Pope uses Christmas Eve Mass to rebuke those hungry for power

Pope Francis presides over Christmas Eve Mass, at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Saturday December 24, 2022 (Gregorio Borgia/AP/PA)

Recalling Jesus’s birth in a stable, Pope Francis rebuked those “ravenous” for wealth and power at the expense of the vulnerable, including children, in a Christmas Eve homily decrying war, poverty and greedy consumerism.

In the splendour of St Peter’s Basilica, Francis presided over the evening Mass attended by about 7,000 faithful, including tourists and pilgrims.