the pope is telling you how. ernie: how do you compare him to previous popes? pope john paul was dynamic. >> each brings his persistent -- his personality to the job. you have people that are maybe more intellectual or interested in teaching in a certain way. each pope brings something to the table that inspires people. pope francis inspired people. that's really what popes do. they inspire people to get right with god and with their fellow neighbors. ernie: do you think his influence will continue through next year? it's only three months. will it continue for a while? >> i think he got people really fired up about changing their lives for the better. i think this is something you ernie: all right. i wanted to call you walter. it's andrew walters, knights of columbus. thank you for joining us. good holidays to you and your family. >> thank you very much. ernie: still to come, my question of the night. it's about filling in the blank when it comes to being wasteful. check this one out. >> something go to waste? ernie: we'll find out what new yorkers had to say.

is this what the pope meant? >> i would think pope francis would be right alongside us, and he would be skipping rocks the same as us and maybe we'd have a prayer together. it would be a prayer of thankfulness and nice going, god. >>> next, a prayer for another future. the nut centerhood. and why a young woman would choose it today. >> we always portray it as no sex, no money, you have to do what the superior says. that sounds horrible. who would do that? >> "america tonight" with a spirited choice. >>> later looking up. long hidden from view, the rebirth of america's mother church. >> every monday night. >> i lived that character. >> go one on one with america's movers and shakers. >> we will be able to see change. >> gripping... inspiring... entertaining. no topic off limits. >> 'cause i'm like, "dad, there are hookers in this house". >> exclusive conversations you won't find anywhere else. >> these are very vivid, human stories. >> if you have an agenda with people, you sometimes don't see the truth. >> "talk

is this what the pope meant? >> i would think pope francis would be right alongside us, and he would be skipping rocks the same as us and maybe we'd have a prayer together. it would be a prayer of thankfulness and nice going, god. >>> next, a prayer for another future. the nut centerhood. and why a young woman would choose it today. >> we always portray it as no sex, no money, you have to do what the superior says. that sounds horrible. who would do that? >> "america tonight" with a spirited choice. >>> later looking up. long hidden from view, the rebirth of america's mother church. >> sunday on "hard earned". losing control. >> 50 and broke. i live with the consequences every day. >> harsh realities. >> i did two tours in iraq, when i came back i couldn't find a job. >> fighting to survive. >> bein' a man and can't put my family in a home that they deserve... that's a problem for me. >> hard earned pride. hard earned respect. hard earned future. a real look at the american dream. "hard earned". sunday, 10:00 eas

(nats) buon natale (nats pope (track 1)pope francis condemned brutal acts of terrorism in his christmas day message and prayed for an end to war and human suffering. (quick nats of speech) he also offered hope. (sot translator for pope francis) "the grace of god can convert arts and offer r nkind a wawaout of humanly insoluble situations." tens of thousands of faithful packed st. peter's square.(sot hana anderson/tourist)"he uses his influence and who he is and his role in the catholic church to bring our attention to the things that jesus would want us to bring attention to." and pilgrims had to go through two o curity checks before entering.(sot michelle mcfetridge, tourist)"it's part of life right now, i'd rather know that we're safe here." (bridge anna matranga/cbs news, vatican city) "the pope also spoke of those closest to his heart, the poor and disadvantaged."at the community of sant'egidio, members are taking the pope's message to heart. the catholic charity feeds over 200,000 homemess on christmas day. (sot alberto quattrucci, member, community of sant'egidio)"this is the revo

is this what the pope meant? >> i would think pope francis would be right alongside us, and he would be skipping rocks the same as us and maybe we'd have a prayer together. it would be a prayer of thankfulness and nice going, god. >>> next, a prayer for another future. the nut centerhood. and why a young woman would choose it today. >> we always portray it as no sex, no money, you have to do what the superior says. that sounds horrible. who would do that? >> "america tonight" with a spirited choice. >>> later looking up. long hidden from view, the rebirth of america's mother church. >> we're here to fully get into the nuances of everything that's going on, not just in this country, but around the world. getting the news from the people who are affected. >> people need to demand reform... >> ali velshi on target. >> al jazeera america brings you independent reporting without spin. >> not everybody is asking the questions you're asking me today. >> we give you more perspectives >> the separatists took control a few

