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Pope Leo XIV highlights Gaza, Yemen, migrants in first Christmas Urbi et Orbi message

Pope Leo XIV delivers his Christmas "Urbi et Orbi" message at the Vatican on December 25, 2025. / Daniel Ibañez/ EWTN News

Vatican City, Dec 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

In his first Christmas “Urbi et Orbi” message as pope, Leo XIV urged the world to embrace “responsibility” as the sure way to peace, while pointing in particular to the suffering of people in Gaza, Yemen, and those fleeing war and poverty as refugees and migrants.

Before an estimated 26,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Dec. 25, the pope appeared at the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver the traditional Christmas blessing “to the city and to the world,” eight months after his May 8 election.

In one of the most evocative passages of the message, the pope cited at length from “Wildpeace,” a poem by Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai, contrasting “the peace of a cease-fire” with a deeper peace that arrives unexpectedly — “like wildflowers” — after exhaustion and conflict.

“Responsibility is the sure way to peace,” Leo said. “If all of us, at every level, would stop accusing others and instead acknowledge our own faults, asking God for forgiveness, and if we would truly enter into the suffering of others and stand in solidarity with the weak and the oppressed, then the world would change.”

The pope framed his appeal around the Christian proclamation that Christ “is our peace,” adding: “Without a heart freed from sin, a heart that has been forgiven, we cannot be men and women of peace or builders of peace.”

Turning to concrete “faces” of contemporary pain, Leo said that 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.”

He also named those who have lost jobs, underpaid workers who are exploited, and prisoners “who often live in inhumane conditions.”

Leo offered “a warm and fatherly greeting” to Christians, “especially those living in the Middle East,” recalling his recent trip to Turkey and Lebanon. “I listened to them as they expressed their fears and know well their sense of powerlessness before the power dynamics that overwhelm them,” he said.

“From God let us ask for justice, peace and stability for Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Syria,” the pope continued, as he invoked Scripture on righteousness and peace.

He also prayed “in a particular way for the tormented people of Ukraine,” asking that “the clamor of weapons cease,” and that the parties involved — “with the support and commitment of the international community” — find “the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue.”

In a wider survey of global crises, the pope said: “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,” naming Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He prayed as well for Haiti, asking that “all forms of violence in the country will cease,” and called for a future of reconciliation for Myanmar.

Leo also included a specific appeal for Latin America, asking that “the Child Jesus inspire those in Latin America who hold political responsibilities,” so that amid the region’s challenges “space may be given to dialogue for the common good, rather than to ideological and partisan prejudices.”

He concluded by urging the faithful to open their hearts to those in need: “On this holy day, let us open our hearts to our brothers and sisters who are in need or in pain,” before offering “heartfelt good wishes for a peaceful and holy Christmas!”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

PHOTOS: Pope Leo meets the tiniest members of the flock — babies

Pope Leo XIV blesses a baby on All Saints Day’ 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has welcomed and greeted a plethora of babies at the Vatican since his election on May 8. As Christians everywhere celebrate the birth of Jesus, who came into this world as a baby, it’s a perfect time to highlight many of these sweet “pontiff meets babies” moments.

Pope, at Christmas Day Mass, says wars fed by falsehoods send young people to their deaths

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on December 25, 2025. / Daniel Ibañez/ EWTN News

Vatican City, Dec 25, 2025 / 06:35 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Christmas Day deplored the “falsehoods” used to justify wars that leave young people “forced to take up arms” and “sent to their deaths,” while also drawing attention to the humanitarian suffering of displaced people, including families living in tents in Gaza.

In his first Christmas as pope, Leo celebrated Christmas Day Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, reviving a practice not seen since 1994 during the pontificate of St. John Paul II. Reflecting on the prologue of St. John’s Gospel, the pope said in his homily that the Christmas liturgy highlights a striking contrast: God’s Word, which acts with power, comes into the world in utter weakness.

“The ‘Word’ is a word that acts,” Leo said. Yet, he added, “the Word of God appears but cannot speak. He comes to us as a newborn baby who can only cry and babble.”

Leo said the mystery Christians celebrate at Christmas cannot be separated from the vulnerability of those whose dignity is assaulted by war, displacement, and poverty. He urged Catholics to let Christ’s birth pierce complacency and move them toward tenderness and solidarity.

