During his first Christmas as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV urged Christians to prioritize kindness towards strangers and the poor, emphasizing that neglecting those in need is akin to rejecting God.

• On Christmas Eve, Pope Leo XIV delivered a sermon stating that the story of Jesus' birth in a stable highlights the duty to help the poor.
• The first US-born pope, Leo, led 1.4 billion Catholics into Christmas with a mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
• Pope Leo XIV, elected in May, celebrated his first Christmas after succeeding the late Pope Francis and has focused his papacy on care for immigrants and the poor.