25 Dec 2018; DW: Pope Francis has reminded Christians that their messiah was born in poverty and said they should focus on love and charity instead of "consumerism." The event in St. Peter's Basilica was attended by 10,000 people.
Pope Francis used the Christmas Eve Mass to condemn the pursuit of riches on Monday, and urged Christians to consider Jesus' humble birth story. According to the New Testament, Christ was born in a Bethlehem stable and was then placed in a manger.
"Standing before the manger, we understand that the food of life is not material riches but love, not gluttony but charity, not ostentation but simplicity," the pope told the worshipers gathered in the Vatican.
"An insatiable greed marks all human history, even today, when, paradoxically, a few dine luxuriantly while all too many go without the daily bread needed to survive," he added.
The 82-year-old pontiff led the midnight mass before nearly 10,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Basilica, the biggest Christian church in the world. Since becoming the Church's leader in 2013, Francis has focused on the issues of poverty and inequality.
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