VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis said the story of Jesus' birth as a poor carpenter's son should instil hope that all people can make an impact on the world, as the pontiff on Tuesday (Dec 24) led the world's Roman Catholics into Christmas.

Francis, celebrating the 12th Christmas of his pontificate, presided at a solemn Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and opened the 2025 Catholic Holy Year, which the Vatican expects will bring some 32 million tourists to Rome next year.

In a sermon focused on the virtue of hope, which is also the theme of the Holy Year, the pontiff said hope "is a summons not to tarry, to be kept back by our old habits, or to wallow in mediocrity or laziness".

"Hope calls us ... to be upset with things that are wrong and to find the courage to change them," he said.

A Catholic Holy Year, also known as a Jubilee, is considered a time of peace, forgiveness and pardon. They normally occur every 25 years. Pilgrims coming to Rome during the year can obtain special indulgences, or remission of their sins. This Jubilee will run through Jan 6, 2026.

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