st. peter's today. for the traditional christmas day message. in it, the pope asked for prayers, peace and the end of tensions in syria. the central african republic, south sudan and nigeria. late last night, the pope celebrated his first christmas eve mass. we get more from nbc's martin fletcher. ♪ >> reporter: midnight mass in st. peter's basilica in the vatican and it didn't take long for pope francis to break the tradition, placing the statue of baby jesus in the manger himself instead of an aide doing it in keeping with his theme of humility. >> translator: god loves us. he gave us his son to be light in the darkness. >> reporter: traditional christmas tradition in light and love from a most untraditional pope. in just nine months pope francis has charmed the world. >> his message of hope and love translates into every language. >> every language. >> he's humbled. he's a people's pope. >> reporter: the leader of 1.2 billion catholics he still comes across as a kindly grandfather, not standing on ceremony. reaching out to all, especially chi

st. peters. nightly news begins now. >>> good evening, i'm tamron hall, in tonight for brian, and tonight, after seven and a half hours with some touch and go moments for two american astronauts, a risky and difficult space walk is over in time for christmas. the two americans had to make a critical repair to the international space station, and nbc's kerry sanders has been monitoring their space walk step by step from our miami bureau, kerry, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, tamron, a replacement pump is now in place on the international space station. the space walk to position that pump is really only the second space walk ever on a christmas eve. the last one was 14 years ago. >> and our first view of mike hopkins. >> reporter: astronauts mike hopkins and rick mastracchio floated outside the international space station. >> that's a beautiful view. >> reporter: the americans operating in concert with the japanese astronaut, operating the robotic arm to install a new cooling pump. >> go

st. peter's basilica in rome to face the world as a new pope. >> he looked scared.oked for bidding. my first thought was, we've got someone who's going to stand there and going to preside and we're supposed to bow down in front of him. >> christopher bellito is associate professor of history and department chair at keen university in new jersey. >> but if you looked very closely, it's as if his eyes began to blink very rapidly behind those glasses as if he came into the moment. this is what christians call grace. translet us pray in silence your prayer to me. >> and then he did something very traditional which is he said i ask for your prayers. but then he bowed. he made a physical act of humility to the people, and in that moment i think he bound himself to the people. i think people said wow, we need him. he needs us. we're in this together. >> in addition then what francis did was he referred to himself not as pontiff max mus the supreme pontiff, not as pope but the simpler title bishop of rome. >> john allen is cnn's senior vatican analyst. >> everything you nee

st. peter's square. boston resident michelle brought her daughter here. >> what he believes and the barriers he's breaking, it's just something i want to believe in again. >> pope francis has built a reputation for doing things his own way such as riding in a simple car or being more accessible to the people than other popes, but this where i say mas eve, the catholic churches kept with the traditions carried out by popes for hundreds of years. at the vatican, alfonso van marsh, kpix 5. >> and large crowds are expected tomorrow, as well, when the pope will deliver his christmas message from the basilica's central balcony overlooking st. peter's square. >>> no rest for the weary this christmas eve, even in space. astronauts are busy making more emergency repairs to the international space station. >> two american astronauts successfully completed their christmas eve mission, floating out into space to fix the international space station's cooling system. >> you said you got yourself. >> astronauts rick an

st. peter's basilica and was greeted with a sea of smartphones. hundreds tried to capture an image of the new pontiff during his first christmas eve mass. the pontiff may be a celebrity but his emphasis remains on the place of the poor. during his sermon he noted jesus's humble beginnings. >> you are rich and you made yourself poor. >> reporter: this christmas eve provides another first for the church. having two popes living in the vatican at the same time on the holy day. earlier this week, pope francis visited with his predecessor benedict who abdicated in february. people gathered in st. peter's square. >> what he believes in and the barriers he is breaking, it's just something i want to believe in again. >> reporter: pope francis has built a reputation for doing things his own way such as riding in a simple car or being more accessible to the people than other popes. but this christmas eve, the catholic church's newest pontiff kept with traditions carried out by popes for thousands of years. at the vatican, alfonso van marsh kpix 5. >> the po

st. peter's square today. >>> next tonight, dr.ichard besser investigating an outrage in america, the exorbitant cost of cancer drugs, is it right that the rich can afford them but many other people cannot? a question of life and death ahead. we're back in two minutes. bob will retire when he's 153, which would be fine if bob were a vampire. but he's not. ♪ he's an architect with two kids and a mortgage. luckily, he found someone who gave him a fresh perspective on his portfolio. and with some planning and effort, hopefully bob can retire at a more appropriate age. it's not rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. it's just common sense. is there a lot of worry building up around a daily problem? well ladies, now there's big news in controlling your overactive bladder symptoms. thinking less about them with new oxytrol for women. it's a patch. the first and only over the counter treatment for overactive bladder. it's good to know how to put the control back in your go. new oxytrol for women. now over the counter

