Pope Leo XIV, originally from Chicago, is marking his inaugural Christmas as the leader of the Catholic Church in Vatican City.

As he led the Christmas Mass, Pope Leo expressed his gratitude to the throngs of people gathered at the Vatican. This occasion is particularly notable as it is the first Christmas Day Mass celebrated by a pope since 1994.

This festive season, Pope Leo is focusing his message on themes of peace and hope, urging believers worldwide to embrace these ideals.

Breaking from recent tradition, Pope Leo has reinstated the practice of celebrating Mass on Christmas Day, a custom that had been set aside by his predecessors.

In Saint Peter’s Square, visitors are treated to an array of nativity scenes from various countries, including one from Chicago, Pope Leo’s birthplace, and another from Peru, reflecting his time spent there as a missionary.

In his Christmas address, the Pope also highlighted ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, calling for a global commitment to peace.

He also shared a Christmas greeting in Multiple languages to a cheering crowd of 26,000 people.

“Merry Christmas, may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts and in your families,” Pope Leo said.

Here at home, parishioners at Holy Name Cathedral shared their pride in having a Chicago-grown Pope during one the holiest times of the year.

“I’m so happy and elated that we finally have an American pope from Chicago, so I’m so excited,” Holy Name Cathedral parishioner Victoria Villareal. “For us Chicagoans, Christians, Catholics. This is a momentous year.”

The last major event of the 2025 jubilee will be the closing of Rome’s holy doors.

The last holy door to be closed will at Saint Peter’s Basilica on January 6th, by Pope Leo.

Cardinal Blase Cupich celebrated Midnight Mass at Holy Name Cathedral.

During his homily, he emphasized the importance of looking out for each other, not just at home, but around the world.

“We do care about the rest of humanity around the world especially as we see so many just trying to eke out an existence day after day, that we should have a heart that really is broken when we see the suffering of others,” Cardinal Cupich said.

The cardinal also reminded parishioners to reflect on how their faith has made a difference in their lives.