• Pope Francis turns 84, greetings from Mattarella

  • Pope Francis: may the restrictions help us to live a truer Christmas

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December 20, 2020 "In this difficult time, instead of complaining about what the pandemic prevents us from doing, we do something for those who have less: not yet another gift for us and for our friends, but for a needy whom no one thinks of ".

Pope Francis said this at the Angelus.

"May Christmas be an occasion for interior renewal, of prayer, to carry on the faith and fraternity among us", the Pope said. "We look above all to the indigent", he added, "the brother who suffers is Jesus in the manger. He belongs to us. He is the living nativity scene. We will truly meet the Redeemer in the brother who needs "



Consumerism has stolen Christmas from us

The Pope gave the faithful a "piece of advice" for Christmas: "For Jesus to be born in us, let us prepare our hearts, let us go to pray, let us not let ourselves be carried on by consumerism, by that frenzy of doing things, things, things".

"Consumerism has kidnapped Christmas from us," Bergoglio said.



Call to governments, send seafarers back to their homes

The Pope asks governments to take charge of seafarers who, due to the situation created by the pandemic, are unable to return home. "The coronavirus pandemic has brought particular discomfort to seafarers . Many of them, it is estimated about 400 thousand worldwide, are stuck on ships - Pope Francis said at the Angelus - beyond the end of their contracts and cannot return home. I ask the Virgin Mary Stella Maris to comfort these people and all those who live in difficult situations. And I urge governments to do everything possible so that they can return to their loved ones ". 



Solidarity is taking charge of the most fragile

"Solidarity is expressed concretely in service, which can take very different forms in the way of taking care of others. To serve means to take care of those who are fragile in our families, in our society, in our people. #HumanSolidarityDay ". Pope Francis writes in a tweet on the International Day of Solidarity.



#Solidarity is expressed concretely in service, which can take very different forms in the way of taking charge of others.

To serve means to care for those who are fragile in our families, in our society, in our people.

#HumanSolidarityDay

- Pope Francis (@Pontifex_it) December 20, 2020