st. peter's square. there's the basilica. and who was there with him? robin and josh. >> just a couple of our friends, started to hang out here. lee university, cleveland, tennessee, represented here. and people from all around the world come here for this audience. and this is the last one of the year for the pope. and it was extraordinary, coming face-to-face with him. and we're going to share that moment with you, coming up. >> a man they call the people's pope and for good reason. you really saw it today. pressing the flesh. he understands and made a point of his ministry to return the church to the people, particularly to those less fortunate. and that was in evidence today. and in evidence, the pope himself, a lot of people wondering, what's he like? i can tell you in the very brief time that he stopped with us, he runs about 5'9", 5'10". >> 5'10". >> a very avid listener. with the commotion that surrounds him, he's very focused on you. and i will say, a very firm handshake. >> it was. >> he took it and grasped it. what

st. peters. tonight, why he's making news all over again. >>> as you may have heard, time magazine announced pope francis as its pick for person of the year. he is the third pope to be given that honor, the first in 19 years. time says it chose him because, quote, rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly. anne thompson who has traveled with this new pope reports on the game changer in the vatican. >> reporter: in nine short months, pope francis has captured the world's attention simply by being himself, a papacy marked by small, uncrypted moments. this is how dominick's family captured the moment, with the pope kissed the boy with cerebral palsy. it remains the greatest gift of the year. >> it felt like a little kiss from heaven. of all the people that were in st. peter's scare, my son, who is a person many people would just look over, was kissed. >> reporter: the leader of the faith steeped in mystery, he is approachable. snapping a selfie, sharing a stage

st. peter's square. the pope appeared on the balcony. faithful from all of the world gave him a welcome. thousands have come to rome many from his nature -- native argentina. in his christian address, he repeated his message of concern for the world's poor and weak. as he celebrated the birth of christ, he expressed his wish for joy and peace. >> for the children and in the old people and families, the poor and marginalized. >> pope francis called for and of wars in syria and the south sudan and the african republic. >> let's continue to ask of the lord to spare the blood of syrian people further suffering. able the parties in conflict to put an end to all violence and guarantee access to humanitarian aid. >> the pope's message was unmistakable. he got a warm reception. the high point was the blessing. he blessed people including those watching on tv. the new pope has clearly won over the crowd at st. peter's square. >> i think is more with the people at a likes to talk to everybody. that is a good thing. but his humility brings them clo

st. peters basilica and greeted with a sea of smart phones. hundreds tried to capture an image during his first christmas eve mass. the pontiff may be a celebrity, but his emphasis remains at the place of the poor. he noted jesus' humble beginnings. you are rich and you made yourself poor. >> this christmas eve provides another first for the church. having two popes living in the vatican at the same time on the holy day. he visited with benedict resigned in february. people have come from around the world to be part of francis' first christmas. those that couldn't get inside the basilica have gathered here. boston resident brought her daughter here. >> what he believes in and the barriers he is breaking is just something i want to believe in again. >> pope francis built a reputation for doing things his own way, such as riding in a simple car or being more accessible, but this christmas eve, the catholic church's newest pontiff kept with the traditions carried out for hundreds of years. at the vatican, kpix5. >> large crowds are expected tomor

st. peter's basilica on tuesday.ope francis told the congregation that if people's hearts are closed and dominated by pride, defeat, and self seeking, then darkness will fall within them and around them. he expressed his intention to promote reform. the church has suffered a series of scandals, including the sexual abuse of children by priests. pope francis became the first pontiff to be chosen by latin america. his humble and easy going manner has won him popularity during the first nine months of his papacy. the u.s. magazine "time" selected pope francis as its person of the year for 2013. >>> and that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo. >> pope francis delivered his first christmas day address from the central balcony of st. peters basilica in front of tens of thousands of tourists and children. he said he was joining in the song of christmas angels with all those hoping for a better world. for his first address, pope francis, who has been named person of the year by "time" magazine, called for pe

st. peter's about a cilic why as st.nces leads his first service at the vatic vatican. >>> i'm major stephen meadows from kabul, afghanistan, i'd like to wish all my family and friends merry christmas and a happy new year. look forward to seeing everybody in 2014. are you ready grandma? just a second, sweetie. [ female announcer ] we eased your back pain, you turned up the fun. tylenol® provides strong pain relief while being gentle on your stomach. but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. tylenol®. ♪ we know you do so much more. ♪ get great gifts from the person who knows you best. you. that's powerful. verizon. get new year's countdown deals. save $50 on select droid devices, like the free droid mini. where does the united states get most of its energy? is it africa? the middle east? canada? or the u.s.? the answer is... the u.s. ♪ most of america's energy comes from right here at home. take the energy quiz. energy lives here. you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec-d®. powerful relief of nasal

