The Catholic Bishop of the Derry Diocese says the world needs a “message of hope” during unsettled times this Christmas.
Bishop Donal McKeown, in his annual festive message to parishioners, says it is not difficult to look back on 2025 as a year with "many challenges".
“We have heard much about obscene wealth and widespread poverty. War and violence loom large in both entertainment and news bulletins. Global leaders seem unable to agree on how to protect our fragile environment. That is a story that paints a bleak picture of the future.”
“But Palestine 2000 years ago was also an unsettled place. There were many divisions and much poverty. In that situation, little people and foreigners followed a path to a little town called Bethlehem to find where hope lay hidden – tiny and defenceless – on a bed of hay.”
“It is precisely in times of darkness that the world needs a message of hope.”
Bishop McKeown says 2026 gives us a chance to recommit ourselves – as Church and as wider society – to bringing hope and compassion to our hurting communities.
“Recently, a local man told me that hope begins when we ‘Hear Other People’s Experience’. Being heard and having our stories taken seriously is a key part of peace-making and hope-building.”
“A little star, a little town and a little hope can change the world. I pray for a blessed Twelve Days of Christmas in our whole community,” he added.