“‘Flesh’ is the radical nakedness that, in Bethlehem as on Calvary, remains even without words – just as so many brothers and sisters, stripped of their dignity and reduced to silence, have no words today,” he said.

In one of the homily’s most striking passages, Leo connected the Gospel image of the Word “pitching” his tent among humanity with the reality faced by families living in makeshift shelters amid conflict.

“Dear brothers and sisters, since the Word was made flesh, humanity now speaks, crying out with God’s own desire to encounter us. The Word has pitched his fragile tent among us,” he said, before asking: “How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold; and of those of so many other refugees and displaced persons on every continent; or of the makeshift shelters of thousands of homeless people in our own cities?”

The pope also described the toll of war in terms of both shattered communities and wounded consciences.

“Fragile is the flesh of defenseless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds,” he said. “Fragile are the minds and lives of young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths.”

Leo framed Christmas as a proclamation that peace is not merely a hope for the future but a gift already present in Christ, even when few recognize it. Quoting Jesus’ words to the disciples, he said: “‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you’ (Jn 14:27).”

That peace, he said, begins not in rhetoric but in concrete compassion that listens, stays close, and responds to suffering.

“When the fragility of others penetrates our hearts, when their pain shatters our rigid certainties, then peace has already begun,” he said. “The peace of God is born from a newborn’s cry that is welcomed, from weeping that is heard. It is born amidst ruins that call out for new forms of solidarity.”

The pope warned that believers can bury what the Gospel calls “the power to become children of God” by keeping their distance from the vulnerable.

“Becoming children of God is a true power – one that remains buried so long as we keep our distance from the cry of children and the frailty of the elderly, from the helpless silence of victims and the resigned melancholy of those who do the evil they do not want,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

The story behind Italy’s favorite Christmas carol

The Shrine of Santa Maria della Consolazione in Deliceto, Italy, where St. Alphonsus Liguori was inspired to write and compose the famous Italian Christmas carol, “Tu Scendi dalle Stelle,” in 1744. / Credit: Gianpiero Passalia/EWTN News

Rome Newsroom, Dec 25, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

If you spend any part of Christmas in Italy, you are sure to hear one of the country’s most beloved carols, “Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle” (“From Starry Skies Descending”).

The Christmas song, written and composed by St. Alphonsus Liguori in the mid-18th century, describes Christ, King and Creator, coming into the world as a poor baby.

The song was “born from the heart and pen of Alphonsus Maria Liguori — in love with Jesus, but passionate about humanity — and very close to ordinary people,” Father Luca Preziosi told Valentina Di Donato of EWTN News.

The saint, from Naples, “wanted to share a little of this beauty, of his knowledge of Jesus,” especially with the peasants of the time, who could not read or write, said Preziosi, the rector of the Shrine of Santa Maria della Consolazione in Deliceto, Italy.

St. Alphonsus Liguori was a Neapolitan lawyer who became a priest and later a bishop. He is founder of the Redemptorists, a religious congregation dedicated to missionary work. He was declared a doctor of the Church for his contribution to moral theology. 

In December 1744, Alphonsus was asked by his bishop to serve for a period near the town of Deliceto, in southern Italy, at the Convent of the Consolation, where he would eventually found the third Redemptorist house.

According to popular tradition, the priest was inspired by a grotto near the convent — hidden inside a small church — which recalled the humble birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem. He began penning what would become “Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle.”

Alphonsus also borrowed heavily from the melody and lyrics of an earlier Christmas song he had written in Neapolitan dialect, “Quanno Nascette Ninno” (“When the Child Was Born”).

The Italian saint’s original title for the song, which has seven stanzas, was “Canzoncina a Gesù Bambino” (“Little Song to the Baby Jesus”).

The popular carol is part of the Italian “pastorale” musical style, and though several different arrangements exist, it is traditionally accompanied by an Italian bagpipe.

Italian singer Luciano Lamonarca has been working to popularize the song beyond Italy’s borders with a version of the carol in Italian, English, and Spanish.

“As a tenor, I of course wanted to promote the legacy of this song,” he told EWTN News. “So like Sergio Franchi and Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Boccelli, who have recorded the song mostly in Italy, in Italian, I supported a project that would allow me to sing the song in all three languages and tell the story to the public at large, especially in America, where the song is not well known.” 

