Pope Leo decries suffering in Gaza in Christmas message – DW – 12/25/2025

In his Christmas address, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier praised the “beautiful traditions and rituals” of the festive season.

“At its heart lies the message that light shines in the darkness,” Steinmeier said.

Watch the full video below.

Britain’s King Charles III used his annual holiday address on Thursday to ask people to focus on bringing peace through forgiveness.

Relaying the Christmas story of wise men and shepherds traveling through the night to find their savior, Charles said it showed that strength can be found through the “companionship and kindness of others.”

“To this day, in times of uncertainty, these ways of living are treasured by all the great faiths and provide us with deep wells of hope, of resilience in the face of adversity,” the King added. 

“Peace through forgiveness, simply getting to know our neighbors and by showing respect to one another, creating new friendships,” he said.

The speech concluded with a Christmas carol sung by a Ukrainian choir.

Charles, the titular head of the Church of England, chose Westminster Abbey as the site of his Christmas Day broadcast to underscore the theme of pilgrimage that also ran through the speech.

A Powerball ticket sold in the US state of Arkansas has won a $1.817 billion (€1.543 billion) jackpot, the second-largest lottery prize in US history, operators announced on Thursday.

The winning numbers in Wednesday night’s draw were 4, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with a Powerball of 19.

“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner. This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize,” Powerball head Matt Strawn said.

The largest lottery prize ever won in the United States was a $2.4 billion jackpot claimed in California in November 2022. 

Powerball winners can choose between receiving the full prize in instalments over 30 years or taking a one-time lump sum payment, which in this case amounts to $834.9 million.

The tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 states as well as Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Draws are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The odds of winning the jackpot are approximately one in 292.2 million, according to the lottery.

The head of Germany’s Catholic bishops warned against rising nationalism in his Christmas sermon.

Bishop Georg Bätzing pointed to what he described as a growing “us first” mentality in parts of German society.

In Germany, this trend has been amplified by the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has become the second-largest party in parliament, partly due to rhetoric emphasizing cultural purity, strict border policies and a rejection of mainstream democratic institutions.

“Where does this new selfish nationalism, with its slogan of ‘us first,’ ultimately lead?” Bätzing asked in the Limburg Cathedral, where he serves as bishop. 

Bätzing described the Christmas message of God as a defenseless child as a “real alternative to the power games of the mighty.”

“I admit, this idea has always personally fascinated me and convinced me to believe,” the 64-year-old said. “The God to whom Christians profess their faith is so free that he relinquishes all divine power.”

Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the prince and princess of Wales, and other royals attended a traditional Christmas Day church service at Sandringham.

During their festival walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church, the king and queen were greeted by members of the public who had assembled outside.

Notably absent was Andrew, the king’s younger brother, who was stripped of his royal titles earlier this year over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew’s daughters joined the king and queen for their walk to the church.

In a show of solidarity, representatives from the German, French, and British embassies sang Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells) alongside Ukrainian artists in the metro in Kyiv.

“For more than a century, legendary “Shchedryk”, or Carol of the Bells, composed by Mykola Leontovych has been ringing around the world as a symbol of Christmas. Premiered in 1919, this flowing polyphony won the hearts in Europe and America, opening Ukraine, an independent nation with its own voice, to the world, and so it does even today.” the German Embassy wrote in a post on Instagram. 

Addressing the faithful in his first Christmas sermon, Pope Leo XIV spoke of “rubble and open wounds” and “defenseless populations” left behind by wars.

The US-born religious leader described the story of Jesus Christ’s birth in a stable as a sign of God pitching “his fragile tent” among the poorest and most desperate people of the world.

“How, then, can we ⁠not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?” he asked.

“Fragile are the ⁠minds and lives ​of young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness ‌of what is asked of ‌them and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths,” the pope added.

Leo, who succeeded Pope Francis earlier this year, has tended to avoid direct references to politics in his sermons in the past.

Humanitarian agencies say despite the ceasefire in October between Israel and Hamas there is still too little aid getting into Gaza, where nearly the entire population is ‍homeless.

In Thursday’s service with thousands in St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo also lamented conditions for the homeless across the globe and the destruction caused by the wars ​roiling the world.

Christmas time is summertime in Australia, and Bondi Beach in Sydney is a popular site for holiday celebrations.

This year, however, the celebrations are muted as the city and the country reel from the deadly terror attack on Bondi Beach earlier this month.

“Everyone ⁠is feeling for the family and friends who are going through the worst possible thing you could imagine,” British tourist Mark Conroy told ‌the Reuters news agency.

“I think people here ⁠are out on the beach, because it’s like a celebration but everybody has got it in their memories,” he said.

The December 14 attack saw two gunmen kill at least 15 people as they fired at the crowds celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. The attack triggered a debate about public safety, gun laws and antisemitism in Australia. On Thursday, Australian media reported that a car with a “Happy Hanukkah” sign on the roof was set on fire in Melbourne, the country’s second city.

Pope Leo XIV gave his first Christmas Mass after being elected to the role in May.

The pontiff spoke about the holiday, calling it a day of “faith, charity and hope,” while also criticizing a “distorted economy” that, according to the pope, brings people to “treat human beings as mere merchandise.” 

High-ranking Church figures, diplomats and around 6,000 faithful attended the mass. 

Outside the St Peters Basilica, thousands of people followed the mass on large screens.

“St Peter’s is very large but unfortunately it is not large enough to receive all of you,” he told the crowd of around 5,000 people.

Ahead of Christmas, Pope Leo XIV called for “24 hours of peace in the whole world,” later expressing “great sadness” due to Russia’s unwillingness to accept the offer and halt the hostilities in its war in Ukraine.

After two years of war and devastation, Christmas returns to Bethlehem, the city revered as Jesus’s birthplace.

A giant tree now stands in Manger Square, where locals and tourists gather in celebration. For a city that relies on tourism, the holiday marks a fragile hope for recovery.

Amid ongoing tensions, residents and church leaders call for peace and light after years of darkness.

Southern California has seen a heavy winter storm hitting the area ahead of Christmas, with experts forecasting the region’s wettest end of December in years.

Mudslides are feared in the wildfire-hit area due to the heavy rain, with snow coloring the mountains white, and flash flood warnings issued in the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

“Severe, widespread flash flooding is expected,” the National Weather Service said, adding that “lives and property are in great danger.”

Those having to drive during Christmas have been warned of hazardous conditions.

“If you’re planning to be on the roads for the Christmas holidays, please reconsider your plans,” National Weather Service meteorologist in Los Angeles Ariel Cohen said.