VATICAN CITY — The Vatican’s Christmas Vigil Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on December 24, 2025, featured the Igbo language of southeastern Nigeria, highlighting the global reach of the Roman Catholic Church and Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on cultural inclusion at one of Christianity’s most significant celebrations.
During the vigil liturgy, celebrated by Pope Leo XIV for the first time since his election, a prayer from the Prayer of the Faithful was proclaimed in Igbo, a language spoken by an estimated 30 million people, primarily in Nigeria and across the African diaspora. An Igbo couple also took part in the Eucharistic procession, presenting the offertory gifts of bread and wine at the altar.
According to available reports and Vatican observers, Igbo appeared to be the only African or vernacular language specifically featured during the Christmas Vigil Mass, a ceremony traditionally conducted largely in Latin, the official liturgical language of the Catholic Church. The inclusion stood out in a service broadcast worldwide and attended by pilgrims and clergy from across continents.
The moment was widely shared on social media and welcomed by many Catholics in Africa and beyond as a sign of recognition for communities often underrepresented in major Vatican ceremonies. Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions of Catholicism, with Nigeria alone home to more than 30 million Catholics.
While the Vatican has increasingly emphasized diversity under recent pontificates, the use of a single African language during a central Christmas liturgy remains rare. Analysts say the decision reflects Pope Leo XIV’s stated priority of strengthening the Church’s global identity while preserving its liturgical traditions.
The Christmas Vigil Mass marked several firsts for the new pope, including his debut at one of the Church’s most watched annual services. The liturgy focused on themes of peace, reconciliation and unity, messages delivered against the backdrop of ongoing global conflicts and humanitarian crises.
The following day, December 25, Pope Leo XIV expanded the Church’s global outreach during his Christmas Day Urbi et Orbi address from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. In a revival of a tradition not consistently observed in recent years, the pontiff offered Christmas greetings in multiple languages to the thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square and millions watching worldwide.
According to Vatican and media reports, Pope Leo XIV delivered greetings in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Arabic, Chinese and Latin, underscoring the Church’s international presence and its appeal across cultures and regions.
Observers note that the combination of Igbo representation at the Vigil Mass and the multilingual Christmas Day greetings sends a broader message about the Catholic Church’s evolving engagement with its global membership. While Latin remains central to Vatican liturgy, selective use of vernacular languages at major events is increasingly seen as a way to reflect the lived realities of Catholics around the world.
As Pope Leo XIV begins his papacy, the Christmas celebrations offered an early indication of his approach — balancing tradition with gestures aimed at affirming the Church’s universality during one of the most symbolically significant moments in the Christian calendar.
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