Lamonarca presented his project to share “Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle” around the world with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Dec. 18. 

An English translation of the first two stanzas is:

From starry skies descending
Thou comest, the glorious King
A manger low Thy bed
In winter’s icy sting
A manger low Thy bed
In winter’s icy sting
O my dearest Child most holy
Shudd’ring, trembling in the cold!
Great God, Thou lovest me!
What suff’ring Thou didst bear
That I near Thee might be!
What suff’ring Thou didst bear
That I near Thee might be!

Thou art the world’s Creator
God’s own and true Word
Yet here no robe, no fire
For Thee, Divine Lord
Yet here no robe, no fire
For Thee, Divine Lord
Dearest, fairest, sweetest Infant
Dire this state of poverty
The more I care for Thee
Since Thou, O Love Divine
Will’st now so poor to be
Since Thou, O Love Divine
Will’st now so poor to be

Full text: Pope Leo XIV’s Christmas night homily

Pope Leo XIV venerates a statue of the child Jesus during the celebration of Christmas Mass during the Night in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Dec 24, 2025 / 17:31 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Christmas Mass during the Night in St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday. The Mass was attended by an estimated 6,000 people inside the basilica, while around 5,000 people gathered outside in St. Peter's Square, according to the Vatican.

Below is the full text of the pope’s Christmas night homily:

Dear brothers and sisters,

For millennia, across the earth, peoples have gazed up at the sky, giving names to the silent stars, and seeing images therein. In their imaginative yearning, they tried to read the future in the heavens, seeking on high for a truth that was absent below amidst their homes. Yet, as if grasping in the dark, they remained lost, confounded by their own oracles. On this night, however, “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Is 9:2).

Behold the star that astonishes the world, a spark newly lit and blazing with life: “To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Lk 2:11). Into time and space — in our midst — comes the One without whom we would not exist. He who gives his life for us lives among us, illuminating the night with his light of salvation. There is no darkness that this star does not illumine, for by its light all humanity beholds the dawn of a new and eternal life.

It is the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel. In the Son made man, God gives us nothing less than his very self, in order to “redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own” (Titus 2:14). Born in the night is the One who redeems us from the night. The hint of the dawning day is no longer to be sought in the distant reaches of the cosmos, but by bending low, in the stable nearby.

The clear sign given to a darkened world is indeed “a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:12). To find the Savior, one must not gaze upward, but look below: The omnipotence of God shines forth in the powerlessness of a newborn; the eloquence of the eternal Word resounds in an infant’s first cry; the holiness of the Spirit gleams in that small body, freshly washed and wrapped in swaddling clothes. The need for care and warmth becomes divine since the Son of the Father shares in history with all his brothers and sisters. The divine light radiating from this Child helps us to recognize humanity in every new life.

To heal our blindness, the Lord chooses to reveal himself in each human being, who reflect his true image, according to a plan of love begun at the creation of the world. As long as the night of error obscures this providential truth, then “there is no room for others either, for children, for the poor, for the stranger” (Benedict XVI, Homily, Christmas Mass during the Night, 24 December 2012).

These words of Pope Benedict XVI remain a timely reminder that on earth, there is no room for God if there is no room for the human person. To refuse one is to refuse the other. Yet, where there is room for the human person, there is room for God; even a stable can become more sacred than a temple, and the womb of the Virgin Mary become the Ark of the New Covenant.

Let us marvel, dear brothers and sisters, at the wisdom of Christmas. In the Child Jesus, God gives the world a new life: his own, offered for all. He does not give us a clever solution to every problem, but a love story that draws us in. In response to the expectations of peoples, he sends a child to be a word of hope. In the face of the suffering of the poor, he sends one who is defenseless to be the strength to rise again. Before violence and oppression, he kindles a gentle light that illumines with salvation all the children of this world. As St. Augustine observed, “human pride weighed you down so heavily that only divine humility could raise you up again” (St. Augustine, Sermon 188, III, 3). While a distorted economy leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise, God becomes like us, revealing the infinite dignity of every person. While humanity seeks to become “god” in order to dominate others, God chooses to become man in order to free us from every form of slavery. Will this love be enough to change our history?