it's built over st. peterthedral per se of the pope, but it is a very important church because of its historical significance. >> and father o'connell, tell us a little bit about what the processional mean, and then, who are these folks who are watching this? are these pilgrims? are these, i guess, there are many people watching. it seems to be standing room only. how did they get in, i guess. is it a ticketed process, a first come, first serve process? how do they do that? >> actually, any ceremony, any papal ceremony is generally jammed. and it is ticketed. and the people, some are invited. and some apply for tickets beforehand to be part of the beautiful ceremony and this procession really represents the movement of the faithful, of the believer into a very significant and important event, and that is the celebration of the eucharist. the priest is the spiritual shepherd, the father. he represents those gifts and responsibilities as he comes with the cardinals and the bishops into st. peter's basilica to ce

st. peter's square today. celebrated his first mass last night. >> reporter: midnight masses in the vatican. didn't take long for pope frances. approaching the statue of baby jesus in the manger himself instead of an aide doing it and keeping with the theme of humility. >> translator: god loves us. he gave us his son to be light in our darkness. >> reporter: the traditional christmas lesson of light and love from the most untraditional pope. in just nine months, pope frances has shown the world. >> his message of hope and love translates into every language. he's humble. >> reporter: the leader of the catholics, he still came across as a friendly grandfather, reaching out to all especially children, the poor and the abandoned and afflicted. opening the doors for the church. on gay priests, he said, who am toy judge. on women in the church, he said they are essential. a change in catholic dogma or just a change in style? >> there is certainly a style change which is simplicity. but he's not somebody who's going

st. peter's square on this christmas day. >> this is the one place to be in the world today. >> reporter: many jumped up and down with excitement to hear his first christmas message as pontiff. >> this is what christmas bids us to do, give glory to god. >> reporter: pope francis called for peace in war-torn countries including syria and south sudan. >> prince of peace, in every place turn hearts aside from violence and inspire them to lay down arms and undertake the path of dialogue. >> reporter: here at st. peter's square, pope francis' message seemed to be resonating not just with the world's 1.2 billion catholics but to a broader audience. >> there's clearly people from all over the world, all different ideologies, religions, uhm, so that's definitely a change, i think that has to do with this new pope. >> reporter: this american isn't catholic but says the pope's outreach to minorities makes him the pope of the people. >> i'm impressed with pope francis and i'm excited to see him. so this is a highlight to our trip. >> reporter: many catholics waved flags from their home countries, bi

st. peter's basilica.e secelebrant of midnight mas is pope francis with music by the sistine chapel choir. this broadcast is presented in consultation with the united states conference of catholic bishops. the commentator is monsignor tom powers, a vatican official, and a spiritual director at the pontifical north american college in rome. >> from st. peter's basilica in vatican city, this is monsignor tom powers extending to each of you a warm welcome as you join us here live for christmas mass during the night with pope francis. this is pope francis' first time celebrating christmas mass as bishop of rome and supreme pontiff of the universal church. we see the procession beginning led by a

st. peters basilica in front of tens of thousands of tourists and children. he said he was joining in the song of christmas angels with all those hoping for a better world. for his first address, pope francis, who has been named person of the year by "time" magazine, called for peace across the world and spoke more particularly of syria and the central african republic. >> grant peace to the central african republic, often forgotten and overlooked. yet you, lord, forget no one. and you also want to bring peace to that land torn apart by a spiral of violence and poverty. where so many people are homeless, lacking water, food, and the bare necessities of life. >> we can join our correspondent who was with the tens of thousands who flocked to st. peters square. thanks for joining us. it was a message of hope. pope francis left no stone unturned and made his way across the world, looking at its various conflicts and calling for peace, not just a message directed at catholics but far beyond the world of the believes. >> very much so. he touched on some of the key

st. peter's square. let's go and get more from felicity. >> reporter: yes, the pope's address focused on the lives of children disrupted by conflict. that of the catholic church called for better humanitarian aid in syria and social harmony in south sudan. hope francis is widely scene as having enjoyed a successful first year. many say he has changed the incidental of the church after years of damaging canned dal. >> reporter: when he first stepped out on to this balcony in march, body francis was a relatively unknown cardinal arch business from argentina. now he's greeted by a superstar wherever he goes. the regal trappings of the vatican on display in st. peter's square. pope francis' message was always for the poorest people of the world, and victims of conflict from syria to south sudan. >> looking at the child in the manger my thoughts turn to those children who are the most vulnerable victims of war. we think, too, of the elderly, battered women and the sick. war shatters and hurts so many lives. >

