics are asked to attend Mass twice between Dec. 23-25 this year for both Sunday and the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord.

The pope will preside over a Christmas Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Rome time, which will be broadcast live on EWTN.

Courtney Mares

Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees.

Trending

You may also like

Pope Francis waves from a window of the Apostolic Palace at the crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square for his weekly Angelus address on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis: "True power is taking care of the weakest"

In his Angelus message at the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis said: “True power is taking care of the weakest;...

Young people lead a procession in Protomartyrs Square at the Vatican for an ecumenical prayer service on Oct. 11, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis, Synod Pray Where First Christian Martyrs of Rome Were Killed

The ecumenical prayer vigil Oct. 11 was held in Roman Protomartyrs Square inside Vatican City.

Pope Francis' brief remarks during the Angelus July 21, 2024, focused on the day’s Gospel passage from Mark, which demonstrates how rest and compassion for others go together. / Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis: In the Silence of Adoration We Receive God’s Grace

At his weekly Angelus, the pope told Catholics to beware of “the dictatorship of doing.”