Pope urges followers to remember the poor during Christmas Eve mass

[left-of-center2012]

Source: CBC.CA

Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Eve mass before an estimated 1,500 people in St. Peter's Basilica on Friday, going ahead with the service despite a resurgence in COVID-19 cases in Italy, which has prompted a new vaccine mandate for Vatican employees.

A maskless Francis proceeded down the central aisle of the basilica as the Sistine Chapel choir sang Noel, kicking off the Christmas holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem. Participation in the event was once again restricted by COVID-19, so that the congregation was only about a fifth of the size of what it was in pre-pandemic years.

Francis — whose homily centred around the theme that Jesus was born with nothing — said people who are indifferent to the poor offend God, and he urged all to "look beyond all the lights and decorations" and remember the neediest. "Brothers and sisters, standing before the crib, we contemplate what is central, beyond all the lights and decorations, which are beautiful. We contemplate the child," he said.

Francis said the baby Jesus born in poverty should remind people that serving others is more important than seeking status or spending a lifetime in pursuit of success. "It is in them [the poor] that he wants to be honoured," said Francis, who has made defence of the poor a cornerstone of his pontificate. "On this night of love, may we have only one fear: that of offending God's love, hurting him by despising the poor with our indifference. Jesus loves them dearly, and one day they will welcome us to heaven," he said.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/pope-christmas-eve-mass-1.6297911

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[msongs]

1. so is the pope gonna sell the vatican silverware and art....for the poor lololol nt

[No Vested Interest]

4. Do you want to buy it?

Most people recognize the value of works of art in museums for the benefit of preserving them for all humanity.
Or should they be closeted away in the home of a billionaire?
The bulk of the Vatican Museum holdings were gifts from princes, or nations, or those who wanted to preserve the pieces for the benefit of mankind.
Do you think this Jesuit pope uses fine silver on a regular basis for daily meals?

[msongs]

6. its commodities. the cash would benefit lots of people. its hypocrisy nt

[No Vested Interest]

8. Do you want to buy it?

[msongs]

10. nice try nt

[No Vested Interest]

17. How much for the Pieta?

What will you give for the Sistine Chapel?

[pnwmom]

13. Do you think all the world's museums should also sell their loot to the highest bidder? nt

[msongs]

15. irrelevant. museums dont demand cash to get into heaven

[pnwmom]

16. Neither does the Catholic church. There is no tithing or any other financial requirement.

But they do tell Catholics that they should give to the poor. How they do that is their choice.

[Elessar Zappa]

18. The Catholic Church doesn't demand tithes.

[The Mouth]

2. Republican evangelicals lose minds.... EOM

[Skittles]

3. LOL

if all so-called "church members" remembered the poor, there would be no poor

[ancianita]

5. Yeah, the church of my birth and childhood is good for "remembering."

Conveniently forgetting that the whole foundation of its being is on a poor child born in Bethlehem.

[iluvtennis]

7. I really really like this pope! Bravo Pope Francis. n/t

[pfitz59]

9. Washington State Catholics provide many services to the needy. I contribute.

While remaining estranged from the church. https://ccsww.org/

[pnwmom]

14. And unlike some churches, they aren't concerned with the religion or lack thereof of the recipient.

[HAB911]

11. Dude, you go first

[pnwmom]

19. He has. He's turned a palace next to the Vatican into a homeless shelter.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/19th-century-vatican-palace-turned-homeless-shelter-pope-francis-behest-n1123246

And he's donated money to the migrants at the US/Mexican border.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/pope-francis-donates-500000-migrants-us-border/story?id=62675582

And he's taken in undocumented migrants at the Vatican and urged parishes to do the same.

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/europes-border-crisis/pope-francis-calls-parishes-house-refugee-families-says-vatican-will-n422561

[mountain grammy]

12. I'm not a Catholic...

I think in many ways, they have done great harm to the world. That said, I often contribute to Catholic Charities who I have seen do great things to lift people, especially migrants, out of the most dire straits.

Yeah, I know they should sell everything and give it all to the poor, but let's live in the real world.
Pope Francis is trying.