Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales offers this audio message to our website visitors on Christmas Day.
“I’m very glad to be able to offer this Christmas message on behalf of all the Bishops of England and Wales and, of course, of all who work with them at the Bishops’ Conference.
“This year has been a marvellous year in the Catholic community – especially with the boost given by Pope Francis and his persistent call that we focus our minds and hearts on the joy of being Christians.
“That joy is so manifest at Christmas time when we open our hearts to receive again the greatest of all gifts – the gift of Christ among us and within us to lead us and lift us to our true destiny which is the joy of heaven and sharing in the divine life itself.
“I hope that despite the busyness of these days that you and your family – and your loved ones – will have time to open your hearts to receive this gift afresh and open your hearts in a moment of prayer and praise of God for the joy that he brings to our lives.
“Sometimes when children open their presents, their eyes are full of joy. That joy is perhaps small in comparison to the joy we sense when we realise God is with us, that He accompanies us, that He’s full of tenderness and mercy towards us, that He wants the best for us and that He is here to lead us to the fulfilment of life in his presence for all eternity.
“That’s at the heart of this Christmas feast and I do hope it finds a place in all of your celebrations.”
Archbishop Vincent Nichols
President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
Archbishop of Westminster
You can listen to or download this message as an MP3 by using the player and link in the top right-hand corner of this page.