pope francis flew back to rome after the mass. this was his first visit to a crisis some since he became pope in 2013. >> earlier, i spoke to our correspondent in nairobi and asked her how the pope was received when he visited a neighborhood at the center of muslim-christian tensions. >> with great jubilation, i will tell you that. it was mostly from the muslims who saw his visit as a very symbolic gesture inasmuch is getting peace back to the region. the specific place he went has been an enclave for muslims. they do feel trapped. for him to have been able to cross over as a christian to that side was seriously symbolic. >> walk us through some of the key moments of the five-day trip and talk about the significance of it. >> he did visit plenty of places. there are quite a few highlights. he went to a stadium asking the muslim kenyans to stand up and hold hands as a symbol to end tribalism in the country. going to the slum was a big gesture telling them he understood what poverty meant and their government was neglecting them. of

this is a great evangelization effort that is going on with this pope and the previous two popes. we need resources to carry that forward. that point of contact that -- for families that the church is with baptism and marriage and the need for grief ministry in consolation. that whole reality, i think that's a huge area of opportunity where we can a knowledge and support. this is what that is.>> moderator: before we go to the break, do you have other perceptions father anthony? >> to be of service to the church and to help people understand and to be grateful for and to provide resources for the church.>> i just think of everywhere -- for example, what are some of the larger and some of the smaller parishes in this three county archdiocese? what are some of the names?>> peter and paul. st. vincent de paul, st. matthews down in san mateo. people may say, i know that parish. then, there are some of the smaller ones. there is sacred heart in all imo -- in only my -- olema. the church is always there and we are helping -- we are calling on people to help us.>> we are trying empathize

every other pope has send the right thing. when he became pope and seven to reform the bank more or less said sure, for that before. but he changed my mind in the following way. whoever is pope today, they would have to be reforming the bank. and 99 italy decided to go with the euro and whatwhen it did that meant that the vatican was in a quandary. they hadhave to decide whether to print their own currency or go with the euro. they did not know that meant brussels wanted oversight. so as a result they had to patch their 1st ever law, the 1st ever law against money laundering. the 1st ever law against how much money you could bring in undisclosed. they had to come somewhat compliant by the european standards, but francis has done it with enthusiasm and figure. he has brought in outsiders who are really trying to change the culture of no transparency and make it compliant bank. he may succeed. the institute for the works of religion is the vatican bank. sometimes you don't go by the name of the institution. >> is there a physica

she found out she was cancer-free almost exactly a year meeting pope frances in italy.der said after seeing the pope she knew she'd be okay. >> it was a moment of victory. i feel it's gone. the pope made the miracle happen and everybody that prayed for me in the community made it happen. >> she met the pope in the make a wish foundation but never doubted it and naming her iv pole, bob. >>> this christmas coming from the jewish center in northwest d.c. volunteers sang carols and passed out gifts and prepared meals for the homeless and launched a blood drive attra attracting close to 1,000 people of all faiths. >>> for a lot of people, big is definitely better. they celebrated the holiday at the national christmas tree. the tree is more than 40 feet tall sits just south of the white house on the ellipse. people have been coming by to take pictures and enjoy some of the unseasonably warm weather. >> we like seeing the representation of different states and having something to take a walk to. >> it's fun to throw a coin and wish for a good christmas. >> well, the train goes

3 (nats) buon natale (nats pope followed by female translator) (track 1)pope francis condemned brutal acts of terrorism in his christmas day message and prayed for an end to war and human suffering. (quick nats of 3 speech) he also offered hope. (sot translator francis) "the grace of god can convert hearts and a way out of humanly insoluble situations." tens of thousands of faithful packed st. peter's square.(sot hana anderson/tourist)"he uses his influence and who he is and his role in the catholic church to bring our attention to the things that jesus would want us to bring attention to." (track 3) security was heavy, two security checks before entering.(sot michelle mcfetridge, tourist)"it's part know that we're safe here." (bridge anna matranga/cbs news, vatican city) "the pope also spoke of those closest to his heart, the poor and disadvantaged."at the community of sant'egidio, members are taking the pope's message to heart. the catholic charity feeds over 200,000 homeless on christmas day. (sot alberto quattrucci, member, community of sant'egidio)"this is the revolutionary force

