Pope Leo, on Christmas Eve, says denying help to poor is rejecting God

Speaking at a Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, he said the Gospel account of Jesus being born in a stable because there was no room at the inn should challenge Christians to make space for those in need today.

“If there is no room for the human person, there is no room for God,” he told the congregation, adding that rejecting one means rejecting the other.

The pontiff, who has placed migrants and poverty at the centre of his early papacy, said Christ’s birth shows God’s presence in every person and underscores the “infinite dignity” of each human life.

He argued that an economy that treats people like goods to be traded distorts society’s moral compass.

Leo, 70, is celebrating his first Christmas as pope after being elected in May to succeed the late Pope Francis. The first US-born pontiff has previously criticised US President Donald Trump’s divisive immigration crackdown, and he cited a remark by the late Pope Benedict XVI lamenting a world that neglects children, the poor and foreigners.

Around 6,000 people attended the service inside the basilica, while about 5,000 more watched on screens from St Peter’s Square despite heavy rain, wearing ponchos and holding umbrellas. Before Mass began, Leo stepped outside to thank those gathered, praising their determination to be there even in this weather.

On Thursday, December 25, 2025, he is due to celebrate Christmas Day Mass and deliver the traditional Urbi et Orbi message and blessing.

Reuters