Francis on Christmas Eve: Christ does not see numbers, but faces

In his address during evening Mass in the Vatican basilica, the Pope referred to the census taken at the time of Jesus' birth. He pointed out the distinction: — When the emperor enumerates the inhabitants of the world, God enters almost secretly; While those in command try to join the ranks of great historical figures, the king of history chooses the path of smallness. No one in power noticed it, only a few pastors were pushed to the margins of social life, Francis said.

– King David succumbed to the temptation of large numbers and an unhealthy claim to self-sufficiency. Jesus was born in Bethlehem – the city of David – and did not punish anyone for taking a census, but humbly allowed himself to be counted, the Pope said.

– We do not see an angry statue that curses, but a merciful God who takes human flesh, weakly enters the world, preceded by the proclamation of “Peace among men on earth.” Our hearts are in Bethlehem this evening, rejected by the logic of war, the Prince of Peace, he noted, with the roar of arms, even today, not allowing him to find a place in the world.

“Interested in Performance”

As Francis noted, the census of two thousand years ago “reveals the thread of a world striving for power and strength, fame and glory, where everything is measured by success and results, by numbers and statistics.” “It's an obsession with performance,” he warned.

The coming Jesus, he noted, “does not remove injustice from above by force, but crushes it from below with love. He does not enter with limitless power, but descends into our limits; He does not avoid our weaknesses, but welcomes them.” He warned against the “pagan image of God” as “a mighty lord in heaven; an idol associated with power, worldly conquest and consumer idolatry.”