You are here:HomeNewsLatest News Pope Francis will celebrate “Christmas Mass at Night” at 7.30pm on Christmas Eve at St Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve. Although many people refer to this as “midnight Mass”, it has not been celebrated at midnight at the Vatican since 2009 when Pope Benedict XVI moved it to 10pm. Pope Francis then moved the time to 9.30pm in 2013, his first Christmas as pope, and to 7.30pm in 2020 to allow people to return home before the COVID curfew came into effect. The Italian Government has just announced the country’s state of emergency is to be extended to 31st March 2022 amid a rise in COVID-19 cases however the Christmas liturgies will still go ahead. Vatican officials will check people’s temperatures as they enter St Peter’s Basilica and everyone will be required to wear masks and be socially distanced. At 12noon on 25 December, People Francis will give his traditional Christmas blessing “urbi et orbi” – to the city and the world. On 31st December at 5pm he will preside over an evening prayer service for the feast pf Mary, Mother of God. Vespers will be followed by eucharistic adoration, benediction and the singing of the “Te Deum” to thank God for the year that is ending. ON New Years Day, 1st January at 10am, the feast of Mary, Mother of God, and World Peace Day, Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in St Peter’s Basilica. The feast of the Epiphany is on 6th January and at 10am the pope will celebrate Mass in St Peter’s Basilica. The feast of the Baptism of the Lord is 9th January and Pope Francis will celebrate Mass and baptism of infants at 9.30am in the Sistine Chapel.