London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Archbishop of Canterbury remembers Queen's example in Christmas message

Archbishop of Canterbury remembers Queen's example in Christmas message

In his first Christmas sermon since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the Archbishop of Canterbury praised the late monarch's life of service.
The Queen "put her interest after those of the people she served", Justin Welby said.

His sermon also remembered those suffering "immense" hardship in the UK's cost-of-living crisis.

And despite darkness around the world, there is "unconquerable hope" in the birth of Jesus Christ, he said.

The archbishop referenced the "desperate struggles of hospital wards" as well as those who make journeys in small boats to reach the UK, as he delivered his annual Christmas Day message.

Mr Welby said the late Queen "in obedience to the Christ-child lived a life of service and put her interest after those of the people she served."

In his sermon at Canterbury Cathedral, he praised those who have acted with love and service towards others over the past year - including a 10-year-old girl he met volunteering at a food bank in Canterbury, people who have welcomed refugees into their homes, NHS staff and life-boat crews.

The archbishop expressed concern for those struggling with "immense anxiety and hardship" during the UK's cost-of-living crisis.

He said: "In Jesus Christ, God reaches out to each one of us here; to those who like his family have no resources, into the dark cells of prisons, into the desperate struggles of hospital wards, to those on small boats, to the despairing...and says: 'Take me into your heart and life, let me set you free from the darkness that surrounds and fills you, for I too have been there.

"And God says in me there is forgiveness, hope, life and joy, whoever and wherever you are, whatever you have done."

He appealed to South Sudan and Russia to end their respective wars, and said that "the world does watch, does care and will hold rulers responsible for justice".

He said: "Even where the world forgetfully turns a blind eye to injustice and suffering, pays no attention to a war, God is present through Jesus in the world... God does not give up on us."

"We are conscious of darkness" he said as he recalled standing next to a mass grave in a church yard in Bucha, Ukraine in the spring.

"Even in Bucha, among all the horror, the darkness does not overcome the light."

Separately in a joint Christmas message, Wales' Anglican and Catholic archbishops honoured "the memory of a selfless and dedicated Queen".

At Christmas Eve Mass in the Vatican, Pope Francis condemned human "hunger for wealth and power" in what appeared to be a reference to the Ukraine war and other conflicts.

He said "How many wars have we seen!" where the main victims were "the weak and the vulnerable".
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×