actually, vatican city. and it was extraordinary to be able to come face-to-face with the main residents of vatican city, and that is, of course, pope francis. when he made his way through the line, after delivering his christmas message, i didn't know what to say. and he spoke first. and i was humbled by what he said. i told him that i was from america. and he said, please pray for me. the pope asking, please, pray for me. it was quite a moment. >> asking for our help. >> yes. absolutely. >> especially in this -- we do want to emphasize, as well, the christmas season. it is his first. we saw that tree there, here in vatican city. it is the tree from bavaria. comes from a different part each and every year. and this year, on a flatbed, geography not my strong suit. through the alps, i believe. but here it is. >> and we saw the snowcaps in the distance. we are here to meet the pope. but also going to give you an opportunity to see where he lives here at the vatican. we were given rare access, places that you

our senior vatican analyst john allen has written extensively about this. he joins me now live from rome. ever since, john, this argentinean born pope took power nine months ago, he has been a crowd employeeser. we saw again today this humbleness, this humility of his and looking out for the poor and vulnerable. it really is the way he does business, isn't it? >> it absolutely is, michael. let me give you another couple indices of francis' appeal. time was not the first publication to pull the trigger on declaring him person of the year. that was the italian edition you have "vanity fair" back in june which included a tribute from the well-known vatican expert elton john who described francis as a miracle of humility in an era of vanity. then i followed francis when he traveled to brazill in july. not only did he draw more than 3 million people twice to rio's copacabana beach break agattend tense record head by the rolling stones but there was a delicious moment when he was outside the cathedral downtown in rio where he was rushed by a gaggle of latin ameri

if you look about the vatican bank, the much beleaguered vatican bank for all of those years. suddenly with pope francis he revamps it. from the vatican bank. he call the other commission for sex abuse. everybody was saying not enough was done from the top with the sex abuse scandal. he calls the commission including lay people and they're going to address the sex abuse scandal in ways that it has not yet been addressed. he picked eight cardinal advisers. the gang of eight as they're known who met once. they'll meet again in october and they'll talk about marriage and family. so this is an important issue because divorce and remarried people cannot receive communion. pope francis has hinted, we have to talk about this. there is a lot of alienation and hurt over divorce and remarriage. so these are very ordinary down to earth substantive issues in the lives of real people and francis is tackling them. >> what do you think about this? is there a possibility in a way, this is reason why so many people have such a positive opinion of the pope. there are still other people who feel

embassy to the vatican" no. the u.s. embassy at the vatican is not going to close, but it was the national republican senatorial committee who put out the word that it was in a quote and called it a slap in the face to catholics. when a perfect trouble-making thing to say, if you think about it. by the way, the nrsc said the media was reporting the embassy was going to close. in other words, the people on that republican committee weren't sure it was happening, but they knew it was sure good stuff to start up a little religious war out there. they would love this stuff over in baghdad, wouldn't they? and that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "all in with chris hayes" starts right now. >>> good evening from new york. i'm chris hayes. americans are back at work after a long holiday weekend, which means they are also back at their computers. and today that means two things, shopping and health care. >> let's talk cyber monday! >> it is cyber monday! >> cyber monday. >> yes, it is cyber monday. >> cyber monday

at the vatican today, pope francis delivered his first christmas message, offering prayers for an end to wars in the middle east and africa the pope invited atheists and people of other faiths to join his quest for peace. over the years, popes have delivered christmas greetings in dozens of languages but today francis stuck to italian-- which is fitting for a pope determined to break with tradition. more on that from allen pizzey. >> reporter: christmas at the vatican is full of color, pomp and circumstance. pope francis would probably have preferred to hold in the a stable. in a recent speech, francis pointed out mary and joseph were homeless when jesus was born and made a plea to do everything possible to assure that every family has a place to live. francis never misses a chance to hammer home his new mission for a church that places the poor at its center. in his first message to vatican clerics who are known for backbiting and power struggles he called for professionalism and a devotion to service and urged them to reject what he called an unwritten law of our surroundings which

