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“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those whom He loves”
(Luke 2:14)
This year, our contemplation of the mystery of the Incarnation is illumined in a particular way by
a powerful witness from our own Armenian history. On October 19, 2025, at Saint Peter’s Basilica,
Blessed Ignatius Maloyan was solemnly canonized by Pope Leo XIV, taking his place among the
saints of the universal Church. Martyred in 1915 during the Armenian Genocide, Saint Ignatius
Maloyan shines as a luminous witness of unwavering fidelity, sacrificial love, and profound
Eucharistic faith. His life and death help us understand more deeply what Christmas truly
proclaims: that God’s love is not an idea, but a gift given unto the end.
Reverend Fathers, Reverend Sisters,
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
Once more we arrive at the holy night when heaven bends toward earth, when eternity enters time,
and when the invisible God reveals His face in the fragile features of a newborn Child. Christmas
is not merely a memory or a poetic tradition; it is the living mystery of God who chooses closeness
over distance, tenderness over power, humility over majesty bringing good tidings to humanity.
The Church joins the choir of the Angels and joyfully sings: “Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace to those whom He loves”. In the manger of Bethlehem, the Eternal Word becomes
flesh, the Lord of Glory accepts poverty, and the King of Peace enters our world in silence and
vulnerability.
This year, our contemplation of the mystery of the Incarnation is illumined in a particular way by
a powerful witness from our own Armenian history. On October 19, 2025, at Saint Peter’s Basilica,
Blessed Ignatius Maloyan was solemnly canonized by Pope Leo XIV, taking his place among the
saints of the universal Church. Martyred in 1915 during the Armenian Genocide, Saint Ignatius
Maloyan shines as a luminous witness of unwavering fidelity, sacrificial love, and profound
Eucharistic faith. His life and death help us understand more deeply what Christmas truly
proclaims: that God’s love is not an idea, but a gift given unto the end.
Born in 1869 in Mardin and formed in faith from his earliest years, Ignatius Maloyan learned to
say “yes” to God with the humility and courage of the Virgin Mary. Ordained a priest at the
Monastery of Our Lady of Bzommar on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, he shaped his life
according to the Heart of Christ—gentle, humble, and wholly given. Though physically frail, he
drew strength from an intimate union with the Lord in the Eucharist. In him, we see how a life
rooted in prayer and self-giving becomes a living Gospel.
When the hour of trial came in 1915, Archbishop Maloyan refused to abandon his flock. Faced
with persecution, imprisonment, hunger, and torture, he chose fidelity over safety. Offered
freedom in exchange for denying his faith, he answered with unshakable courage: he would never
betray Christ or His Church. Along the road of suffering, he celebrated the Eucharist with his
people—transforming terror into communion, and death into an offering of love. What appeared
as defeat in the eyes of the world became victory in the eyes of heaven. His blood, united to the
sacrifice of Christ, became seed—bearing fruit in faith across generations.
Dearly beloved, this same mystery of self-giving love is what we celebrate at Christmas. In a world
often marked by anxiety, conflict, and division, the Nativity of Christ stands as a radiant light that
no darkness can overcome. Many among us carry hidden wounds, family worries, uncertainty
about the future, or burdens that seem too heavy to bear. Yet it is precisely into such realities that
the Child Jesus comes. He does not come with force, but with the disarming gentleness of an infant.
He comes as light in our darkness, hope in our discouragement, and love in the coldness of our
hearts.
Christmas invites us to kneel in wonder before a love greater than our sins, stronger than our fears,
and more patient than our weakness. In the silence of Bethlehem, God whispers to each of us: “Do
not be afraid. I am with you.” Saint Ignatius Maloyan heard that whisper throughout his life, and
he trusted it even unto death. His canonization reminds us that holiness is possible, that fidelity is
fruitful, and that courage born of faith can transform the world.
With paternal affection, I extend to each of you my heartfelt wishes for a holy and joyful
Christmas. May the newborn Christ find a warm and open place in your homes, your families, and
your hearts. May He strengthen your faith when it falters, console you in moments of sadness, and
renew in you the courage to live each day with trust and generosity. To the elderly, I offer gratitude
and love—your quiet faithfulness is a pillar of our communities. To the lonely and the suffering,
may the presence of the Child Jesus be your peace. To the young, may His light awaken in you a
desire for what is true, noble, and holy.
May this Christmas be for our Church a time of deeper conversion, greater unity, and renewed
charity. May the light of Bethlehem guide our steps into the New Year, dispelling fear, healing
division, and opening paths of reconciliation, compassion, and peace. Inspired by the witness of
Saint Ignatius Maloyan, may we learn to let our lives become a Gospel lived—fully, faithfully,
and without compromise.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may the peace of the newborn Christ dwell in your
hearts today and always.
Christ was born and was revealed to us!
Good tidings to all mankind!
December 24, 2025
†Most Rev. Mikael Mouradian
Bishop of the Armenian Catholic Eparchy