to be expected from the pope. >> reporter: pope francis very much aspires to being a peace pope. message to the city and to the world to issue a strong call for peace. he touched on a number of global hot spots. from the israeli conflict to syria, to the peace talks in colombia. he also denounced what he called brutal acts of terrorism in 2015, including the november attacks in paris that have left such a scar on europe. as europe deals with its most significant refugee crisis, he called on compassion for people fleeing situations from violence and poverty. he ticked off a serious of other social ills including child soldiers, human trafficking, unemployment. called for the respect of the dignity of every human life. we got an x-ray of the social concerns of this pope using the prominence of one of the holiest days on the christian calendar to raise his voice in peace and dignity around the world. >> john, thank you. >>> there have been three attacks, new attacks by palestinians on israelis in the last 24 hours. officials say a man stabbed two soldiers in the west bank. another t

talk as through some of the key messages the pope stressed on today. >> as we expected, the pope addressed various conflict hotspots around the world, as you say, libya and syria were high on his list. he also mentioned the conflict between the israelis and palestinians, and called for resumption of direct talks between the two sides. he mentioned other countries in the middle east and africa. what was unusual, perhaps on this occasion, the pope singled out a series of recent terrorist massacres, mentioning them by name in egyptian airspace, he said in beirut, paris and tunis. his call for dialogue and reconciliation was set against this backdrop of very negative, violent events around the world. >> a strong series of messages, we can say. how effective are these likely to be. >> that is an interesting question. the pope delivers this type of message over a year and every year, there seems to be a lot of war and conflict going on in the world. but it is true pope francis has established himself as a very significant global leader and his voice does appear to be listened to by many people,

together we say no to to hatred. >> many say the pope's visit is important.years of conflict divided communitiesen along religious lines. the violence has forced nearly a million people from their homes. >> god willing if central africans listen to what the pope says for he is a servant of god if we listen and work with that peace will return. >> reporter: this is the final leg on the three country african tour which has taken pope francis to kenya and uganda. he is central african republic despite security warnings from the french that underscores the need for national reconciliation. >> lay down these instruments of death. arm yourself instead with righteousness. >> never before has the head of the roman catholic church visited an active conflict zone. some regard it as a chance for hope during troubled times. gerald tan, al jazeera. >> on his trip home from african today the pope was questioned about the climate summit in paris. asked if he thought the summit would be a turning point, the pope said it was now or never and the world is on the limits of suic

it is a busy holiday schedule for pope francis. at this hour, he is in vatican city, celebrating the feast of the holy family. the mass is devoted to the holy family of jesus, mary and joseph, held at st. peter's basilica. john allen joins us. so the pope, he is there. very important moment. the family is a very important issue to him. what should we be looking for? >> reporter: well, good morning, george, happy holidays to you from a gorgeous, slightly chilly rome. pope francis, as you said, is celebrating this mass for the holy family. this is part of a special jubilee year of mercy that the pope has called for. he's actually asked catholic basilicas all across the world where they have holy doors to conduct their own masses for families, and all of this underscores how important the family is as a theme to pope francis. he's convened two extraordinary summits of catholic bishops from around the world called synods where they've wrestled with very tough questions, whether divorced and civilly remarried catholics should be able to

a baby that was brought to the pope as well.d the parents make the same claim, that the baby has now been healed since meeting the pope. >> should we put aour shorts away? >> for today. but tomorrow we're forecasting the low to mid-70s. a new record high temperature for the day if we hit 73. it's cooler with temperatures in the 50s. and a few showers around, not tracking any heavy rain. but you do want to have that small umbrella handy today. record warmth in the forecast for tomorrow and then a cold blast of air will rise on monday. wait until you see the numbers here. i have a planner actually for monday. notice 10:00 a.m., light showers. what i want you to notice is how it keeps a large portion of the area dry today. there's about a 50% chance that you're dealing with light rain no matter where you are. cloudy skies otherwise. also notice future weather only bring in the chance of light rain. we're not seeing yell low yell. as we move into the evening and afternoon hours, there is a chance of showers in the forecast. but we'l