The answer will come as soon as we wake up from a deadly night into the light of new life, and, like the shepherds, contemplate the child Jesus. Above the stable of Bethlehem, where Mary and Joseph watch over the newborn Child with hearts full of wonder, the starry sky is transformed into “a multitude of the heavenly host” (Lk 2:13). These are unarmed and disarming hosts, for they sing of the glory of God, of which peace on earth is the true manifestation (cf. v. 14). Indeed, in the heart of Christ beats the bond of love that unites heaven and earth, Creator and creatures.

For this reason, exactly one year ago, Pope Francis affirmed that the Nativity of Jesus rekindles in us the “gift and task of bringing hope wherever hope has been lost,” because “with him, joy flourishes; with him, life changes; with him, hope does not disappoint” (Homily, Christmas Mass during the Night, 24 December 2024). With these words, the holy year began. Now, as the jubilee draws to a close, Christmas becomes for us a time of gratitude and mission; gratitude for the gift received, and mission to bear witness to it before the world. As the Psalmist sings: “Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all the peoples” (Ps 96:2–3).

Brothers and sisters, contemplation of the Word made flesh awakens in the whole Church a new and true proclamation. Let us therefore announce the joy of Christmas, which is a feast of faith, charity, and hope. It is a feast of faith, because God becomes man, born of the Virgin. It is a feast of charity, because the gift of the redeeming Son is realized in fraternal self-giving. It is a feast of hope, because the child Jesus kindles it within us, making us messengers of peace. With these virtues in our hearts, unafraid of the night, we can go forth to meet the dawn of a new day.

Pope Leo XIV on Christmas night: Make room for others

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Christmas Mass during the Night in a packed St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Dec 24, 2025 / 17:30 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV, at Christmas Mass during the Night, said Christ’s birth brings light into the world’s darkness — and where the human person is welcomed, God is welcomed too.

“To enlighten our blindness, the Lord chose to reveal himself as a man to man, his true image, according to a plan of love that began with the creation of the world,” the pope said in his homily in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24.

“As long as the night of error obscures this providential truth, then ‘there is no room for others either, for children, for the poor, for the stranger,’” he added, quoting Pope Benedict XVI’s homily at Christmas Mass on Dec. 24, 2012.

“These words of Pope Benedict XVI remain a timely reminder that on earth, there is no room for God if there is no room for the human person,” the pontiff said.

Leo celebrated the Christmas Mass, also known as midnight Mass, for a packed Vatican basilica at 10 p.m. The Vatican said an estimated 6,000 people were inside the basilica for the Mass, while another 5,000 people followed the papal Mass via jumbo screens in St. Peter’s Square.

In a surprise before the Mass, the pope stepped outside St. Peter’s Basilica to greet those who were forced to stay in the rainy square because there was no more room inside.

“The basilica of St. Peter’s is very large, but unfortunately it is not large enough to receive all of you,” Leo said, thanking everyone for their presence, wishing them a merry Christmas, and bestowing his apostolic blessing.

The preparatory readings and the sung Proclamation of the Birth of Christ — also called the Kalenda Proclamation — preceded the Mass. The pontiff removed a cloth to reveal a wooden sculpture of the Christ Child, placed in front of the main altar of the basilica, after the chanting of the Kalenda Proclamation. A group of 10 children dressed in traditional clothing from different parts of the world brought flowers to the figure of baby Jesus.

In his homily, the pope recalled that, “for millennia, across the earth, peoples have gazed up at the sky” attempting to read the future in the stars. 

Yet, they remained lost and in the dark, he said. “On this night, however, ‘the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light’ (Is 9:2).”

“Born in the night is the One who redeems us from the night,” Leo said. “The hint of the dawning day is no longer to be sought in the distant reaches of the cosmos, but by bending low, in the stable nearby.

Pope Leo invited Christians to marvel at the wisdom of Christmas, through which “God gives the world a new life: his own, offered for all.”

“He does not give us a clever solution to every problem but a love story that draws us in. In response to the expectations of peoples, he sends a child to be a word of hope. In the face of the suffering of the poor, he sends one who is defenseless to be the strength to rise again. Before violence and oppression, he kindles a gentle light that illumines with salvation all the children of this world,” he said.

The pontiff quoted a sermon of St. Augustine, who said “human pride weighed you down so heavily that only divine humility could raise you up again.”

“While a distorted economy leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise, God becomes like us, revealing the infinite dignity of every person,” Leo said. “While humanity seeks to become ‘god’ in order to dominate others, God chooses to become man in order to free us from every form of slavery. Will this love be enough to change our history?”

