A call for peace and light echoed across continents this Christmas as religious leaders urged unity, compassion and an end to violence during a season marked by both celebration and grief.
In Rome, Pope Leo XIV appealed for a global pause in conflict, calling on “people of goodwill” to observe a 24 hour ceasefire in all wars over Christmas.
“May there be 24 hours of peace throughout the world,” he told reporters.
The pontiff said Russia’s rejection of a brief truce had caused him “great sadness”, particularly in light of its recent large scale attacks on Ukraine. He also spoke of the Middle East, saying he had spoken with the parish priest in Gaza City, where residents were attempting to celebrate Christmas amid extremely precarious conditions.
Leo, whose papacy began in May, is celebrating his first Christmas as pope. He was due to preside over Christmas Eve Mass at St Peter’s Basilica, where he was expected to speak out against war and violence and recall the suffering of civilians.
On Christmas Day, he will deliver the traditional Christmas message in St Peter’s Square, imparting the Urbi et Orbi blessing “To the City and the World” to tens of thousands of worshippers. The pope is the spiritual leader of about 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
In Australia, religious leaders also focused on themes of light overcoming darkness, as the nation marked a bittersweet Christmas following a deadly attack in Sydney earlier this month.
Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher said light would shine through the darkness after the anti Semitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach, where two Islamic State inspired gunmen killed 15 people on December 14, the start of Chanukah.
“In a season when both Jews and Christians celebrate light and hope, we have been confronted with profound evil,” Mr Fisher said.
“As many in our city grieve this Christmas, let us declare boldly: the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
“Christ, the prince of peace, is born among us. He walks with us through our darkest valleys, he offers comfort to the grieving, healing to the wounded, hope to the despairing.
“May God bless you and your loved ones this Christmas and in the Year of Grace 2026.”
The President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Charissa Suli, also emphasised the enduring power of light in her 2025 Christmas message, reflecting on a year marked by fires, floods and conflicts.
“That light doesn’t ignore the darkness, it transforms it, and it calls us to compassion, generosity and justice,” she said.
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