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Rome (dpa) - No handshakes to greet peace, no preparation of gifts: under Corona conditions, Pope Francis celebrated the traditional Christmas mass in St.
At the mass on the occasion of the birth of Jesus Christ, the head of the Catholic Church remembered charity.
"Insatiable, we want more and so we rush to the many feeding places of vanity and forget the Bethlehem manger", he said on Thursday evening at mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
With reference to the Christmas story, Francis added in his sermon that this crib was poor in everything but rich in love and taught that the nourishment of life consists in being loved by God and in loving others.
The pontiff also warned not to use his lifetime to pity himself, but to "comfort the tears of those who suffer".
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In the Corona year, the Christmas mass had to be brought forward to 7.30 p.m., since stricter corona rules apply to the holidays in Italy and thus also exit restrictions from 10 p.m.
With a little more than 100 believers, fewer people celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica than usual. In the rows of pews, the believers stood at a clear distance from one another and wore masks.
The limited scope of this year's Christmas celebrations due to Corona obviously annoyed the Pope.
According to Vatican experts, the 84-year-old is sad about how Christmas will be celebrated this year.
In addition, cardinals in the inner circle around Francis had recently contracted Corona.
The pandemic is also an opportunity to bring the meaning of Christmas back to the foreground and not consumption, Francis had emphasized in advance.
This makes Christmas more authentic.
One should also think of the lonely and the sick on the holidays.
One phone call, for example, is enough.
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The Christmas celebrations will continue on Friday when Francis wants to give the blessing «Urbi et orbi» in the Benediction Hall of the Apostolic Palace.
On this occasion the Pope also wants to announce his Christmas message.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201224-99-808547 / 2