Live: Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve mass

Watch live as Pope Francis marks Christmas Eve with mass at St Peters Basilica in the Vatican. For the third year running, the service is being held in the early evening, rather than what is otherwise known as Midnight Mass. Surrounded by other religious figures, the Pope usually emphasises the lessons of Christmas, and how it reflects current world events. Thousands will gather in St Peters Square surrounding the cathedral to watch on. The address is also broadcast on TV in 72 countries around the globe. In a preChristmas message on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote a message encouraging people to deprive themselves of something so they can offer it to a neighbour in need, giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy the spirit of Christmas. On Christmas Day, Francis will deliver his traditional Urbi et Orbi message to the world. Click here for more on Independent TV: Click here to subscribe to The Independent