st. peter's square. more on the pontiff's christmas day message. >> reporter: after leading the catholic world in prayer on christmas eve, pope france gave his first message as pope, this time meant for the ears of the whole world and it was very strong. world class live, the faithful still strong to hear the first noneuropean pope in 1,300 years. he called on the prince of peace to turn hearts away from violence. in syria, south sudan, nigeria, the congo and he called for successful peace talks between israel and the palestinians. god, pope francis said, is peace. >> he really seemed humble. he seems like he's different and wants to make a change. >> he's very dedicated to the humble origins he has in representing. >> reporter: last night in st. peter's basilica, pope francis underlined his homily by overturning tradition. instead of placing the baby jesus statue in the manger, pope francis did with a kiss of humility and love. god loves us, he said. he gave us his son to be light in our darkness. a tra

st. peter's basilica is the place to be on christmas eve.ope francis will celebrate the traditional mass. this year, there were a record number of requests to attend. and then on christmas day, tens of thousands of pilgrims will flood st. peter's square to hear his message to the world. >> people are listening to him because he's speaking in a language that's not vaticanese. he's speaking the language of ordinary people. >> reporter: pope francis has already taken care of his christmas gifts. 2,000 immigrants at a local shelter received special packs complete with a christmas card signed by the pope that contained everything they might need to be able to contact loved ones over the holidays including prepaid international phone cards, proof that this pope's message this christmas really is we all should be helping others. suzanne and michael? >> erin, give us a sense of the mood, the tone, how different is it this christmas with this new pope? >> reporter: i think there's a definite sense of excitement and hope. thousands of people here have

st. peter's square to the cheers of 70,000 workers. it is head of the catholic church. blessing means for the city and the world. it is given the catholics and at easter and christmas. he called for peace in syria where war has raged for two and a half years. followers arethe joining us in our prayer for peace. >> he expressed his desire for peace and conflict around the world. iraq and israelis and palestinians. off the coast of the italian island. >> migrants in search of a dignified life may find acceptance. may tragedies like those we have witnessed this year with so many deaths never occur again. hoped that those would call for child soldiers to be rescued. from human exploitation of the planet. >> look upon our planet. help and protect all the victims of natural disasters, especially the people of the philippines greatly affected by the recent typhoon. >> known for his personal ,odesty, in just nine months pope francis has already been called the people's pope. >> that is his first christmas address. we wish you a very merry christmas. stay with us. >> first came

st. peters burg since they were bailed in november. basically, the prosecutors office is summoning them one by one, they go there to the office they receive a document which proves an individual document that proves that the charges against them charges of hooliganism, which carry a seven year jail sentence have been dropped. and then the next process is that the defends then have to take that document to the federal migration service to get their exit visa put in their passport, and only then can they leave. but it is a very time consuming process, these people are really hoping that they would be home for christmas, they are now keeping fingers crossed they will make it back by the new year. they are all going to be released. they are all going -- the charges will all be dropped it is just this legal hoops you have to jump through, in st. peters burg to get the process completed to allow them to leave the country. because of course, they had no entry permits in their passport. they were taken at sea, and without a permit you can't ge

. >>> thousands turn out in st. peter square as pope francis celebrate his first christmas as pontiff. >> egypt interim government has declared muslim brotherhood as terrorism organization. muslim brotherhood president was ousted in july. >> a bomb that killed 16 people. in the immediate hours after that blast we saw a crowd on the street and we saw a wide reaction in egypt condemning the attack. now although the muslim brotherhood also condemned that attack in the minds of a lot of protesters, there was really no distinction between them. i think this announcement won't come as much of a surprise. i think a lot of egyptian will accept it, but i think there is a core of supporters of people who believe in musli muslim brotherhood, who support it, and voted for t and believe it is an organization that has legitimacy, and in one fell swoop has been branded as terroristers osupporters of ter. any member of a group deemed to be a terrorist organization can be challenged and sent to prison for five years. there are a lot of ac

st. peters and was greeted with a sea of smartphones. hundreds tried to capture his image during the first christmas eve mass. his emphasis remains on the price of the poor. >> to our rich and you made yourself poor. >> this christmas eve provides another first for the church, having two popes living in the voir dire can at the same time on the holy day. earlier hope francis visited with pope benedict. people fly from around the world to be part of the first christmas. and those that couldn't get inside gathered here at st. peters square. >> what he believes in, and the barriers he's breaking, it's just something i want to believe in again. >> pope francis built a reputation for doing things his own way, such as riding in a simple car or being more accessible to other people. this christmas eve, they kept with the traditions carried out by popes for hundreds of years. >> the ceremony is the pope as only public mass for christmas but he will deliver his christmas message from a balcony. >>> a taxi driver in las vegas made a surprising dis