Christmas reversed in Slovakia: Why the homeless gave this archbishop a gift

Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice celebrates Mass with homeless and people in need at the Archdiocesan Charity in Košice, Slovakia, during a traditional Christmas gathering in December 2025. / Credit: Archdiocesan Charity of Košice

EWTN News, Dec 24, 2025 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice, Slovakia, found a special gift under the Christmas tree. It was a new “cathedra,” a wooden bench prepared by homeless people in a charity workshop. Benches are also associated with people living on the margins of society.

The traditional Christmas gathering began with a Mass inside one of the buildings of the Archdiocesan Charity in Košice, the second-largest city in Slovakia. After the Mass, the prelate, who also serves as president of the Slovak Bishops’ Conference, joined those in need for goulash and other seasonal meals.

“Christmas is not just about the Nativity scene,” Bober said, but mainly about people — getting together, acceptance, and mutual closeness.

“It is precisely people who have a difficult fate… who need to feel at this time that they are not alone, that they are accepted, and that they have their place among us,” he said.

Such gatherings have a strong human dimension and help release tension, build trust, and enter the new year with hope, according to a press release the Archdiocesan Charity sent to CNA. 

The bench was made in a charity workshop where those in need gain and improve manual skills, helping them enter the job market. Besides the bench, they gave the archbishop flowers, handmade decorations, ikebana, and soap. The gifts were also given to mark his recent 75th birthday on Nov. 3. 

“We do not want these holidays to be just a nice tradition, but a call to responsibility, too,” the Archdiocesan Charity of Košice said. The organization invites public officials to such events so they can see the reality facing the homeless and “feel greater sensitivity when deciding on solutions that can ensure a more dignified life for them.” 

The birthday celebration was another gift for Bober, who reached canonical retirement age. In early November, his birthday coincided with a local Jubilee of Young People in Košice. In front of the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth, approximately 25,000 people greeted the prelate and enjoyed a concert by the Godzone evangelization band and a party led by Portuguese priest and DJ Father Guilherme Peixoto. 

Pope Leo XIV sent a video message to the participants, calling them to be “witnesses of communion, builders of bridges, and sowers of trust in a world often marked by division and suspicion.” 

“Jesus calls you... to live the Gospel with enthusiasm and to share the joy that springs from encountering the Lord,” the pope said. “Bring the light of Christ into your families, schools, universities, workplaces, and communities.” 

Catholic Church responds to deadly Indonesia floods as leaders warn of environmental crisis

Field visit in the disaster zone in December 2025: Father Fredy Rante Taruk (executive director of Caritas Indonesia), and Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, OSC, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia. / Credit: Caritas Indonesia

EWTN News, Dec 24, 2025 / 14:00 pm (CNA).

After deadly floods and landslides left millions affected across Sumatra, the Catholic Church in Indonesia is mounting an emergency relief effort while Church leaders warn that decades of deforestation have turned the island into an environmental catastrophe.

Following a powerful cyclone in November, disaster struck three provinces in particular — Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. Floods and landslides affected communities across the Archdiocese of Medan and its suffragan dioceses.

Amid the widespread destruction, Caritas Indonesia has emerged as a central pillar of the Church’s humanitarian response. According to its executive director, Father Fredy Rante Taruk, the organization is prioritizing lifesaving assistance for communities impacted by flooding and landslides caused by Cyclone Senyar.

Speaking to CNA, he said the immediate focus is on “ensuring access to food, temporary shelter, clean water, sanitation, hygiene services, and essential health care,” especially for displaced families and vulnerable groups in the Diocese of Sibolga, North Sumatra.

As of Dec. 21, official figures indicate that more than 3.3 million people across Sumatra have been affected, with roughly 1 million forced to flee their homes. Authorities report 1,090 deaths, 186 people missing, and approximately 7,000 injured. More than 147,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed, and economic losses are estimated at around $19.8 billion.

Relief efforts have been hampered by severe infrastructure damage. Collapsed bridges and washed‑out roads have made access to many towns and villages difficult, delaying the movement of humanitarian teams and essential supplies. Despite these challenges, Caritas Indonesia has continued to mobilize parish‑based shelters, operate communal kitchens, and deploy mobile health services in affected areas.

