December 22, 2012. (Romereports.com) Few know about it, but in the evening of December 24, during the inauguration ceremony for the Nativity scene at St. Peter's Square, the Pope looks out his window and places a lit candle on the sill. This simple act gives way to the Christmas festivities.


The Pope will spend Christmas Eve at his papal apartment with his brother Georg. A family dinner will end briefly because at 10 p.m. the Christmas Midnight Mass will begin at St. Peter's Basilica.


On Tuesday, December 25, the Pope will connect via satellite with dozens of countries around the globe for the Urbi et Orbi blessing and his Christmas message, broadcast in over 60 languages.

By Monday, December 31, he will close off the year with a brief but intense ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica to give thanks to God for all of the good deeds of 2012.

The night of New Year's Eve, the Pope will get an early night's rest in anticipation for the 9:30 a.m. New Year's Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, to pray for world peace.

He will appear in public once again on Wednesday, January 2, at the general audience. Then again on January 6 at the Basilica, where he will ordain his secretary Georg Gaenswein and other priests as bishops.

According to the Liturgy, the Christmas period ends this year on Sunday, January 13, with the feast of the Baptism of Christ. To mark the date, the Pope will baptize the children of several Vatican employees at the Sistine Chapel.


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- BN