Christmas is a time to exchange greetings of peace, joy, love and hope, said the archbishop of Calcutta, Reverend Thomas D’Souza, on Saturday evening.

Christmas is not just an external celebration but about coming together and creating an inclusive society where one respects the other, the archbishop later said.

The Christmas Get-Together 2024 organised by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta at the Archbishop’s House saw people from different religions and walks of life coming together.

“Christmas is a time when we meet and exchange greetings of peace, love and joy. I would like to add one more element to the list of virtues, namely, hope...All our people need hope to live on, to look forward to a bright future,” the archbishop said in his address.

“In this mission, all of us have a role to play. Wherever God has placed us to help people to live in hope, the hope of a better tomorrow...help us to be men and women filled with hope, imparting that hope to others for the active service of love and compassion,” he said.

In the Catholic Church throughout the world, the year 2025 will be celebrated as Jubilee 2025 with the motto Pilgrims of Hope, the archbishop said.

The tradition of a Christmas get-together at the Archbishop’s House began in 2011.

Like every year, there were performances by schoolchildren and Christmas carols by the Kolkata Christian Choir, the vernacular choir of the archdiocese of Calcutta.

Students of Convent of Our Lady of Providence Girls’ High School put up a skit that celebrated inclusiveness.

Through the various scenes in the skit, the students spread the message of sharing, peace and an inclusive Christmas.

The skit ended with an interfaith Christmas dinner that was attended by people of all faiths.

The skit ended with the words: “... No matter what we believe, we are all part of one big family. The skit reinforces the themes of inclusivity, love and harmony, showing that the true spirit of Christmas transcends religious and cultural boundaries.”

The archbishop said the children sent out a powerful message. “Its not the external celebration as such but the very fact of coming together, trying to create an inclusive society, where everyone looks at the other as brother or sister, that type of society is one that we need today,” the archbishop said on the sidelines.

He asked people not to look at each other with suspicions or with superiority but as brothers and sisters.

The archbishop said tolerance is making concessions for someone but real love is acceptance and togetherness.

“When you make an effort to be inclusive with everybody, then you have to create a society where everybody feels at home and everybody respects the other,” he said on the sidelines.

Father Dominic Gomes, the vicar general of the archdiocese of Calcutta, stressed on the spirit of inclusivity.

“Today, we come together not just to celebrate the season of Christmas but to embrace the universal spirit it represents — love, unity and goodwill. Christmas transcends the boundaries of religion, class, caste and community.... We are honoured to have among us distinguished personalities who embody the spirit of inclusivity and community feeling,” Father Gomes said.