many say the pope's vision is important. they have descended into a conflict. the violence forcing nearly a million from their homes. interest. god willing if they listen to what the pope says. >> reporter: this is the final leg of a taller, taking pope francis to -- tour, taking francis to kenya and other areas. >> translation: to all those that make unjust use of weapons, lay down and arm yourself with righteousness. >> reporter: never befores has the head of the church visited an active zone, some regard it as a chance for open during troubled times. >>> the international monetary fund added the chinese yuan, to the currencies that it uses as a measure of value, it's a victory for beijing's campaign for recognition as a global power. >> the head of the international monetary fund says it reflects changes in china's economy. kristen saloomey has more from the new york stock exchange. >> reporter: the announcement that the international monetary fund is adding the chinese ruan is not expect to have a large impact on the markets in wall street, it is a signific

laura: pope francis is creating saints at quite the lake, 800 so far. what sort of a role model is he creating for the catholic faithful? father martin: she is one of the great saints of modern times. she says the poor are important. she talked about finding christ in distressing disguise, not only looking for god in beautiful places like churches and things like that but in the poor, the homeless, the sick. she is a shining example of caring for the marginalized as jesus asked us to do. been dead for only two decades. that is where for someone to be considered for sainthood after such a relatively short time. father martin: it is fairly fast. people knew she was a saint when she was alive. that miracles that are better we did to her are intercession. laura: in this age of technological advances people could be forgiven about being skeptical about miracles inc. performed. why is sainthood still so crucial to the catholic church and this idea of forming miracles? father martin: god is the one who creates the saints, holy people, men and women. is a lotor

pope francis led christmas eve mass. hear the pope's christmas message. << staff sgt. shawn ross. from burleson, texas. i'd like to paris: there's a lot to do on a dairy farm. nobody's gonna do it for you. you have to get out there and do it yourself. bernie sanders is a well-known friend of family farms. bernie cannot be bought out by big money. bernie's opinion cannot be purchased. it's time for our next president to get in there, roll up his sleeves, take off the gloves, and take on walllltreet, take on big business, take on big monene and get the working class back to where they should be. he's a rock. and my family in texas genevieve and gavin, a merry christmas. i love you guys, i miss you and i'll see you when i get home. end music plays >> after a quick burst of snow earlier today that dropped a couple inches or so in some spots while only leaving a south of our viewing area near omaha that white stuff! so, yes there will be some snow on the ground to make for a day itself will be fairly quiet, with perhaps some sunshine in clouds and eventually a rain/snow mix will move b

>> i am going to say the pope.a winner. >> he was able to unify the catholic church. my favorite was when he said he believed in climate change and a member of congress saying we need a scientist and the pope saying i am one. something that he is a unifying voice not just for catholics but world wide. >> i love in his week here he pulled everybody out of the small mindedness of whatever we were thinking about and focussing on. >> it was so remarkable. i remember standing on the corner across the street from the white house and the crowds of people and the unifying force even among reporters. we cover high profile figures every day. >> inside when the pope delivered in english and then in spanish an incredible message. he is such a good man and reinvented the image of the catholic church and made us all think deeper. >> my person of the year, the person who did the most important work that anyone in the american government did and possibly the world, john kerry who delivered the nuclear deal with iran. if this deal

to deliver one to the pope mobile. he paid him back by going to where the law feared to tread. and a phrase, corrupt society stinks. as spring came to the vatican, he was in full bloom, canonizing saints from what was 19th century palestine bolstered cristians of the middle east. displeased israel. his signature moment of the year was a clarion call for action on environment. and he took the message to the major seats of power, starting with the white house, where he made his first ever speech in english. >> i can grateful for your welcome welcome. >> pope francis of the holy see. >> the first ever address by a pope to a giant meeting of congress and managed to both please and disconcert politicians on both sides of the political spectrum. his reasoned and calm delivery. >> in our own quiet way sustain the life of society. >> was such a stark contrast to normal political dialogue in washington that it had hundreds of viewers tweeting along the lines of, congress, listen to this man. in a follow-up speech at the to near