he better get back to work, because after all, it's christmas, santa. >>> the vatican -- at the vatican, in fact, pope francis is marking his first christmas as leader of the catholic church. tens of thousands of people are expected to pack 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 langu

from the vatican in rome, christmas eve at st. peter's basilica. the 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

tonight, around the world, at the vatican the pope's christmas mess we're with the troops in afghanistan, and a country retreat for the royal family. >>> and making a difference for a lot of good dogs this christmas. up in the air with a brand new ticket to a brand new life. nightly news begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. >>> good evening. i'm in for brian tonight. it's been a tough day for more than 200,000 people still in the dark and cold, waiting for the power to come back on, days after a big ice storm. other families were left upset and empty handed after a backup for ups and fed ex meant some presents did not make it for christmas. we start off outside 30 rock here if new york. good evening. >> reporter: for folks who waited until today to travel for the holiday, it's been mostly smooth sailing. but in michigan and elsewhere, the weather is adding to the headache some people are feeling. near grand rapids, michigan, weather made for treacherous driving again today. crews there and in maine spent christmas in

that has been live in rome in vatican city. let's bring you some breaking news coming to us, a report that the egyptian prime minister, arrested.dil, was he was the prime minister under mohamed morsi and was sentenced to a year in prison for not carrying out a ruling. his arrest was announced by the interior ministry but it is not clear where he was arrested and further details on that. just a reminder about that breaking news, hesham qandil has been arrested. more on that to come. let's stay with the situation in egypt where it is not clear who has been behind a par 4 car bomb outside of a police -- who has been behind a powerful car bomb outside of police headquarters in egypt. 15 people have been killed and more than 100 injured. the attacked was the fourth of of the attackce was fell 20 kilometers away. the muslim brotherhood has condemned the bombing. from cairo, here is our report. the fullht reveals extent of the damage. it was the first major bombing in the nile delta region but the target was a familiar one, the police

we are live at the vatican. your "new day" starts right now. ♪ >> announcer: this is "new day" with chris cuomo can be kate bolduan and michaela pereira. >> good morning. welcome to "new day," it's tuesday, december 24th. christmas eve. 6:00 a.m. in the east. new this morning, high stakes in space. nasa astronauts are getting ready for a space walk. this is going to be a big deal. why? there are urgent repairs to the international space station's cooling system that need to be made. if everything goes well, they will have a primo look at santa's flight. >> no doubt the the two flight engineers scheduled to do the space walk will have the best seat in the house for santa's flight as they finish up the work they started on saturday. >> you're welcome. thank you. good job. >> today astronauts will venture back out of the orbiting international space station. their mission, to replace a pump needed to cool the vessel. >> i don't know if you believe in miracles but i have the hitch pin on the first try. >> the two

peters as pope francis leads his first christmas at the vatican. we'll go there live up next. >>> and later, making a difference for american heroes serving far from home on the front lines this christmas season. >>> a live picture of bethlehem tonight, and the church of the nativity, believed to be the birthplace of jesus where thousands of christian pilgrims from around the world gather for celebrations tonight. the turnout is the highest in years. and at the vatican, this is an historic christmas eve, the first for pope francis. nbc's martin fletcher is there tonight. good evening, martin. >> reporter: tamron, good evening, and merry christmas to you. pope francis's message tonight, god loves us, he gave us his son to be a light in our darkness. tonight, the traditional christmas message from a most untraditional pope. midnight mass in st. peter's basilica in the vatican. it didn't take long for pope francis to break with tradition. placing the statue of baby jesus in the manger himself, instead of an aide doing it, in keeping with his theme of

