Pope Leo XIV, in his first Christmas address to Vatican employees, calls for humility and simplicity inspired by Jesus’ birth to shape the Church’s identity.
Newsroom (22/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) In his inaugural Christmas greeting to Vatican employees and their families, Pope Leo XIV on Monday emphasized the enduring lessons of humility and simplicity embodied in the Nativity, urging those present to make these virtues the hallmark of the Church in all its manifestations.
Addressing a gathering in the Paul VI Audience Hall on December 22, 2025, the Pontiff spoke to workers from the Roman Curia, the Governorate of Vatican City State, and the Vicariate of Rome. The annual audience, held to exchange seasonal greetings, marked Pope Leo’s first such encounter with the assembled group, including many family members.
“Thank you for your warm greetings, and especially thank you for coming to this Christmas gathering,” Pope Leo began, expressing delight at the familial atmosphere. “As you know, this is my first, and it’s the first time I’ve met you all together… and that makes me very happy!”
The Pope extended gratitude for the daily efforts of those present, describing the Vatican as “a vast mosaic of offices and services.” He expressed hope that, with divine assistance, he would soon visit various workplaces to meet employees in their environments.
Turning to the spiritual heart of the season, Pope Leo reflected on the traditional nativity scene — including one donated by Costa Rica and displayed in the hall — and the popular additions of everyday figures beyond the Gospel’s central characters.
“In addition to the inevitable shepherds, protagonists of the event according to the Gospel, we can find figurines representing various professions: the blacksmith, the innkeeper, the washerwoman, the knife grinder, and so on,” he noted. Though many of these trades belong to a bygone era — some having vanished entirely — their inclusion carries profound significance.
“They remind us that all our activities, our daily occupations, acquire their full meaning in God’s plan, which has its center in Jesus Christ,” the Pope explained. “It is as if Baby Jesus, from the manger where he lies, blesses everything and everyone. His gentle and humble presence spreads God’s tenderness everywhere.”
While Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds stand in awe before the newborn, the ancillary figures continue their routine tasks. Far from being detached, Pope Leo suggested, they participate fully by fulfilling their ordinary duties.
“I like to think it can be the same for us, in our working days: each of us carries out our task and we give praise to God precisely by doing it well, with commitment,” he said. Even amid busy schedules that may leave little room for explicit thoughts of faith, dedicated work — and, for lay employees, devotion to family — itself glorifies God.
The Pontiff concluded with a direct appeal rooted in the mystery of the Incarnation: “Dearest ones, let us learn from the birth of Jesus the style of simplicity and humility, and let us, all together, ensure that this increasingly becomes the style of the Church, in all its expressions.”
He also asked attendees to convey his personal greetings and prayers to loved ones at home, particularly the elderly and the sick.
Closing with warm wishes for “a holy Christmas, filled with the joy and serenity that Jesus gives us,” Pope Leo XIV underscored a vision of ecclesiastical life marked by authentic humility and everyday fidelity as the path forward for the Church he now leads.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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