As the Church approaches the celebration of the Lord’s Nativity, Catholics around the world will witness a historic moment as Pope Leo XIV prepares to preside over his first Christmas as Successor of Peter. Just seven months into his pontificate, the Holy Father has framed the season with a message that has already become a hallmark of his ministry: peace rooted in the birth of Christ.
In his first Christmas greetings to the faithful, Pope Leo XIV recalled that “the Christmas of the Lord is the Christmas of Peace,” a phrase drawn from Sermon 26 of St. Leo the Great, according to Vatican News. By intentionally citing the first pope to bear the name Leo, the Holy Father placed his own pontificate in continuity with a long tradition that sees the Incarnation as God’s definitive answer to humanity’s divisions.
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That same emphasis on peace has echoed throughout recent days. Speaking with journalists outside Castel Gandolfo, the Pope appealed to the conscience of the world, asking people of goodwill “that, at least on the feast of the birth of the Saviour, one day of peace may be respected,” according to Vatican News. The request recalls the “unarmed and disarming” peace Pope Leo invoked when he first appeared at the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica following his election earlier this year.
The Holy Father will formally open the Christmas celebrations on the evening of December 24 with Midnight Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. According to Vatican News, children from South Korea, India, Mozambique, Paraguay, Poland, and Ukraine will accompany the Pope in the liturgical procession, carrying flowers to the Nativity scene. Their presence reflects the universal character of the Church and the Pope’s repeated calls to remember children affected by war and poverty.
On Christmas Day, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass again in St. Peter’s Basilica, reintroducing a tradition not observed by his immediate predecessors. Vatican News reports that the last Pope to celebrate Mass on December 25 itself was St. John Paul II in 1994. Later that same day, the Holy Father will deliver the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing from the basilica’s central balcony, extending prayers of peace and blessing to the city of Rome and to the entire world.
The days following Christmas will continue to highlight both prayer and witness. On December 26, the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr, Pope Leo will recite the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, with additional Angelus prayers scheduled for December 28. As the calendar year draws to a close, the Pope will hold a General Audience on December 31, an event Vatican News notes has not occurred on New Year’s Eve since 1975 under Pope St. Paul VI. That afternoon, he will preside over First Vespers and the Te Deum, giving thanks to God for the year that has passed.
The Holy Father’s liturgical schedule extends into the opening days of 2026. On January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass for the World Day of Peace, followed by the Angelus at noon, according to Vatican News. The Christmas season will conclude with significant Jubilee moments, including the Solemnity of the Epiphany on January 6 and the closure of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the end of the 2025 Jubilee.
The celebrations will culminate on January 11, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, when Pope Leo XIV will baptize children in the Sistine Chapel, underscoring the new life that flows from Christ’s coming into the world.
Together, these celebrations reveal a pontificate intent on drawing the faithful back to the heart of Christmas: Christ born for our salvation, and the peace that only He can give.
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