peter's basilica for pope francis's christmas eve mass. he urged the faithful to shun pleasure, wealth and extravagance and to act in a way that is simple, balanced and consistent. he said, our style of life should be devout, filled with empathy, compassion and mercy. the pope's words resonate with catholics and non-catholics alike. >> he gives the message of love. needs more of. anna: children from around the world played a large role in the christmas celebration. that francis has visited since he became pope. security here at the vatican was very high. all of the surrounding streets entering st peter's square had including the pasquinelli family. traveled from the u.s. to see the pope. >> this seemed like a natural place for someone to target, to pinpoint for an event. so we were nervous. anna: tens of thousands are expected to crowd st. peter's square to hear the pope's traditional speech at noon on christmas day. anna matranga, cbs news, vatican city. ryan: and christians from around the world gathering once again in bethlehem for chri

they are so honored to sing for pope fran cyst in philadelphia but this time they are investigating himorter: choir sang for pope while visiting philadelphia in september and they will be performing for the holy father. this time in rome with the sistine chapel choir and six other choirs. on january 6th, at the festival of the epiphany. >> it is just a blessing, and it is great, and going to go through this choir sing nothing front of the cathedral when pope visited us here and visiting him there. it is a real operator. >> we're doing this to make people happy that is what we want for people. >> reporter: in their first trip to rome it is part of the spiritual journey for many children. >> i'm so excited he invited our choir and it is an honor to go over there and sing for him. >> grow more spiritually and to see pope francis. >> reporter: the choir will start the new year traveling rome and hoping to finally meet pope francis face-to-face, in center city philadelphia i'm diana rocco for cbs-3 "eyewitness news". >> what an experience for those children. >> can you you imagine. >> they a

hugged his predecessor, pope benedict. the two hugged. and then pope francis continued on to st. peters square. >>> turning to our attention this afternoon. it is bla out there. >> that's a good work for it, blah. we have been spoiled by so many of these great days. >> really. it's been milder than you would expect. >> crazy stuff going on here. we are not done with the mild weather yet. even though we had a temporary lull, it's all coming back. the front settles over us or just to the south of us, we may not be as warm as we are thinking. it is a blah day, picky out there temperatures right around 40 degrees. definitely cooler than it has been. only 40 right now. that's what we are looking at. looking at a little spridz here rain, once in a while by the coast. i have some good news for you. the sunset trackers, actually the earliest the sun sets of the year happening right now today and maybe tomorrow. after that, a few seconds later each day. is that good news? try to look on the bright side. that's good news. sun sets g

anna, reports from vatican city. >> pope francis condemned brutal acts of terrorism in his christmasay message and prayed for an end to war and human suffering. he also offered hope. >> the grace of god can convert hearts and offer mankind a way out of humanly inn soluble situations report roar tens of thousands faithful packed saint peter's square. he uses his influence and who he is in his role in the catholic church to bring our attention to the things that jesus would want us to bring attention to. >> reporter: security was heavy and pilgrims had to go through two security checks before entering. >> it's part of life right now so i'd rather know that we're safe here. >> reporter: the pope also spoke of those who are closest to his heart. the poor and the disadvantaged. >> at the community of -- members are taking the pope's message to heart. the catholic charity feeds over 200,000 homeless on christmas day. >> this is the revolutionary. this pope said the gospel is not only spirit or religious but the gospel is political program to change the world. >> this member says france's d

anna: thousands of pilgrims pope francis' christmas eve mass. he urged the faithful to shun pleasure, wealth and extravagance, into return to the essential values of life. he said, our style of life should be devout, filled with empathy, compassion and mercy. the popes words resonate with catholics and non-catholics alike. >> he gives the message that we all need to hear, the message of love, this is something the world needs more of. anna children from around the : world played a large role in the christmas celebration. many journeyed from countries that francis has visited since he became pope. security here around the vatican was very high. all of the surrounding streets were blocked off from traffic and anyone entering st peter's , square had to go through a metal detector. including the pasquinelli 17 of them, aged eight to 86, traveled from the us to see the pope. >> it was a natural place for someone to target to pinpoint , for an event. so we were nervous. anna tens of thousands are : expected to crowd st. peter's square to hear the pope

what makes pope francis medical? syracuse asked why he is a revolutionary and he didn't shy away from that. he said it's one that goes back to the roots and i think that he's going back to the root of the gospel which really puts the floor first and i think that he is radical in the sense that he talks about unjust structures and wants to talk about inequality and that makes him radicalized in a possible way. >> what is the command membership current membership of the catholic church in america? >> it's very divided and i think this is why catholic voters tend to be swing voters in elections. we have one coming up that will be key and i think that's what this pope is doing is opening a new space for a different kind of catholic narrative in the country that has been very narrowly defined in the recent years in the united states and he's expanding that saying economic justice, environmental justice these are pro-life issues that catholics have to take seriously. >> as a nonreligious and religious alike have looked at

