Look beyond the lights and remember the poor, says Pope on Christmas Eve Reuters

(Paragraph 6 fixes “to say” mistakes, not “that”)

Author: Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis, leading the world’s Roman Catholics to Christmas, said Friday that people who are indifferent to the poor insult God and asked everyone to “look beyond all light and adornment” and remember the poorest.

Francis, marking the start of the ninth Christmas of his pontificate, celebrated a solemn vigil of about 2,000 people at St. Peter’s Basilica, with participation in COVID-19 limited to one-fifth the size of the previous pandemic.

Just minutes before the start of the Christmas Eve Mass, Italy reported a second daily record of COVID-19 cases, with new infections reaching 50,599.

Francis, dressed in white, woven his homily on the subject of Jesus being born with nothing.

“Brothers and sisters, standing in front of the cradle, we contemplate everything in the center, above all the beautiful lights and ornaments. We contemplate the baby,” he said in a homily at Mass with more than 200 cardinals. bishops and priests. Except for him, everyone wore masks.

Francis, who turned 85 last week, said the child Jesus, who was born in poverty, should remind people that serving others is more important than seeking status or social visibility or spending a lifetime looking for success.

“He wants to pay homage to them (the poor),” Francis said, citing the defense of the poor as the basis for his pontificate.

“On this night of love, let us have only one fear: to offend God’s love, to hurt the poor in contempt of our indifference. Jesus loves them dearly, and one day they will take us to heaven,” he said.

He quoted a line from a poem by Emily Dickinson – “Whoever found heaven – below – will fail above” – ​​and added in his own words: “Let us not lose sight of heaven; .

The workers – the pastors – said that they were the first to see the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, Francis said that the workers should be dignified and lamented that many people die in work-related accidents around the world.

“On the day of life, let’s repeat: no more deaths in the workplace! And let’s make a commitment to ensure that,” he said.

The United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that more than one million deaths a year are related to work.

On Saturday, Francis twice a year will give the blessing and message of “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.