st. peter's square to deliver a special message to the world.christmas gifts taken care of. the packs include everything an imfrant might need to be able to contact loved ones back home including stamps and international calling cards. so a very busy week ahead for pope francis as he celebratings his first christmas at the vatican. >> all right, thanks so much, erin. so in less than a year, he has managed to endeer himself to catholics around the world. >>> father beck joining me now from new york. so, father, this will be a rather unique christmas, i imagine, for pope francis. especially since you heard erin to talk about the pilgrimage. >> i was privileged to be in rome when he stepped out on the balcony. and then the shock was they all waited for the apostolic blessing. and then he said would you bless me. right then, we knew this was going to be a different kind of papacy. that he was going to move to humility and complacency that none of us have seen in our lifetime. that has proven to be true. christmas, he is going to celebrate that mass

st. peter's basilica is the place to be on kiss mass eve.s will celebrate the traditional mass. this year, there were a record number of requests to attend. >> really once in a lifetime, isn't it, that you're here in rome, we happen to be here in rome and a pope is going to say his first mass and you're going to be part of it. >> reporter: then on christmas day tens of thousands of pilgrims will flood st. peter's square to hear his message to the world. >> he is speaking the language of ordinary people. >> reporter: pope francis has his christmas gifts taken care of. 2,000 immigrants at a local shelter received special packs complete with a christmas card signed by the pope. they included prepaid international calling card so they would be able to reach loved ones during this festive time. the pope's christmas message is clear. christmas is about helping others. carol? >> that's awesome. erin mclaughlin, thank you so much. be sure to tune in for our live coverage of the pope's first-ever midnight christmas mass 6:00 pm eastern right here on

st. peters square. today, preaching a message of love and compassion. music filled st. peters basilica as the pope entered the church. the pontiff also warned against those who close their hearts, saying they will walk in darkness. he calls on the faithful to learn from jesus who walked in light and embodied love. hundreds packed the church of the nativity. the church is built on site where christians believe jesus was board. in his homily, the top roman cleric in the holy land told president abbas, he prays for a just and equitable solution for the palestinians. >>> a 3-month-old baby, born with only half a heart is being treated by doctors here in the bay area. >> they gave us hope where there was no hope before. >> at 10:30, the struggles his parents now face, and why they're saying, they're still thankful this holiday season. >> coming up a little later only on 2, a frequent, and unwanted visiter to a bay area market. what could finally convince the court to keep him locked up. >> happening now, santa is on the move. these are live pictures from norad, right now sant

st. peter's square this morning for pope francis' very first christmas day message. the pope singled out syria, south sudan, iraq and the philippines for special prayers, reed minding all that peace calls for, joe, today ily commitment and we can't do it alone. hours earlier in the first christmas mass in the basilica, the pope hand-delivered a statue to the front of the al stash, as we see here. he ended that service in a manner we have all come to expect, tending to the lambs and his worldwide flock. john allen was watching as always, cnn's vatican analyst joins me from rome. great to have you with us, john. >> merry christmas to you, pam. >> merry christmas. tell us what your takeaway was from the christmas message and how it was different from the predecessors. >> reporter:, of course, the mechanics the ritual are pretty much the same every year, those are all things we have seen before, but in many ways this was a vintage francis performance. the theme throughout is what the catholics call the social gospel, lifting up the special concern for the poor, for victi

st. peters square. today, preaching a message of love and compassion. music filled st. peters basilica as the pope entered the church. the pontiff also warned against those who close their hearts, saying they will walk in darkness. he calls on the faithful to learn from jesus who walked in light and embodied love. hundreds packed the church of the nativity. the church is built on site where christians believe jesus was board. in his homily, the top roman cleric in the holy land told president abbas, he prays for a just and equitable solution for the palestinians. >>> a 3-month-old baby, born with only half a heart is being treated by doctors here in the bay area. >> they gave us hope where there was no hope before. >> at 10:30, the struggles his parents now face, and why they're saying, they're still thankful this holiday season. >> coming up a little later only on 2, a frequent, and unwanted visiter to a bay area market. what could finally convince the court to keep him locked up. >> happening now, santa is on the move. these are live pictures from norad, right now sant