embassy at the vatican? from the conservative washington times newspaper, obama's call to close vatican embassy is slap in the face to roman catholics. they say obama insults catholics in vatican embassy shutdown. jeb bush said hopefully it's not retribution for catholics opposing health care. they called it just the latest anti-religious dispute. weakening america as a global leader. sounds terrible. he's closing the embassy to the vatican. true or false? he's not closing the embassy. he's moving it closer. moving it to the same compound as the same embassy as italy. the new location is also closer to the actual vatican than the old one is, so no, the president is not closing the vatican embassy. that's false and crazy, and the whole idea of moving it was the bush administration's idea before the obama administration carried it out, but that doesn't carry well on world net daily or presumably with jeb bush. take care, jeb bush, maybe it is too crazy to be true, and you should take it easy. and today, the cr

he takes a tour of the vatican with a famous actor. and winston marsalis takes a look at two clashing professions that have a lot in common. that's the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a merry christmas. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> your realtime captioner is mrs. linda m. macdonald >>> good morning. it is december, 25. merry christmas to those who celebrate. michelle is off today. i'm anne makovec. >> hi, everyone. i'm frank mallicoat. it is 4:30 on this christmas day. and liz is off. roberta is in. and she is double dipping on this christmas morning. good morning. >> this could be interesting. >> we're looking forward to it. it will be a memorable christmas to say the least. good morning, everybody. it's memorable because today, temperatures are going to again be unseasonably mild and a direct result of the stagnant air mass is this is the 18th "spare the air" day of the winter season. hazy as highs are in the 60s and low 70s

there were also huge crowds at the vatican where alfonso van marsh says worshippers flocked to hear the prayers of the new hope pope. >> pope francis walked up the main aisle of st. peters basilica and was greeted with a sea of smart phones. 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 homily, he noted jesus' humble beginnings. >> you are rich, and you made yourself poor. >> this christmas eve provides another first for the church. having two folks leving at the vatican at the same time on a holier day. >> people have come from around the world to be part of francis's first christmas as pope and those that couldn't get inside the basilica have gathered here at 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

there were also big crowds at the vatican. alfonso van marsh says catholics were eager to hear the prayers of the new pope. >> reporter: pope francis walked up the main aisle of 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 peop

embassy at the vatican? from the conservative washington times newspaper, obama's call to close vatican embassy is slap in the face to roman catholics. they say obama insults catholics in vatican embassy shutdown. jeb bush said hopefully it's not retribution for catholics opposing health care. they called it just the latest anti-rel anti-religious dispute. weakening america as a global leader. sounds terrible. he's closing the embassy to the vatican. true or false? he's not closing the embassy. he's moving it closer. moving it to the same compound as the same embassy as italy. the new location is also closer to the actual vatican than the old one is, so no, the president is not closing the vatican embassy. that's false and crazy, and the whole idea of moving it was the bush administration's idea before the obama administration carried it out, but that doesn't carry well on world net daily or presumably with jeb bush. take care, jeb bush, maybe it is too crazy to be true, and you should take it easy. and toda

to have an ambassador to the vatican? >> that's one of main points of the book is to hopefully make the argument it's very important. the unique soft power of the holy see, perhaps the only sovereign in the world that has the soft power they have without having the hegemonic agenda or -- and add a great honor to a country like the united states which is aligned with the fundamental principles. inalienable rights, human dignity and religious freedom. we are natural partners. >> besides tiny, to other countries worked closely with the vatican? >> yes. there are 179 countries have diplomatic relations, and 30 our islamic countries. >> what kind of work do they do? >> the islamic countries, many of them are trying to work with the holy see to promote interreligious dialogue and find solutions to radical islam. many of the secular european countries are historic monarchies that had relationships with the holy sea person she's. in latin america with the strong number of catholics and all parts of latin america, social issues wi

for now we are looking at vatican city. i understand that pope francis has already met with his predecessor and they shared a christmas blessing today. and now, of course, they are gathered getting ready for a couple of hours from now for his first mass on this christmas eve. to bethlehem. the place of birth of jesus christ. ♪ parades and christmas songs all day long today. but the main event is mid might mass of the church of the nativity. connor powell is joining us live from bethlehem. connor, quite a scene there. >> reporter: very much a scene here. they do christmas particularly well here in bethlehem. it has been a real activity down in major square. all day long. you can see it is starting to clear out now because, as you said, everybody is starting to move to the church of the nativity for midnight mass. the festivities began earlier when the boy scouts led a long procession marching through bethlehem, drums and a lot of fanfare. down star road. bannister that leads from jerusalem to bethlehem. christmas is really