. >> and singing for the pope. local young talent gets the opportunity of lifetime. we have the story of the special way they will be ringing in the new year. >> good evening everyone, i'm ukee waring. >> i'm jessica dean. we begin tonight with new developments in the case against bill cosby. >> tonight the legendary entertainer and philadelphia native is free on bond after authorities in montgomery county charged him with sexual assault. >> "eyewitness news" reporter cleve bryan is live in our sat center with more on what one legal expert is saying about the case. cleve. >> our legal expert says that bill cosby's admission in a deposition about giving women quaaludes and having sex could be difficult for him to defend. perhaps his biggest media moment the comedian kept quiet. after months of accusations by dozens of women, bill cosby faces criminal charges for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulted former temple women's basketball staff andrea constand. the alleged attack happened at his home in 2004. >> on the evening in question, mr. cosby urged her to take pil

spoke. >> hearing from pope francis on this christmas day.ient's -- surf's up at the jersey shore. >> prompting some people to spend their holiday at seaside resorts like bellmawr. people got out their thrip flops and surf boards. temperatures warm enough to ride the waves. some say bring it on. >> really warm, the waves, so i'll surf and i'm happy. fantastic, any time up get out on the water, christmas surprise. >> forecasters credit the high temperatures to the el nino phenomenon in the pacific ocean. i have to say i saw one pair of flip flops walking around the news room today, ill, i won't name names. but i heard, then i saw. >> oh, respect for that person. katie, was it you? >> it wasn't me. >> i mean, i can dig it with these temperatures. >> absolutely, yes. >> totally true. and you know we talk about you guys mentioned the el nino, that's part of the reason we had such exceptional warmth not just this month but the last month, as women. and will keep ongoing. >> it's been great. depends who you ask. for me, great. along with that, thou

. >> meantime, pope francis presides over midnight mass, in vatican city his christmas message the crowd of thousands. >> another day of record warmth temperatures are set to climb once again but with that comes some thick fog to deal with on this christmas morning, it is a good thing that rudolph has that red nose, light up the night. good morning, i'm nicole brewer. >> and i'm jan carabeo. merry christmas to you. at last check, santa was now in alaska, so he's made his rounds, here in the delaware valley. luke you said, yep, rudolph had his work cut out for him this morning. fog lying in thick. actually dense fog advisory posted for our region, we start things off there. but you know what, this is one of the situations where you kind of make up for it, when you have the warmth that we're going to be expecting here through the next couple of days, definitely evan flow on the they are mom term, but we stay above average for the majority of the days. we breakdown first and for most is the fog. let's start off with "skycam 3". you can see the halo effect over some of the lights on the boar

. >> and singing for the pope. local young talent gets the opportunity of lifetime.e have the story of the special way they will be ringing in the new year. >> good evening everyone, i'm ukee waring. >> i'm jessica dean. we begin tonight with new developments in the case against bill cosby. >> tonight the legendary entertainer and philadelphia native is free on bond after authorities in montgomery county charged him with sexual assault. >> "eyewitness news" reporter cleve bryan is live in our sat center with more on what one legal expert is saying about the case. cleve. >> our legal expert says that bill cosby's admission in a deposition about giving women quaaludes and having sex could be difficult for him to defend. perhaps his biggest media moment the comedian kept quiet. after months of accusations by dozens of women, bill cosby faces criminal charges for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulted former temple women's basketball staff andrea constand. the alleged attack happened at his home in 2004. >> on the evening in question, mr. cosby urged her to take pills

