Pope Francis on St. Stephen's Day and the Salvific Mission of Jesus

"The feast of the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen, falls the day after Christmas - timing that contains an important spiritual lesson, Pope Francis said Wednesday.

"'It might seem strange to approach the memory of St. Stephen at the birth of Jesus because the contrast between the joy of Bethlehem and the drama of Stephen, stoned in Jerusalem in the first persecution against the nascent Church, emerges,' Pope Francis said Dec. 26.

"'In reality, it is not so, because the Child Jesus is the Son of God made man, who will save humanity by dying on the cross,' he continued.

In a special weekday Angelus address for the feast day, Pope Francis connected the imagery of the Child Jesus in the crib to his burial after the Crucifixion."

To access a report in the National Catholic Register on the Holy Father's message, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Pope Francis: St. Stephen's Day Connects Christ's Birth to His Salvific Mission (26 DEC 18)