The response has been further complicated by the absence of a comprehensive national disaster emergency declaration. This has slowed the mobilization of large‑scale resources and reduced the prioritization of remote diocesan areas within the national response framework. As a result, much of the immediate relief work has relied heavily on local Church structures.

Local parishes, religious communities, and volunteers have taken on a central role. Parishes have opened temporary shelters, managed communal kitchens, and served as coordination and distribution hubs. Volunteers from parish and religious groups are assisting in relief distribution and health outreaches, including in hard‑to‑reach locations.

So far, Caritas Indonesia and its diocesan partners have provided food assistance to 22,251 people, including via five communal kitchens. Hygiene kits have reached 5,722 people, health services have been delivered to 3,751 individuals, and psychosocial support has been provided to 1,588 people. In total, Caritas Indonesia has dispatched 60 tons of humanitarian aid, including food, medicines, and blankets, from its national logistics hub in Jakarta to affected areas across Sumatra.

On the importance of international help, Taruk said “solidarity from Catholics abroad, channeled through Caritas member organizations, dioceses, and parish networks, remains essential,” stressing that such support is key to reaching isolated communities, closing funding gaps, and ensuring continuity from emergency response to early recovery.

Other Catholic organizations have also stepped in. Father Martinus Dam Febrianto, SJ, director of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Indonesia, told CNA that the group launched an emergency response due to both the scale of the disaster and gaps in the official response. The organization’s work in Indonesia is part of Jesuit Refugee Service.

JRS was able to act quickly because of its long-standing presence on the island through its refugee protection programs. Since early December, the organization has distributed food, drinking water, hygiene kits, and other necessities.

Febrianto noted that damaged roads have forced many residents to walk long distances to access assistance. He said the heart of JRS’ response is pastoral accompaniment, “walking alongside” survivors who risk being left in prolonged and undignified living conditions due to limited access to housing, electricity, clean water, and sanitation.

Although JRS operates largely in predominantly Muslim areas, Febrianto explained that its engagement is humanitarian in nature. At the same time, he said, staff continue to witness resilience and inner strength among affected communities.

Public protests for accountability

Church leaders have also warned that the impact of the floods and landslides has been intensified by decades of deforestation across Sumatra. Large‑scale forest loss driven by illegal logging as well as industrial activity in the pulp, palm oil, and mining sectors has left communities more vulnerable to extreme weather events, they said.

Members of the Capuchin Franciscan order have joined other faith leaders in public protests calling for greater accountability.

CNA spoke with Father Supriyadi Pardosi, OFM Cap, of the Franciscan Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office in the Archdiocese of Medan, who said Capuchin friars have been leading demonstrations against the pulp company PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL).

Large public demonstrations have been held since Nov. 10 and directed at Indonesia’s People’s Representative Council, several government ministries, the National Commission on Human Rights, and the governor of North Sumatra.

“Our demand remains consistent: the closure of the pulp firm PT Toba Pulp Lestari,” Pardosi said. He pointed to a pattern of flooding near TPL’s operations, noting flash floods in Harian–Samosir in November 2023, Simallopuk in December 2023, and Parapat in March 2025, all before Cyclone Senyar struck.

Beyond environmental damage, Pardosi said the company’s presence has fueled deep social divisions. He is advocating for a return of the land to public use.

Drawing on the teaching of the late Pope Francis, Pardosi said that care for creation is inseparable from care for human life. “The degradation of nature is, in essence, the degradation of human life itself.”

The priest called for an urgent paradigm shift in Indonesia’s environmental stewardship, warning that the country, often described as one of the world’s “lungs,” cannot remain passive as forests are cleared for short-term financial gain. Human progress, he concluded, depends on learning from creation rather than exploiting it. Environmental destruction, he said, represents “a low point in our humanity,” with consequences that can burden generations yet to come.

Christmas recital in Lebanon aims for Guinness World Record

Christmas recital at the Sacred Hearts School in Kfardebian, Lebanon. / Credit: Roumi El Hab

ACI MENA, Dec 24, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

With a rhythm of hymns carrying prayer and hopes for the nation, a group in Lebanon has launched an exceptional event aspiring to make history: a continuous Christmas hymn recital lasting 170 uninterrupted hours in an attempt to break a world record and inscribe the name of the Land of the Cedars in the Guinness World Records.