the pope celebrating his first christmas day in the vatican, by attending the christmas day mass at vatican city. here's video of the pope from earlier this morning out of italy. this will be followed by solemnity of the native of the lord, the pope delivers his blessing on the world from the basilica. farther east, crowds gathering for christmas vacation, making a pilgrimage for the birth place of jesus christ, they saw a large illuminated christmas tree, also a midnight mass in bethlehem. >>> michelle obama had a bit of holiday fun, she spent half an hour getting calls from kids, the santa tracker hotline.b the nasa tracked his trek, thousands of callers around the world, wanting to know where he's going. the tradition came from the 1950s and moved online in 1998. >>> merry christmas, i'm erica, moving on in temperatures later today. a full look at your forecast when the kron4 news continues. female announcer: female announcer: it's time to make room for the new mattress models during sleep train's huge year end clearance sale. get beautyrest, posturepedic, even tempur-pedic mattress sets

vatican city in italy. this is video of the pope from earlier this morning. this will be followed by a blessing from the vase can basilica. >>> in bethlehem crowds gathering for christmas eve celebrations, making a pilgrimage. >>> back in the u.s., the first lady had fun with kids checking up on santa. she spent about a half hour taking phone calls from kids calling the santa tracker hotline. they track santa's progress every year and has more than 1,000 volunteers helping update callers from around the world. this tradition dates back to the 1950s, and moved online in 1998. >>> merry christmas, everyone. live in the weather center, cold temperatures to start off the holiday, but we could be approaching the 70s as we head into the afternoon. i'll have a full break do you know when we return. wouldn't it be nice if there was a wireless company that put you on their gift list? well say hello to aio! at aio wireless you can get an android smartphone free with activation. free android phone?!?! yes please. plus

he doesn't speak vatican-ese. thank you, and merry christmas. >>> be sure to tune in for live coverage of the pope's first christmas mass. that special is tonight, 6:00 p.m. eastern right here on cnn. >>> coming up on "the lead," tomorrow isn't just christmas day. it's also one of the biggest movie days of the year. what's worth seeing? that's next. ♪ [ male announcer ] they are a glowing example of what it means to be the best. and at this special time of year, they shine even brighter. come to the winter event and get the mercedes-benz you've always wished for, now for an exceptional price. [ santa ] ho, ho, ho, ho! [ male announcer ] lease the 2014 e350 for $579 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. [ male announcer ] lease the 2014 e350 for $579 a month ♪ how do you explain the feeling of this place? of pulling close the things you love. of days that crash headlong into night. and nights that say nothing but yes. you don't explain it. you just experience it. los cabos. live it to believe it. just by

and moved some high protile people out of positions there at the vatican. polls show him seen favorably, but when you look at the hierarchy of the church, is he 92% popular? >> well, i don't know. but remember that this conclave elected him, and one of the things they really wanted to do -- most of the cardinals talked about this before his election, was to clean up the vatican bank and reform the cur curia. and i think he is right in line with what they hoped and expected him to do. >> he surprised everyone when he talked about homosexuals by saying . . . but that's a major change from pope benedict who said that homosexuality is quote . . . on the other hand francis objected to women becoming priests saying . . . so is this all an indication that there are policy changes coming or just a change in the church's tone? >> well, i think it's a decided change in the church's tone, which is a change. i think it's very important to see that even a change in the church's tone signifies a new way of talking to people which will change the way people see the church

