The Archbishop of Seoul has urged Catholics to live the meaning of Christmas through concrete acts of love and solidarity, presenting the Nativity as a source of hope for people weighed down by suffering, isolation, and inequality.
In his 2025 Christmas message for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung prayed that “the grace and peace of Christ, who took flesh for our salvation,” may fill the lives of all people, especially those enduring “wounds, loneliness, isolation, and inequality,” so that “the consolation of God and the radiant light of hope may gently and abundantly rest upon them.”
Reflecting on the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of the “Pilgrims of Hope,” Chung said Christmas renews believers with “fresh strength” and calls them, “amid the darkness of our age, to carry small lights of love and to persevere on the journey of hope.”
He said the mystery of Christmas is revealed in everyday actions rather than extraordinary displays. “Simple acts of kindness in our daily lives and hearts willing to embrace even a single person become the most tangible signs through which the mystery of Christmas is made manifest,” the archbishop said.
Chung linked the Incarnation to human dignity, saying that “the Son of God became human” as the deepest foundation of “the dignity of every human person.” He warned that “pride and selfishness weaken this communion” and said Christ entered “the deepest darkness of human existence” to heal humanity’s wounds.
Citing the biblical call to “Prepare the way of the Lord,” Chung said preparing for Christmas requires humility and reconciliation, transforming divisions and hardened hearts “into the fullness of peace—shalom.” He added that while society is often shaped by “the logic of competition and domination,” the Lord reveals “the path of sharing and service” as the way toward authentic human dignity.
The archbishop also placed Christmas within the Church’s ongoing synodal journey. “Christmas reveals the mystery of synodality: God Himself walks with His people,” he said, noting that the spiritual fruits of the Jubilee now serve as the groundwork for “walking together” toward the implementation phase of the Synod in 2026.
Calling on the Archdiocese of Seoul to continue maturing as “a synodal and missionary Church,” Chung urged the faithful to grow as “a Church of communion with God and neighbor,” marked by shared responsibility, participation, and witness to “the joy of the Gospel.”
He concluded by inviting Catholics to respond personally to the Christmas message. “May we each find the courage to take the first step of love toward someone near us,” the archbishop said, praying that “the grace of Christmas descend first and most abundantly upon those places that are most remote and overshadowed by darkness.”
