World News
Pope celebrates Christmas Eve Mass after excoriating staff for sins at start of busy holiday
His Holiness Pope Francis. Philip Chidell / Shutterstock
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is celebrating Christmas Eve with a late-night Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica just days after excoriating his staff for a laundry list of sins.
Many of the same cardinals, bishops and priests who received the dressing down will be in St.
Peter’s Basilica for the Mass. Several have spoken out in recent days saying Francis was merely asking them to examine their consciences and use the Christmas season to heal.
Wednesday’s Mass kicks off a busy few weeks for the 78-year-old pontiff that includes his traditional Christmas day speech, New Year’s Eve vespers and 2015 greetings a few hours later.
On Jan. 11, he’ll baptize babies in the Sistine Chapel and a day later board a plane for a weeklong trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines.
