The Pope’s midday blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) on December 25 has been moved to the Hall of Blessings above the atrium of St Peter’s Basilica with no members of the public present.

Usually, the Pope delivers the blessing from the central balcony of the basilica, overlooking St Peter’s Square packed with people. This year, however, it will resemble what happened at Easter when Italy was in its first lockdown, and St Peter’s Square was closed to the public.

About 100 faithful will be present for the Pope’s Christmas “Mass during the Night” on December 24. The Vatican already had announced that the Mass was moved to 7:30pm local time so that the people attending could return home before Italy’s 10pm curfew, one of the country’s measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

To prevent large gatherings and packed public transportation over the holidays, the Italian government announced on December 18 a new lockdown for December 24-27, January 1-3 and January 5-6. Except for essential workers or for medical visits, people may leave their homes only once on each of those days. They can visit a relative or friend living in the same region of the country, but no one may have more than two guests over the age of 14 in their homes each day, and a curfew is in force from 10pm to 5am.

In addition to the Pope’s Mass on Christmas Eve and his blessing and message on Christmas Day, Pope Francis has other events impacted by the restrictions. He recites the Angelus prayer, usually with people in St Peter’s Square on Sundays and feast days. He will do so livestreamed from the library of the Apostolic Palace December 26 and 27 and January 1, 3 and 6, the Vatican said.

Photo: Standing in the window of the library of the Apostolic Palace overlooking an empty St Peter’s Square, March 29, 2020, Pope Francis blesses the city of Rome, which was under lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (CNS Photo)

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A prominent example is Franklin Road in Ponsonby in Auckland, where the spectacular display put on by residents has become a drawcard, reportedly drawing between 100,000 and 150,000 people to the street each year.

The display, running from December 1 to 26, this year is a genuinely communitarian gesture, put on at the residents’ expense. This tradition has now been running for 26 years, generating three generations-worth of memories.

Similar residential light displays are attracting visitors all over the country – in Tovey Road, Nelson; Kauri St, Timaru; Shelter Grove, New Plymouth, to name a few.

There is something about light that is elemental, and, as such is attractive. It is no wonder that it is an important symbol in Christianity, especially at this time of year.

As Pope Benedict XVI said at Midnight Mass in December, 2005, the word “light” pervades the entire liturgy of that night’s Mass.

The glory of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and “shone around them”. (Luke 2:9). God is light and in him there is no darkness. (1 John 1:5).

“Light means knowledge; it means truth, as contrasted with the darkness of falsehood and ignorance. Light gives us life, it shows us the way. But light, as a source of heat, also means love. Where there is love, light shines forth in the world; where there is hatred, the world remains in darkness,” Benedict said.

“In the stable of Bethlehem there appeared the great light which the world awaits.

“In that child lying in the stable, God has shown his glory – the glory of love which gives itself away, stripping itself of all grandeur in order to guide us along the way of love.

“The light of Bethlehem has never been extinguished. In every age, it has touched men and women, ‘it has shone around them’. Wherever people put their faith in that child, charity also sprang up – charity towards others, loving concern for the weak and the suffering, the grace of forgiveness.

“From Bethlehem, a stream of light, love and truth spreads through the centuries. If we look to the saints – from Paul and Augustine to Francis and Dominic, from Francis Xavier and Teresa of Avila, to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, we see this flood of goodness, this path of light kindled ever anew by the mystery of Bethlehem, by that God who became a child.

“In that child, God countered the violence of this world with his own goodness. He calls us to follow that child.”

Benedict developed the theme in 2007: “In the stable at Bethlehem, heaven and earth meet. Heaven has come down to earth. For this reason, a light shines forth from the stable for all times; for this reason joy is enkindled there; for this reason song is born there.

“Heaven does not belong to the geography of space, but to the geography of the heart.

“And the heart of God, during the holy night, stooped down to the stable: the humility of God is heaven. And if we approach this humility, then we touch heaven. Then the earth too is made new.”

And in 2012, Benedict observed that “today, Christmas has become a commercial celebration, whose bright lights hide the mystery of God’s humility, which in turn calls us to humility and simplicity”.

“Let us ask the Lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season, and to discover behind it the child in the stable of Bethlehem, so as to find true joy and true light.”

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The Cans for Christmas project 2016 involved 16 primary schools, four secondary schools and the Pompallier Diocesan Centre – twice as many schools as were involved the previous year.

Cans for Christmas founder Billy Hadnett estimated the monetary value of the cans collected this year came to about $11,000. Mr Hadnett said the project runs by providing schools with boxes, posters and a specific collection date, during September.

The schools and communities put on a mufti day where payment was a can of food. “A simple yet effective idea,” Mr Hadnett said.

The 8000 cans were distributed between the Mercy Hospice in Ponsonby and the Society of St Vincent de Paul. These two organisations will see that the cans get to families in need just before the Christmas period.

But the cans collected are only about half what the Society of St Vincent de Paul Auckland needs for their food banks to provide for families over the Christmas period, Mr Hadnett said.

He established Cans for Christmas in 2015 as a project to create community and unity between the Catholic schools of Auckland.

“The idea started after attending an Edmund Rice Conference and becoming involved in a discussion about how helping in our own backyard is the first place we should start. This, combined with the knowledge that all Catholic schools already do individual service projects, brought about the idea of schools pulling together as one to donate at one time and in a large capacity.”

Mr Hadnett hopes the growth of the project in Auckland will continue and that this will extend to the rest of New Zealand.

He thanked all involved with the project this year, including sponsors Auckland Vehicle Rentals and Cunneen Construction.

Photo: A class at St Mary’s School, Avondale, with the cans

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