"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, said the pope during the solemn service, attended by about 6,000 people inside the basilica. Leo, the first US-born pope, is celebrating his first Christmas after being elected in May by the world's cardinals to succeed the late Pope Francis."
"While a distorted economy leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise, God becomes like us, revealing the infinite dignity of every person, said Leo. Where there is room for the human person, there is room for God. Even a stable can become more sacred than a temple. Outside the basilica, about 5,000 people watched the service on screens from St Peter's Square, holding umbrellas and wearing ponchos under a hard rain in Rome. Leo, 70, came outside to greet them before the start of the mass."
Jesus' birth in a stable with no room at an inn symbolizes God's presence among the poor, immigrants and strangers. Refusing to welcome and help those in need is equated with refusing God. Care for immigrants and the poor is emphasized as central to Christian duty, and the dignity of every person is affirmed even amid a distorted economy that treats humans as merchandise. Where there is room for the human person, there is room for God, and a simple stable can be more sacred than a temple. A Christmas Mass at St Peter's Basilica drew thousands despite heavy rain.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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