"Krone" commentary

“Not alone”: What Christmas really tells us

The focus is not on power, but on love and being together with loved ones.(Bild: konstantin yuganov – stock.adobe.com)

"Christmas - a festival of presents and indulgence"? Yes, it is. Above all, a celebration of family and peaceful togetherness. A festival of reflection and contemplation. A celebration based on a Christian foundation. Christmas - for the "Krone" editorial team as well as for the "Krone" reader family, it is a great festival to which we dedicate ourselves intensively. And we should not lose sight of the Christian message.

So for our Christmas Day edition, as has become a tradition, we have collected voices from the clergy in all nine federal states and asked them for their Christmas messages.

"We are currently experiencing a time of great upheaval and multiple crises. The fast pace of our society, the war in Ukraine, which is taking place almost on our doorstep, and economic worries are deeply unsettling for many people," says Eisenstadt Diocesan Bishop Ägidius Zsifkovics, adding: "Christmas can be a help in this situation. It reminds us that we are not alone." Bishop Alois Schwarz of St. Pölten also reminds us of this: "Christmas says: you are not alone in this world, even if it seems dark." He adds: "The focus is not on power, but on love and being together with loved ones." Yes, that's exactly what it should be!

Letter to "Krone" readers: Klaus Herrmann, Managing Editor-in-Chief(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Imre Antal, stock.adobe.com)

"Especially in times of crisis, our hearts are touched on Christmas Eve: People feel accepted, valued and secure. With the birth of Jesus, God has made it clear: He stands by the side of man - without ifs and buts," Bishop Manfred Scheuer from Linz would like to tell us. "God comes to every person who opens up to him even minimally. Anyone who opens the door of their heart to God can be surprised by him. That is the miracle of Christmas," says Innsbruck Diocesan Bishop Hermann Glettler. "In the midst of all the darkness of life, a new light breaks through," is the hope-giving Christmas message for Vorarlberg Bishop Benno Elbs.

"To live with more focus" - this is what the priest Eugen Länger from the Carinthian Lavant Valley would like to give people now at Christmas "in times of many crises". "But not with regard to the crises, but with regard to themselves and their fellow human beings in a small circle." "For me, hope has the human and divine face of a child lying in poverty in a manger, because the world continues to turn unchallenged, overlooking it as it were," says Salzburg Archbishop Franz Lackner, who hopes that "peace on earth" really means all people. "Hope never dies!" emphasizes Styrian Bishop Wilhelm Krautwaschl: "Even when it comes to death, as Christians we say: this is not the end. Just because things are changing all around us doesn't mean we have to despair."

For the appointed Archbishop of Vienna, Josef Grünwidl , "Fear not" is the most important message. "Not fear, hopelessness and gloomy thoughts, but confidence, hope, joy and gratitude should enter our hearts."

This is what we at the "Krone" wish for all our readers!