pope francis' christmas message was full of pleas for peace in conflict areas... pleas th seem to have fallen on deaf ears in the holy land.the latest from there ahead, but first... 3 a gas explosion in nigeria has claimed several lives and injured several others. the cause of the deadly blast, coming up after the break in 3 at least four people are dead in southern nigeria following a gas explosion yesterday.the red cross says another four were hospitalized with severe burns.residents in the area were gathering to buy cooking gas when the explosion occurred.one resident said a tanker caught fire and ploded while offloaoang s, whicicengulfed a factory and several l surrounding buildings. it's unclear what triggered the blast -- but a red cross official says it seems proper procedures were not being 3 in his annual christmau day message, pope francis lashed out at the recenterror attacks around the world and prayed for peace in a series of global hotspots from the holy land to syria and libya. as fox news correspondent john huddy reports... the pontiff's message wa

at the community members are taking the pope's message to heart. the catholic charities feeds over 200,000 homeless on christmas day. >> this is a revolutionary pope. he said the gospel is not just for religion but it's to change politics in the world. >> reporter: a member said francis' devotion to the poor is ton cage just. the number of volunteers -- is contagious. the number of volunteers is up among catholics, noncatholics and those who don't believe. >>> finding the holiday gift may be difficult but returning an unwanted one may be more so. >> plus, bay area hikers are treading on dangerous ground. why rangers are posting warning signs along a hugely popular trail. we'll be right back. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, want to do something special this holiday season? support i have a dream foundation. help a child achieve the dream of a higher education. cbs cares. their own. reporter lls us about a >>> as families open presents, some are feeling lucky just to have a home. kenneth craig tells us about a new york organization that helped one brave mother beat t

we begin with a hololay message from pope francis. thousands gathering at the vatican to celebrate the holy day. pope francis urging the backing of peace agreements for the war-torn countries of syria and libya and with more nown thehe millions celebrating christmas around the world, here's abc's lama hasan. >> reporter: this morning, from the majestic balcony at st. peter's square, pope francis is delivering his traditional message to the city and to the world as christmas services and celebrations around the world get under way. in the town of bethlehem revered as the birthplace o o sus, worshippers arrive for morning mass at the church of the nativity to nearby syria away from the guns and the conflict, a parade and presents to celebrate the holidays. down under the surfing santas were out ruling the waves in australia. in south korea, the santas in seoul doingghat they doo best, bringing cheer and handing out gifts. back here in britain, the crowd out in full force braving the rain to catch a glimpse of the royals heading to a chu

allen pizzey followed the pope's travels around the world this year. >> reporter: pope francis set his tone for 2015 in the philippines braving typhoon weather in the same cheap yellow poncho that the faithful wore. not quite walking on water but close enough. he logged 50,000 air miles through 11 countries spreading a message based on mercy, family, poverty, inequality and the environment. his plain speaking attitude kept francis deep in controversy and enhanced his popularity. a confession to the drawback of being pope was not being able to go out for pizza prompted a naples pizzamaker to deliver one he paid him back by going to where the law feared to tread. and a phrase, corrupt society stinks. as spring came to the vatican, he was in full bloom, canonizing saints from what was 19th century palestine bolstered cristians of the middle east. it gave palestinians a boost and displeased israel. his signature moment of the year was a clarion call for action on climate change and the environment. and he took the message to the major seats of power, starting with the white house, where he

and john al p has more about what the pope said. morning. >> reporter: pope francis did delivered the traditional christmas message to rome and the world. the pope's traditionally use this platform to issue a kind of 360 degree review of the global situation and that is very much what pope francis did today. the strong note was a global call for peace. the war in syria. he talked about libya, the democratic republic of congo. ukraine. also called for a breakthrough in the peace talks in colombia trying to end the longest running civil war. and as europe grapples with the most significant refugee crisis it's faced since the second world war the pope also issued a strong note of solidarity for passion and calling on host nations to be generous in receiving and swegting them. the pope also in the context of a year in which terrorism has been one of the major themes around the world denounced what we called brutal acts of terror. he tipped off a series of other social ills that kind of occupy his heart. he talked about child soldier, un

