Nod to unbelievers part of pope’s style
When Pope Francis left his script Christmas morning to ad-lib an invitation to atheists to join the prayerful in “desiring peace,” it may have been the first time an Urbi et Orbi Christmas address—an annual message “to the city and the world”—mentioned unbelievers.
The improvised remark was a surprise to many in the media, but not to veteran pope watchers who have heard Francis reach out to atheists before. Historian and Catholic Almanac editor Matthew Bunson noted several examples:
• Shortly after Francis’s inaugural mass in March, meeting with representatives of Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders, he referred to those who belong to no religious tradition as “precious allies” in defending the dignity of man, working for peace and protecting creation.
