Everything that night became a source of hope.”Noting that Mary and Joseph arrived in a land “where there was no place for them,” Pope Francis drew parallels to contemporary time. ADVERTISEMENT“So many other footsteps are hidden in the footsteps of Joseph and Mary,” he said in his homily. We see the tracks of millions of persons who do not choose to go away but, driven from their land, leave behind their dear ones.”“In many cases this departure is filled with hope, hope for the future; yet for many this departure can only have one name: survival,” he added. “Christmas is a time for turning the power of fear into the power of charity,” Pope Francis declared. At midday Monday, tradition calls for Pope Francis to deliver the Christmas Day message “urbi et orbi” – Latin for “to the city and to the world” – from the central loggia of the basilica overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 25, 2017 00:00 UTC