Pope Leo XIV said Christian hope \u201cis not based on optimistic forecasts or human calculations,\u201d but on God\u2019s decision to share humanity\u2019s path so that no one is alone on life\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n
Speaking Jan. 4 from the window of the Apostolic Palace to hundreds of faithful gathered in St. Peter\u2019s Square despite the rain, the pope said the foundation of Christian hope is \u201cGod\u2019s Incarnation,\u201d pointing to the day\u2019s Gospel reading from the Prologue of St. John: \u201cThe Word became flesh and lived among us\u201d (Jn 1:14).<\/p>\n
On the Second Sunday after Christmas, before reciting the Angelus, Leo urged believers to rethink their faith and avoid an abstract or distant spirituality. \u201cHe is not a distant deity in a perfect heaven above us, but a God who is nearby and inhabits our fragile earth, who becomes present in the faces of our brothers and sisters, and reveals himself in the circumstances of daily life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The pope also underscored that the Incarnation calls for a concrete and consistent commitment, including examining whether one\u2019s spirituality and the ways faith is expressed are \u201ctruly incarnate.\u201d \u201cGod has become flesh; therefore, there is no authentic worship of God without care for humanity,\u201d he said, linking Christian faith to solidarity with those who suffer.<\/p>\n
After the Angelus, Leo reiterated his closeness to those affected by the New Year\u2019s Eve fire in a bar in the Alpine town of Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where young people had been celebrating. Swiss authorities have confirmed at least 40 dead and about 115 injured, many of them seriously.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish to express once again my closeness to those suffering as a result of the tragedy in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and to assure them of my prayers for the young people who died, for the injured, and for their families,\u201d the pope said.<\/p>\n
He also said he was following developments in Venezuela \u201cwith deep concern,\u201d and that \u201cthe good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration.\u201d His remarks came a day after news of the U.S. capture and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The pope urged that the country\u2019s sovereignty and rule of law be guaranteed.<\/p>\n
This story was\u00a0first published\u00a0by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been adapted by CNA.<\/p>\n