The endeavor is not merely about numbers or long hours of singing but a collective act of faith and a cultural and spiritual message declaring that the country, despite its wounds, is still capable of raising its voice in joy.

The Christmas recital is being held at Sacred Hearts School in Kfardebian and is organized by Sandra Akiki under the patronage of Béchara Boutros Raï, Maronite patriarch of Antioch and all the East. 

Ahead of the launch of the big event, Akiki spoke to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-news partner, about the background of the initiative and its spiritual and cultural motivations.

Akiki, who teaches theater and music at the school, described the idea for the recital as a “divine inspiration.” She emphasized that students formed the backbone of the initiative and stressed that the Church provided strong support, both pastorally and at the diocesan level, all the way to Bkerké. 

Given that Guinness rules require the presence of at least 12 people in the hall at all times, Akiki explained that the dioceses helped organize attendance schedules to ensure the venue would never be empty throughout the seven consecutive days.

Akiki added that the idea for the recital was born three years ago and that, while challenges were many, they were ultimately overcome.

Akiki also pointed to the strict requirements imposed by Guinness World Records, particularly the rule that each hymn must last no less than two minutes and that the interval between hymns must not exceed 20 seconds.

At its core, she said, the message of the recital is the message of Lebanon itself: Lebanon of culture and Lebanon of art. She referenced a statement by Pope Leo XIV, who said that Lebanon is not only a country of divisions but also a country of joy, and she also cited St. Augustine’s well-known words: “He who sings prays twice.” 

Akiki told ACI MENA that by affirming that while hardships in Lebanon continue, peace ultimately prevails, stressing that Lebanese dreams do not fade no matter how severe the challenges.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

Syria celebrates Christmas with hope amid lingering security fears

Olive Scout Troop Christmas Carnival in Old Damascus, 2025. / Credit: ACI MENA

ACI MENA, Dec 24, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

In a scene reflecting Syrians’ deep longing for life and joy after long years of suffering, Christmas celebrations continue across various regions of Syria, carrying messages of hope that transcend divisions and wounds. 

These festive atmospheres coincided with the official repeal of the Caesar Act, U.S.-imposed sanctions on Syria, which propels the country into a time of rebuilding its economy and securing the basic requirements for a dignified life for its citizens.

Among the most prominent Christmas events this week was the organization of a Christmas carnival by the Roman Melkite Olive Scout Troop in Old Damascus. 

A majestic procession toured the ancient streets with the participation of hundreds of people accompanied by handcrafted Christmas figures, decorated vehicles, brass band performances, and the display of both church and national flags. Archimandrite Michel Deirani told ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, that the aim of these initiatives is to “plant joy in the hearts of children and help them live in peace, overcoming the effects of wars and upheavals that have burdened the world.”

The celebrations were not limited to the capital. The village of Qinniyeh in the Idlib countryside witnessed the lighting of its Christmas tree and Nativity scene for the first time in 14 years. A Christmas market was also inaugurated in Tartous through a non-ecclesial initiative. 

In the same context, the Joy Choir, with its various age groups, continued presenting its customary hymn evenings in Damascus and Yabroud, leaving a positive impression on attendees including the acting head of the European Union delegation to Syria, Michael Ohnmacht, who remarked that the choir is “true to its name” and succeeded in embodying Syria’s true image.

Despite widespread praise for the heightened security measures accompanying the celebrations, troubling incidents emerged, including the burning of a Christmas tree in the Al-Adawiya district of Homs and another attempted arson in Al-Qusayr, in addition to the theft of a bronze statue of St. Paul in Bab Kisan. 

Controversy also arose over a social media post by Wael Hamza, director general of the Syrian General Organization for Books, who asked via Facebook not to be congratulated on the holidays — an unusual stance for a government official.

In the lead-up to Christmas, the Church did not forget its martyrs. John X Yazigi, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, visited Mar Elias Church, which had previously been targeted by a bombing, to review the rehabilitation work underway. 

Though the Caesar Act has been repealed, Syria remains subject to U.S. oversight related to counterterrorism efforts, the removal of foreign fighters, and the protection of minorities. In this context, 134 Republican members of the U.S. Congress signed a statement affirming their commitment to monitoring the new Syrian administration, stressing that violations against Christians and other minorities must become a thing of the past.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.