, and that's very much what pope francis did today. top note was a strong plea for peace in a series of global hot spots. the pontiff mentioned the israeli-palestinian conflict, the war going on in syria. he talked about lib wra. the democratic republic of congo. ukraine. also called for a breakthrough in the peace talks in columbia currently aiming to try to end the world's longest running civil war. these are all, of course, situations in which the pontiff has been personally involved either out front or behind the scenes. as europe grapples with the most significant refugee crisis it's faced since the second world r war, the pope also issued a strong note of solidarity with migrants and refugees calling for compassion, for people fleeing violence and conflict and calling on host nations to be generous in receiving and integrating them. the pope also in the context of a year in which terrorism has been one of the major themes around the world, denounced what he called brutal acts of terror, including the november terrorist attacks in

pope called for peace in syria and libya, and all around the world. reporter: pope francis condemned brutal acts of terrorism in his christmas day methods -- message, and pray for an end of war in human suffering. >> the grace of god can convert hearts and offered mankind a way out of humanly insoluble situations. reporter: cans of thousands of faithful packed saint eater square. -- st. peter's square. >> he uses his influence to bring attention to the things he has promised to bring attention to. reporter: security was heavy and pilgrims had together to security checks before entering. >> it's part of life right now. i would rather know we are safe here. reporter: he also spoke of those who are closest to his heart, the poor in the disadvantaged. and the community, members are taking the message to heart. the catholic charities sees over day. >> this is a revolutionary force of this pope. it's not always a spiritual or religious message, but there is reporter: he says francis' devotion to the poor is contagious. a number -- the number of volunteers i

we got a waving pope. [ cheers ] a waving pope. and this is solar-operated. look, see? it's kind of moving. and see? it's solar, so it's pro-environment. >> jimmy: let me see this thing. >> and the pope is kind of waving. see, notice the pope. >> jimmy: that's fantastic. >> that's actually pope francis. >> jimmy: is he wearing a a wedding ring? is he married? [ laughter ] pope's married. >> he's waving, he's not saying, "come here." he's saying "good-bye. you're going to hell." [ laughter ] all right. so hat's -- >> jimmy: preteens will love that. >> here's the other thing. mmy, you're a dad. i'm a dad. i'm a better-looking one. but here's the thing. if you want your kids to read -- you want them to read. >> jimmy: you do. everyone wants their kids to read. >> how do you get a book in a a kid's hand? what you do is you introduce them to a really horrible book great. >> jimmy: genius idea. >> so i thought this book would be great. [ cheers ] >> jimmy: i wrote that book. that's my book. i wrote that. i wrote it. >> no this book is written by jimmy fallon. >> jimmy: that's

pope francis leading mass for nearly 10,000 pilgrims at st. peters basilica. he calls for a return to the essential values of life and calling for those intoxicated by consumerism to threat birth of jesus inspire their lives. and they had security tighter than usual and thousands of people are expected to flock to st. peters scare to hear the pontiff deliver his christmas day speech. >>> and here at home many are taking advantager of the warm weather. like here, sanlt ta and his elves went skiong the potomac river. record with 648 jolly st. nicks taking on the waves p. s waves. >>> owner holly are ringing in the holiday, they're slowing down the usual and bussal, reminding people of the true meaning of christmas. the true meaning is also not this stuff, generally speaking. >>> new york city down right balmy. and record breaking warmth will go into the weekend and that's a whole different story in the west with snow. i 90 closed at -- you know i know this pass too. snoqual snoqualmie pass and meteorologist bonny schneider saying snoqual me and >> and right now,

it is a year since she met pope francioiat the vatican. a gift from the make a wish foundation. >> i think the pope made the miracle happen and everybody that prayed for me in the community made it happen. >> eporter: that moment with the pope captured in fami y cell phone video was a highlight in this young girl's life. she named her dog topi after her first chemotherapy drug. her mother never thought she would not make it. >> you can't let yourself go there. you just can't. >> reporter: instead there was just encouragement. whether from the pope, or this welcome home sign with her nickname cookie that never came down. >> i think it's a miracle that involved so many people. >> repor strangers built this back yard treehouse. part of a community effor that helped her get through. she develop admotto to make a mother proud. >> you have no choice but to be strong. you can choose to be happy and positive. >> reporter: while cancer free, grace is now part of a vaccine study for neuro blastoma, which means another year of medicines, and scans an