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Pope Leo XIV got into the Christmas spirit by attending a ceremony on Monday Roman Papal tradition: praying for peace at the statue of mother of jesus Near the Spanish Steps on the feast day of December 8, which marks the beginning of the Christmas season.
Leo greeted thousands of well-wishers who braved the cold to watch the American The Pope at the inauguration of the statue. They were given a tour of the Popemobile in Rome’s historic center, which has been decorated to mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season.
The Pope received a special honor from the association of shop owners of Via Condotti, a charming shopping street that extends up the Spanish Steps and includes such brands as BulgariHermes and Prada.
Wearing his ceremonial red mozzata, or cape, Leo presented a large bouquet of white roses and then said a brief prayer at the foot of the statue. He remembered the millions who have come Rome This year on a Holy Year pilgrimage which brought him to the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.
He said, “After the sacred door, other doors can now open to homes and places of peace where dignity can once again flourish, where nonviolence can be taught, and the art of reconciliation can be learned.”
Leo will preside over his first Christmas as Pope this year, and has already introduced one innovation. The December 24 Christmas Eve Mass, which was moved earlier and earlier in recent years to accommodate older popes, is scheduled to begin this year at the usual start time of 10 p.m.
Leo will get just a few hours of sleep before celebrating Christmas Day Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica the next morning, after which he will return to the Loggia – where he first appeared as Pope on May 8 – to deliver his Urbi et Orbi speech (to the city and the world).
He will preside over the evening prayers, known as Vespers, on New Year’s Eve and then over the New Year mass and blessings on January 1.
The Christmas season ends with the Epiphany Mass on January 6, which also marks the official closing of the 2025 Holy Year and the closing of the Holy Doors of the Basilica.
Normally the Holy Year, also known as a Jubilee, is held every 25 years, but Leo has already announced next year, which will be celebrated in a non-year – 2033 – to mark the 2,000th anniversary of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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