st. peter's square is packed with pilgrims. poped the vatican, francis paraphernalia sells like hot cakes. >> i sell much more. >> he is good. he is a great pope. the week andor forgotten. in rome, the pope made a private visit to a refugee center. these migrants risk everything for the help of a better life in europe. the memories of his september visitor fresh. >> he approached the refugees as he knew them. he was very natural greeting them, meeting them. when he arrived, he sat with the refugees and we offered him a typical drink from argentina that he would enjoy. he was happy to have a drink from his home country. >> a poor church. almost every speech he has advocated austerity and criticized the excesses of capitalism. when addressing the young, he does not mince words either. his remarks have surprised leftist politicians in italy who identify with to the pontiff. >> he knows the misery of the world. and as a pope who speaks out against the injustice in the world. he is a pope who has the world needs and the needs of the

st. peter's scare as pope francis celebrates his first christmas as pontiff. >> in egypt the military interim government is declaring the muslim brotherhood a terrorist organization. deputy prime minister said there will be punishment for anyone who funds or gets involved with the brotherhood. earlier i asked why the government made this decision. >> the government has been under pressure for some time to declare the muslim brotherhood organization. the timing was right on "p. it's going to be a very divisive action because there is a portion of egypt's population that supports the muslim brotherhood. by declaring them to be a terrorist organization, anyone could por support them financia, involved in demonstrations, involved in their business could be seen supporting terrorism. >> is this ramping up tensions in egypt? >> yes, it will ramp up tensions in egypt. i think it may drive the muslim brotherhood underground while some will simply walk away from them. i think a lot of people will decide to continue their support but underground. in a way it criminalizes an organization that frankly, a

st. peter's square. the blessing and ceremony is over. people are hanging out in st. peter's square and taking in the pope's first christmas blessing since taking - since becoming pope in march. it was a blessing where he talking about everyone being personal peace makers and doing what they can individually to end wars. >> a series of rocket blasts hit the u.s. embassy in kabul. the taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks which comes as many foreigners in the capital marked christmas day. no americans were injured. the united nations voted to double the peacekeeping troops. more than 1300 troops were headed to the region. u.n. relief workers say there were evidence of killings. the clashes erupted between the president and vice president. we have a report on the spiralling violence forcing many victims to look for treatment in a military hospital. >> most injuries in the military hospital are from gunshot wounds. the people were hurt when fighting in juba was at its worst. treating patients is a change. the other thang is closing things. most of them, they are

st. peter's. hundreds gathered to take part in the mass. he encouraged the followers to choose love or ride and deceit. back in the united states, it has been a struggle to celebrate the holiday. some in west michigan have been without power up to four days. >> what are you going to do? a christmas to rib. >> the red cross has opened centers if those in need. some provided hot showers and warm meals. >> hopefully we can wake up and home and have christmas present open. >> in the northeast it is the worst ice storm in 15 years. in cleveland, a 40-car pileup closed 11 mile stretch of highway. in minnesota, and parts of the upper midwest temperatures dropped to 30 below zero. >> st. nick took the break doing a little scuba diving at the marine sanctuary to raise money for charity. >> some gay and lesbian couples in utah spend christmas making wedding plans. a federal appeals court has denied a request from the state to halt same-sex marriages until the appeal process works out meaning that county clerks can keep issuing marriage licenses to th

st. peters burg it may look like any other christmas, the tree is towers over, the faithful are cueing but there is a growing sense of anticipation, because the preside over it all, there is one special pope. this was a whirlwind year for the new pope in a space of a few months he went from being a little time arch bishop to magazine's person of the year. when he appeared on the balcony, only a few recognized him. and even funner could pronounce his name. everyone, however, recognized his chosen name as pope. francis. >> he proved to be just as ample as his name sake. he became known as the people's phone, he dodge add security to be with his flock, and was especially interested in the well being of the displaced the disabled and children. 3 million people came to see him, turning coke caco banna into a catholic woodstock. he became officially a worldwide icon. he spoke freely to reporters. >> if christmas is a day for remembering than many catholics around the world will look back in 2013 as a dramatic and eventful year, when the church marred by scandal was rejuvenated by pope fran reces

st. peter's square.year-old pontiff placed a statue of the baby jesus in a replica of a manger in st. peter's basilica. his focus was on the humble beginnings and the vulnerability of the christ child. the ceremony coming as he celebrated his first christmas eve mass as leader of the catholic church. >>> and there is an out-of-this world event many people were talking about christmas morning 48 years ago today. just hours earlier, on christmas eve, the crew of apollo 8 astronauts frank foreman, bill anders and jim lovell took turns reading from the book of gene sis. the view as they circled the moon blending itself beautifully to the words coming from the bible. >> and god called this dry land earth, and the gathering to the of the waters called it sea and god saw that it was good. and from the crew of apollo 8, to good night, good luck, a merry christmas and god bless all of you. all of you on this good earth. >> and we wish you a merry christmas. i'm kelly wright. now back to birth of jesus. ♪ >>> welc

