Pope Leo Surprises St. Peter’s Crowd Before Christmas Eve Mass

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Steve KennyDecember 25, 2025 at 11:38 AM

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On Christmas Eve 2025, Pope Leo XIV, the American-born pontiff, celebrated his first Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Before the service, he addressed the crowd in St. Peter's Square in both English and Italian, apologizing for the limited space inside the basilica due to the large number of attendees. During the two-and-a-half-hour celebration, Pope Leo XIV delivered a homily reflecting on the birth of Jesus Christ and its global significance. He also indirectly addressed global crises, criticizing the globalized economy and military conflicts. In his address, he also acknowledged the legacies of his predecessors, Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Chicago 30% Jesus Christ 40% Pope Francis 50% Pope Benedict XVI ×250% Vatican 60% St Peter's Basilica 70% St. Peter's Square ×280% Pope Leo XIV ×4100%

Keywords

pope leo xiv 100% christmas eve mass 90% st. peter's basilica 80% roman catholic church 70% homily 60% military conflicts 50% globalized economy 50% pope francis 40% pope benedict xvi 40%

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Positive

Score: 0.30

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Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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pope leo xiv christmas eve mass st. peter's basilica roman catholic church homily military conflicts globalized economy pope francis pope benedict xvi

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