he came to the vatican in 2008 after serving as arch bishop of st. louis. he recently gave an interview in which he raised concerns about the pope's comments that the church should reduce its focus on those issues. cardinal burke will still serve as chief judge of the vatican's highest court but the "new york times" reports the removal from the congregation will sharply reduce his influence and to replace cardinal burke, he named the ar shall bishop of washington, d.c., idea to be a idealogical moderate, more in line with the pope. meantime, the leading gay rights magazine followed in the footsteps of "time" magazine naming pope francis as person of the year as he celebrates his 77th birthday by inviting homeless men to his mass. including one who brought his pet. afterwards, they all ate break fast together. joining me live now, sister janine gran ek, a leading advocate for lgbt rights in the catholic church. thanks for joining me. >> thank you. >> cardinal burke, he was the chief justice for the vatican in his role and as has been noted, he expressed or s

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 tomorrow as well when the pope delivers his christmas message from the central balcony overlooking st. peter's square. >> if you are wrapping presents, take note, no rest for the weary. even in space. tara says astronauts were busy making more emergency repairs to the international space station. >> two american astronauts completed their christmas eve mission. floati

macdonald >>> christmas celebrations in full swing and from the vatican to right here at home people are caught up in the spirit of the holiday. merry christmas, everyone. good afternoon, i'm frank mallicoat. michelle is off today. >>> all around the world families are celebrating christmas. we are going to show you how people here in the bay area are spending the holiday giving back in just a moment but first let's go to cbs reporter alfonso van marsh in vatican city where pope francis delivered his first christmas message today. >> reporter: pope francis waved to the crowd that packed 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

plus, a historic christmas at the vatican and santa shows off his water skiing skills. good morning on this christmas day. today won't be so merry for those who didn't get their package onz time. leading some to call ups the grinch that stole christmas. the company has apologized though, issuing a statement in part saying "the volume of air packages in our system exceeded the capacity of our network as demand was much greater than the forecast." it's not clear how many deliveries are affected. ups says it's a small percentage. drivers do not work on christmas. so that means most packages have to be delivered tomorrow. the company says they'll have additional employees tonight to prep the shipments. customers are taking to ups' facebook page. some are calling it an epic fail. others, disappointing, even more are calling it fraud, in fact. also more fallout in the wake of target's stores massive data breech. reuters reports target hackers stole incrypted bank pins. one major u.s. bank executive telling reuters there is a fear that the thieves could crack codes and make fr

plus, a historic christmas at the vatican and santa shows off his water skiing skills. good morning on this christmas day. today won't be so

he's celebrating his first christmas eve mass at the vatican. we'll take a look at the pontiff bringing dramatic change to the catholic church. >>> and why holiday cheer is in increasingly short supply in the u.s. afghanistan in 2009. on the u.s.s. saratoga in 1982. [ male announcer ] once it's earned, usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve current and former military members and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. the energy in one gallon of gas is also enough to keep your smartphone running for how long? 30 days? 300 days? 3,000 days? the answer is... 3,000 days. because of gasoline's high energy density, your car doesn't have to carry as much fuel compared to other energy sources. take the energy quiz. energy lives here. take the energy quiz. ♪ how do you explain the feeling of this place? of driving into beautiful. running hard down roads o

also live pictures from the vatican city. in about 30 minutes, pope francis will begin midnight mass, his first service as pope as the world watches. it is the top of the hour. i'm kyra phillips in for brooke baldwin today. as you probably know, pope francis has brought sweeping changes to the church. among several other things, he's created a commission to deal with the church's infamous sex abuse scandal. and he's told his flock to refocus on serving those in need. john allen here to talk about all these changes as we head into a new year. he's cnn's senior vatican analyst. he's joining us live from rome. we're talking about a pope that brought homeless men to his apartment on his birthday. how unique of an approach is that? >> reporter: well, we should remember that pope francis didn't bring just three homeless men to his apartment for a piece of birthday cake. they also brought their dog. it was a very inclusive birthday celebration. >> i'm so sorry. i didn't mean to forget the dog. >> reporter: well, named for bob march

