By George Stephens • Published: 25 Dec 2019 • 10:29
Pope Francis has assured worshippers God still loves them even if they make “a complete mess of things”, as he led the Christmas celebrations in Rome, Italy.
The Pope said the birth of Jesus was a reminder of God’s love for “even the worst of us”.
His message was delivered after a turbulent year of scandals and opposition.
Addressing catholic worshippers at a late-night mass in St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis said: “God does not love you because you think and act the right way.
“You may have mistaken ideas, you may have made a complete mess of things, but the Lord continues to love you.”
But at the same time, he called for the faithful to let themselves be transformed by Jesus’s “crazy love” and stop trying to change others.
“May we not wait for our neighbours to be good before we do good to them, for the church to be perfect before we love her, for others to respect us before we serve them,” he said.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.