st. peter's square. sweep -- ton to speak, he focused his attention on the world's war zones. he recalled the suffering in sea ruffled -- in syria. >> many lives have been shattered in recent times by the conflict in syria, fueling hatred and vengeance. let's continue to ask the lord to spare the beloved syrian people for their suffering. and to enable the parties in conflict to put an end to all violence. gain access to humanitarian aid. >> the pope talked about violence in several parts of africa and he highlighted the troubles of two countries that are in the news this christmas for the worst of reasons. >> ring piece to the central african republic, often forgotten and overlooked. you also want to bring peace to that land, torn apart by a spiral of violence and poverty. homeless,ople are lacking water, food, and the bare necessities of life. foster social harmony in south sudan, where current temp kitchens -- current tensions numerousady caused conflicts and has threatened peaceful existence in that young state. heard the pope speak to issues away from the war zone, concer

st. peters square it at the vatican. an estimated 35 million people are living with hiv. >>> 4:47 now.'s check back in with melissa mollet. >>> protests still under way in thailand. take a look at this following this for you for a few days. police fired tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets at thousands of people trying to seize government buildings in the capital. they want to pick a new prime minister. they are trying to dismantle a concrete wall. >>> searchers are still looking for a missing 17-year-old virginia girl. the latest search came to an end at the only suspect. alexis murphy. once they reached the area where suspect randy taylor lived, the property owner asked the volunteers to leave the property. the search was allowed to resume, though. >> it was a miscommunication and a misunderstanding. the parties talked and they wanted to help out any way possible. >> randy taylor is charged in murphy's disappearance. he says he was not the last person to see her. >>> a shooting on a metro train ended with an arrest. transit police arrested the man on an orange line after he fir

st. peters. nightly news begins now.

st. peters square.ling for an end to fighting in the middle east and africa, and talked about the suffering experienced by children in war zones. >>> edward snowden gave britain's alternative christmas message to run counter to to the one made by the queen. >>> thousands have been killed in south sudan, and the un will now double its peace keeping troops. >>> the military interim government has declared that the muslim brotherhood is a terrorist organization. >>> most of the time we think of cloud sourcing as a way to fund personal projects, but in nepal crowd sourcing is being used to provide essential health services. al jazeera reports. >> reporter: at the community hospital in nepal's district, up to 500 people come for treatment ever day. people here say the hospital has been god send. its services are free and refers complicated cases to other hospitals and covers the cost. the hospital doesn't just indicator to locals. >> we have people from all over the far west who come here for the services. >

st. peters square to see john paul two. they came to listen to pope benedict the 16th. not to say john paul was not a good speaker. but benedict was more successful with people. and he writes so wonderfully. >> he is a definitive scholar. if you wanted to find out how to do it, you would watch him. >> absolutely. in fact, people ask about his legacy. >> of course, it is going to be all of his writings. they are still of great value. the two that stands out for me, is the spirit of liturgy. it is a masterpiece. i think the best book ever written on the mass, in the whole history of the church. it sounds like a big statement. but i believe it. and then his book on jesus of nazareth. it is pretty phenomenal. that the pope would focus and focus on what? very center of our lives as christians. >> do you want to comment on the eight years. and he must've had all of this going on in his mind through all of that. >> it is a lot to comment on. it pope is priest, prophet and king. how did he do it? as they preach, -- as a priest, the books he has written, will be a legacy for the

st. peter's square. >>> we have had a number of these alerts, and they're going to keep coming.ith this record warmth or above average temperature, you get more spare the air days and nights. here's the air quality layout for you as we head into tomorrow. santa clara valley in the worst area, in the red zone. 151, up into the unhealthy level. and right now, 5:00 am tomorrow, we've got the yule log going, christmas music as well. these are the highs from today. sanfael was a record, the jet stream is well to the north ever us. it stays there, out of our area. keeps us dry. we didn't have any real prospects for rain in the next couple days. these are the currents, these are the forecast overnight lows. 46 in pacifica, 30 in santa roesza. frost in the in-- rosa. frost in the inland bay valleys. tomorrow is almost a duplicate of what we have today. it's nice outside right now. we talked about the air quality, are not the best. spare the air night again tonight, and that continues into tomorrow. and in the ended forecast, high pressure sets up tomorrow, friday, saturday, and the next

