In his 2024 Christmas Encyclical, Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria emphasizes the profound significance of Christ’s Nativity as a message of peace and salvation. Quoting the angelic hymn, he reminds the faithful: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). The Incarnation of Christ is described as a revelation of divine grace, offering humanity participation in God’s eternal Kingdom.
The Patriarch highlights the deep meaning of peace, stating: “Peace is not simply an external state or a temporary truce but the deepest revelation of God’s saving presence in the world.” He underscores that peace, rooted in justice, must begin with inner reconciliation with God, leading to harmony with others and all creation.
Reflecting on global conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Africa, he calls on Christians to make peace a personal mission: “Peace begins in our hearts. Without inner peace, there can be no outer peace.”
Concluding his message, Patriarch Theodoros invites all to embrace the transformative power of Christ’s peace, which unites and heals humanity: “May our Lord, the Lord of Peace, bless everyone. Merry and blessed Feast of the Nativity!”
Read here the full Christmas Encyclical by Patriarch of Alexandria
T H E O D O R O S II
BY THE GRACE OF GOD
POPE AND PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA AND ALL AFRICA
TO THE ENTIRE FLOCK
OF THE APOSTOLIC AND PATRIARCHAL THRONE OF ALEXANDRIA
GRACE AND MERCY AND PEACE FROM OUR LORD AND GOD
AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST BORN IN BETHLEHEMMy dear and blessed children,
The all-holy and joyful day of the Nativity of our Savior Jesus Christ fills us with joy and brings the priceless message of peace, which the Angels sang in the God-bearing manger of Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). This day, on which the Son and Word of God takes on human flesh and enters the world and history as the God-man, is a day of holy splendor and salvation. It is a day that spreads the light of true peace in our hearts. This peace is not simply an external state or a temporary truce, but the deepest revelation of God’s saving presence in the world.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-18). Through the incarnation, God not only reveals Himself as Creator and Savior, but He calls us into a deeper relationship of communion and participation in His own life. Man, purified and regenerated through saving grace, becomes a partaker of the divine nature and journeys with Him towards His eternal Kingdom. Thus, the Birth of Christ is not only an historical event but also a perpetual challenge for man to live the fullness of his relationship with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Peace, according to the true word of our Gospel, goes hand in hand with justice and constitutes the foundation of man’s communion with God and his fellow man. “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). It is a gift of divine Grace, offered to the world through the Incarnation of the Son and Word of God.
The Apostle to the Gentiles Paul declares: “For this is our peace” (Eph. 2:14), emphasizing that peace is not something abstract, but our Christ Himself. The peace that Christ offers is the fruit of love and reconciliation, which unites the divided and heals the wounds of humanity. “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility between us” (Ephesians 2:14).
But, peace is not a given. It is an ongoing mission and an achievement, requiring daily struggle, personal sacrifice and spiritual alertness. God’s peace, however, is offered to each of us. We can enjoy it continuously and uninterruptedly: “come and see”, says Christ, “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 33:9). True peace is not limited to avoiding conflicts or signing external agreements. It is, first and foremost, the restoration of our relationship with God.
When we see others as images of God, only then can we coexist harmoniously. That is why Jesus himself reinforces the concept of peace, not only as the forgiveness of sins or an external truce, but as a spiritual peace that comes from His presence and His salvation. Christ, by His teaching and His example, calls us to cultivate love, forgiveness and dialogue. It invites us to choose nonviolent resistance as a way of life and to resolve our differences in a way that builds unity and reconciliation.
The Church, as the Body of Christ, has the divine mission to carry the message of peace to every corner of the world. Especially today, when conflicts and inequalities are increasing, our Church is called to be a beacon of hope, love and reconciliation.
My beloved children,
We live in an era full of tensions, where wars, conflicts and indifference to both human dignity and human life itself occasionally dominate. The modern world often misunderstands peace, considering it as an external agreement or a wishful thinking.
Moreover, it often presents it as a tool of coercion, an authoritarian force in the hands of the powerful of this world, who attempt to impose their will by subjugating the weak. This distorted perception undermines the essence of peace, strips it of its spiritual depth and makes it a means of domination instead of a means of unity.
But the peace of Christ is something deeper: it is the peace that springs from the union of man with God. It is not simply an absence of conflict or a compromise, but the inner reconciliation of man with his Creator, which in turn leads to reconciliation with others and with all creation.
This peace is the foundation of justice and true freedom, a peace that does not dominate but elevates, that does not divide but unites, offering the possibility of a society of love and truth.
Today, our world is torn by horrific and bloody conflicts. In addition to the war in the Middle East and Ukraine, the flames of war are also burning in Africa.
Sudan suffers from relentless hostilities, while Central Africa, Congo, Mali, as well as other countries in the Sahel and Somalia continue to be plagued by civil strife, uprooting millions of people, destroying societies and depriving generations of children of a future. These conflicts reinforce terrorism, terror, and religious fundamentalism, throwing people into a vortex of horror and causing an even greater sense of threat among the global population.
At the same time that huge sums of money are spent on military equipment, military operations and pre-agreed building reconstructions of entire cities, our African brother dies every day for want of a plate of food and a glass of clean water or for a quinine pill against deadly malaria, of zero value to the citizen of the developed world, demonstrating the tragic contradiction of our world.
Of our modern world, which has managed today to scientifically study the endless depths of the celestial body, but which has not managed to tune in to the delicate strings of the soul of its fellow man, of any of its “neighbors”, who fade away completely helplessly in the year 2024…
These conflicts concern not only the peoples involved, but also us, as they reveal global inequalities and our indifference to the divine commandment of love and justice. Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), who was born in a stable and cradled in a manger for our salvation, calls us to make peace our personal concern.
When we experience peace within ourselves, it spreads to those around us, transforms societies and is transmitted from heart to heart, creating a chain of love and reconciliation. This peace is not just an individual experience, but a collective process that unites people in a common goal: building a world of justice, peace and true brotherhood.
When our hearts are filled with the peace of Christ, the entire society is revitalized and reborn. It is moved away from the dark forces of hatred and violence, while the path is opened for true peaceful coexistence. Peace begins in our hearts.
Without inner peace, there can be no outer peace. Let us reflect, then, on how sincerely we experience the peace of our Christ and how much we radiate it to the world around us. The Apostle Paul exhorts us: “Pursue peace with all things, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).
My esteemed brothers and sisters,
The peace of Christ is not limited to festive occasions or moments of spiritual upliftment, but calls every Christian to make it a permanent way of life. It is a constant call to live with faith, love and humility, making each of our days a living testimony of rhe divine light.
In this way, the peace of Christ becomes a continuous stream of life, renewing our world and transforming human relationships, bringing hope and blessing to every age and every circumstance. At this time, the whole world, our planet, needs peace! Above all, peace, to continue to sustain life itself!
“ … and on earth peace, good will toward men ! ”
May our Lord, the Lord of Peace, bless everyone.
Merry and blessed Feast of the Nativity!† THEODOROS II
Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All AfricaIn the Great City
of Alexandria
he Feast of the Nativity 2024
