During his first Christmas Mass, in an unusually direct appeal during what is normally a solemn, spiritual service, Pope Leo focused on the conditions for Palestinians in Gaza and more generally on the devastation caused by war across the globe.
In his first Christmas sermon since succeeding Pope Francis in May, Leo said the story of Jesus being born in a stable showed that God had "pitched his fragile tent" among the people of the world.
"How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?" he asked the thousands of worshipers gathered in St. Peter's Basilica.
Leo has addressed the conditions for Palestinians in Gaza several times recently and told journalists last month that the only solution in the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians must include a Palestinian state.
The new pope has a quieter, more diplomatic style than his predecessor and usually refrains from making political references in his sermons, but he chose to be more direct about conflicts during his first Christmas mass.
He spoke of the plight of the homeless across the globe and the destruction caused by war more generally.
"Fragile is the flesh of defenceless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds," said the pope.
"Fragile are the minds and lives of young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths."
In a later blessing, the pope lamented the situation for migrants and refugees who "traverse the American continent" - care for immigrants has been a key issue since he became pope.
While in the past Leo has criticised US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, he did not mention Trump.
In a Christmas Eve sermon on Wednesday, he said refusing to help the poor and strangers was tantamount to rejecting God himself.
During his Urbi et orbi (to the city and the world) benediction – traditionally given by the pope at Christmas and Easter addressing global conflicts – Leo called for an end to all global wars.
Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to thousands of people in the square below, he lamented conflicts, political, social or military, in Ukraine, Sudan, Mali, Myanmar, and Thailand and Cambodia, among others.
Leo said people in Ukraine, where Russian troops are threatening cities critical to the country's eastern defences, have been "tormented" by violence.
"May the clamour of weapons cease, and may the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue," he said.
Leo will also hold another mass on Christmas Day, renewing a tradition from the times of late Pope John Paul II.
(with Reuters)