st. peter's basilica. >> and that's interesting you say that, because i want to ask you this, father beckhe things that the pope is talking about, and i think it's sort of a message that goes far beyond catholicism. a lot of people can connect with it. he talks, if he's talking, sort of, i guess showing quietness in the mass as we heard bishop o'connell say. one of his messages for christmas is to tone down the noise. concentrate really on what matters. not on the partying, not on the spending. that's something that i think a lot of americans, i will say, struggle with. that's something that really connects. >> yes. i know that pope francis knows that we live in a very distracted world and society. for all the great technology that we have, it's really hard, simply to focus on what matters. and he's imploring us to do just that, to focus on what matters. unless we think that pope francis is just about image, he's also done some rather remarkable things in these nine months that are really substantive. if you look about the vatican bank, the much beleaguered vatican bank for all of those y

st. peter's square. christians from around the world gathered in bethlehem. for tom that live there the day was overshadowed by the shameful reality of living in a land of conflict. >> this is a town where legend has it jesus was born. there are 200,000 christians, but for many christmas is not all that merry. >> this christian palestine family doesn't need reminding they live in occupied bethlehem. all they have to do is look out the window. >> the israeli world that separates the west bank surrounds their home on three sides. and every time the mother walks out the front door, this is her view. the wall is 30 feet tall. on this christmas morning, her son did some last-minute decorating. they try to have a normal christmas, but their thoughts are on that wall. this wall is 10 years old. israel bit it after the uprising. where palestine militants fought israeli soldiers. israel said since the wall was built it's been safer. but for this woman, it has meant hardship. >> we wish the christ yarnings -- christians will demolish the wall and make it real peace. th

. >>> thousands turn out in st. peterquare as pope francis celebrate his first christmas as pontiff.

st. peter's square.he pope's popularity may continue to soar, but he is keeping his christmas message pretty down to earth. ♪ i want to spread a little love this year ♪ [ male announcer ] this december, experience the gift of unsurpassed craftsmanship and some of the best offers of the year at the lexus december to remember sales event. this is the pursuit of perfection. >>> ♪ >> some beautiful and these are historic images from the vatican. this was pope francis presiding over his first christmas celebration in his new role. and while the ceremonies involved a lot of pomp and circumstance, erin mclaughlin shows us the pope kept his christmas message simple and to the point. >> as you can see, they're streaming into st. peter's square. people from all over the world pilgrims and atheists, men, women and children of a multitude of religions flooding the scare to hear what pope francis has to say to the world on christmas day. >> translator: god is peace. let us ask him to help us to be peacemakers each da

st. peter's square to hear him deliver a special message to the world.lready has his christmas gifts taken care of. 2,000 immigrants at a local shelter received special packs complete with christmas cards signed by the pope. the packs include everything an immigrant might need to be able to contact loved ones back home including stamps and international calling cards. so a very busy week ahead for pope francis as he celebrates his first christmas at the vatican. >> and let's take a look at buzz beat's best pope francis moments of 2013. take a look. they include when he washed the feet of others, and then, of course, when he prayed with the sick, including kissing a severely disfigured man and when he plays with kids including one boy who hugged him during his homily in front of people. let's reflect not only what has happened but what will happen. so let's get buzzfeed's 2014, i guess, predictions, shall we say. joining me now is buzzfeed's reporter brian roderick. brian, thank you so much for joining us. can we say a buzzfeed prediction for 2014. miley

st. peters basilica led for the first time by pope francis. there were a record number of requests to attend. those who weren't able to get tickets can come here to vatican square to watch the celebrations on the big screen. then tomorrow, of course, is pope's christmas message to the world, so that is the official schedule of events but vatican insiders tell me with this hope, we need to expect the unexpected so we will have to wait and see what other surprises the pope may have in store. >> i was going to say with this pope, i'm sure there will be more surprises. very interesting that his message was cut down on the rumors because that is, obviously, a big issue for the church. we just want to send our condolences to you for having to be in such a beautiful place for christmas. have a lovely christmas in rome. >>> lesbian couples in utah are supporting after a federal judge confused a state's request for a stay that made same-sex marriage legal in the state. it led to them tying the knot there and some calling it a christmas they will never

st. peter's square. the pope called on catholics around the world to pray for those suffering from aids and hiv. he also asked people to pray for the doctors and researchers working to find treatments and a cure for that disease. funeral services were held in south carolina today for a postal worker who was shot and killed in prince george's county. family members and friends gathered in rock hill to say goodbye to tyson barnette. he was killed while delivering mail along reed street and landover. relatives say barnette was a good man. >> he is the type of guy that anyone could love. people --cared about we never thought it would happen in our family. >> police are still looking for barnette's taylor. yesterday, officers handed out flyers in the neighborhood where barnett was killed hoping to get some leads. a gunshot was fired aboard a metro train. metro transit police say two men got onto an argument on an orange line train that was headed to new carrollton. one of the men pulled out a gun and hit the