Vatican City, December 24, 2025 — During the solemn celebration of the Christmas Vigil Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, an intention in the Prayer of the Faithful was proclaimed in the Igbo language, offering a visible sign of the Catholic Church’s universality and cultural diversity.
The Mass was presided over by Pope Leo XIV, marking his first Christmas Vigil as Bishop of Rome. The Igbo prayer invoked the Word of God made flesh, asking divine support for those who, during the Holy Year, have sought mercy and forgiveness as they journey through life.
The prayer in Igbo language was recited as follows:
“Okwa Okwu Chineke nke ghọrọ mmadụ n’ihi anyị, kwadoo ndị n’afọ nsọ a rịọrọ ebere na mgbaghara ka a kwadoo ha n’ụzọ njem ndụ ha.”
Translated into English, it reads:
“Word of God who became man for us, support those who in this holy year have asked for mercy and forgiveness so that they may be sustained on their journey through life.”
A video of the moment, now circulating widely on social media, shows the congregation listening attentively as the prayer was proclaimed, highlighting the Church’s commitment to honoring the languages and cultures of its faithful across the world.
The liturgical inclusion was further underscored by the participation of an Igbo Catholic couple in the Eucharistic Procession, as they presented the offertory gifts at the altar a gesture warmly received by Catholics in Nigeria and the wider diaspora.
In his Christmas Eve homily, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the humility of Christ’s birth and called on the faithful to recognize God’s presence in the poor, migrants, and the marginalized.
“On earth, there is no room for God if there is no room for the human person. To refuse one is to refuse the other,” the Pope said.
Elected in May to succeed the late Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV has made care for immigrants and the poor a defining theme of his early pontificate. Addressing the world’s estimated 1.4 billion Catholics, he emphasized that welcoming the vulnerable lies at the heart of the Christmas message.
Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, the Holy Father lamented a world increasingly indifferent to human suffering:
“While a distorted economy leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise, God becomes like us, revealing the infinite dignity of every person. Where there is room for the human person, there is room for God. Even a stable can become more sacred than a temple.”
