Pope wraps up busy Christmas season by calling for culture of welcome in Christian communities
Associated PressROME — Pope Francis wrapped up a busy Christmas season on Monday by calling for the faithful to promote a culture of welcome and integration in their communities and reject discrimination. He called instead for promoting “a strong culture of welcome, in which the narrow places of fear and denunciation are replaced by open spaces of encounter, integration and sharing of life; safe spaces where everyone can find warmth and shelter.” Francis has long preached the Gospel-mandated need to welcome the stranger, applying it to migrants in particular. The Epiphany Mass marked the end of a particularly busy Christmas season for Francis that also coincided with the start of the 2025 Holy Year. He’ll deliver his annual foreign policy speech to the Holy See’s diplomatic corps, host a final meeting with President Joe Biden and preside over the baptism of babies in the Sistine Chapel.
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