Leo XIV celebrates first Christmas as pope

Pope Leo XIV held the first Christmas mass of his pontificate on Wednesday, greeting thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter's Square before the service. During the mass, Leo said Christmas was a feast of "faith, charity and hope" and criticised a "distorted economy" that "leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise".

The mass was attended by high-ranking Church figures, diplomats and around 6,000 faithful. The ceremony celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and is one of the most important days in the Catholic Church calendar.