Pope Condemns Commercialization of Christmas

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">MOSCOW</span></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (RIA Novosti) - Pope Benedict XVI has condemned the commercialization of Christmas as he held Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Vatican</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Today Christmas has become a commercial celebration, whose bright lights hide the mystery of God’s humility, which in turn calls us to humility and simplicity,” the 84-year-old pope said in his homily.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Let us ask the Lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season, and to discover behind it the child in the stable in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bethlehem</st1:place></st1:city>, so as to find true joy and true light,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">About 10,000 people attended Christmas Eve Mass.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans and some Orthodox churches mark Christmas on December 25 in line with the Gregorian calendar.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Russian, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>, Serbian and Georgian Orthodox churches, Athos monasteries, some Catholics and some Protestants celebrate the feast on January 7 in line with the Julian calendar.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Pope Condemns Commercialization of Christmas

MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - Pope Benedict XVI has condemned the commercialization of Christmas as he held Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the ...

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