Roman Catholics celebrate Christmas
On Sunday, Pope Francis will deliver his Urbi et Orbi blessing in Vatican
A mass is held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary on Christmas Eve
Roman Catholics of the world celebrate Christmas on Sunday – the festival to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
“Christmas is definitely the most important festival for Christians after Easter. It falls from Saturday to Sunday this year, and this very convenient for us, because in other years, since December 25 is often a working day, it is more difficult for people to participate in liturgical services”, Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow Nikolay Dubinin told TASS.
“Celebration of Christmas helps us to feel that our earthly difficulties, problems and circumstances do not condition everything nevertheless. We need such festivities at any time, especially in hard times. In such days, rejuvenation and strengthening of a believer in faith, hope and love always take place. Certainly, we are praying for peace, for peaceful skies above our head, but in the first instance, probably, for the inner peace, for the peace in hearts of the people, because this is also very important,” Dubinin said.
Furthermore, the believers are praying “for glorifying the Lord on the Earth by their good deeds, their benevolence, compassion, and humanism, in the best sense of this word,” he added.
On Sunday, Pope Francis will deliver his Urbi et Orbi blessing in Vatican. Further to the Roman Catholic Church, certain Protestant churches and Orthodox churches using the New Style Calendar also celebrate Christmas on December 25.
