Christmas celebration to focus on charity, says Bishop of Belagavi Diocese

Bishop Derek Fernandes of Belagavi Diocese Photo Credit: Special Arrangements

Christmas will be celebrated with joy and enthusiasm across the world this year, Belgaum Diocese Presiding Bishop Derek Fernandes said on December 23.

“This year’s celebration will be unique as it marks 2,025 years since the birth of Jesus Christ,” he said at a press conference at Bishop House in Belagavi.

This year’s global theme is: Pilgrims of Hope.

Churches and other Christian organizations around the world will engage in charitable activities such as feeding and caring for the poor. In Belagavi, a midnight mass and celebration is held on December 24. On December 29, a procession will be held from St. Joseph’s School to the Church, circling the camp area. Believers from around Goa, Karnataka and Chandgarh Taluk of Maharashtra will participate. It is estimated that around 3,000 people will gather in the Jatra.

Bishop Fernandes said that Christ was born 2,25 years ago in the same atmosphere of chaos and police that we are seeing in Palestine today. He urged people to remember the poor and marginalized through acts of commonality and charity.

“We will all follow the guidelines of the Vatican,” he said. “Jesus was rejected by the rich and powerful of his time. If we ignore the poor and disadvantaged now, we will reject Jesus again.

“Christmas is a reminder that love, hope and generosity have the power to unite all mankind and transform our lives. As we light candles, sing carols and exchange gifts, let us also open our hearts to love for everyone and our environment, God’s presence in the world. Let us be instruments of presence,” said Bishop Fernandes.

He urged people to come together as a family, inspired by the humility of the manger and the promise of the star-lit sky, to build a brighter and more hopeful future. Cribs depicting the birth of Jesus will be created in some churches depicting today’s crises such as war and weather disasters.

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