. >> this hour, it's his weekly player at the vatican. yesterday he delivered his christmas message to the vatican staff, earning them to stay professional, avoid gossip and stay dedicated to serving the rest of the search. >> then he spent several hours at a local children's hospital greeting patients who gave them a bag full of notes with their wishes on them. most of them hoping to get well. >> john allen is in rome this morning. john, friday, the pope tweeted, and i'm paraphrasing here, to continue to serve the people of the church and stay focused on the center mission of christianity this christmas. what can we expect from the pope this christmas message? >> hello there, pam and victor. i think he's going to continue to emphasize, as you say, this idea of the spirit of service. that was the heart of the speech he gave to the cardinals and other senior vatican officials yesterday. and then he provided a visual of ha that spirit of service looks like with that remarkable, almost three-hour visit to rome's hospital yesterday. providing

so here at the vatican, certainly he is shaking things up. hard to say if he's got the appetite to shake up things in the middle east. >> ben, were there any discussions, any further discussions about iran and the most recent deals made with iran? >> if there were, we don't know the details. this was a closed meeting. they spoke through a translator. so we don't particularly know. we do know that this pope certainly is more actively engaged in the affairs of the vatican from the most minor to sort of the grand affairs of state. now, is he willing to get involved in the nuclear issue regarding iran and certainly israel's objections to that program? i don't know. and i suspect the pope realizes even he has limitations on what he can. >> ben, before i let you go. you're out and about on the streets of rome every night. what are the reports of the pope sneak out of the vatican and doing charity work? do you know anything about that? is that getting publicity there? >> it's getting a lot of publicity here. he apparently met with a group of journal

how it is being received awrong vatican? >> that's hard to say. i think most people are delighted and the idea that the pope would be man of the year and people would be listening to them and sympathetic to the catholic church's message is really positive. there are some people that are disturbed by some of the changes he is trying to initiate. but for the most part people are delighted. >> he has gone after corruption another the vatican bank, and moved some high protile people out of positions there at the vatican. polls show him seen favorably, but when you look at the hierarchy of the church, is he 92% popular? >> well, i don't know. but remember that this conclave elected him, and one of the things they really wanted to do -- most of the cardinals talked about this before his election, was to clean up the vatican bank and reform the curi curia. and i think he is right in line with what they hoped and expected him to do. >> he surprised everyone when he talked about homosexuals by saying . . . but that's a major change from pope benedict who s

. >>> pope francis today delivered his first christmas message to vatican officials since he was elected to the papacy nine months ago. [ foreign language ] >> in his speech, he urged priests, cardinals and vatican staffers to adopt the ideals of professionalism, service and wholeness. the pontiff said holiness encompasses an openness to god, prayer, and deep humility. he also said he wants a vatican that is focused on service rather than power. >>> a thousand people lined up outside a richmond ymca this morning for a holiday toy giveaway. ktvu's allie rasmus explains how the event was saved, thanks to some big last-minute donations. >> reporter: the line stretched down the block outside the ymca in richmond this morning. bundled up against the cold, parents and their kids waited anxiously, in line for christmas to come a few days early. >> the toys, to give my kids some toys. >> and they give out food, too. it helps out a lot. >> 529! >> reporter: inside the gym, volunteers formed an assembly line of sorts, hauling up, handing over bags full of gifts. the richmond el cerrito fire and po

being named "time's" person of the year shines a brighter light on the vatican. what does his leadership mean? joining me now, nbc's ann thompson. it's quite an extraordinary moment in the church. this man, who has taken over, and the change is profound. what do you think is the most important change? you cover him so closely. >> i think, andrea, it is that he has shifted the focus. he's broadened the message of the catholic church. if you think just back a year ago, every time you said the words "catholic church," you also said sex abuse. that scandal had not only dominated the church here in the u.s. but the church in europe as well. that has now taken a backseat, the emphasis on that scandal has taken a backseat as pope francis has said, we are a church of mercy, we are a church that is going to promote social justice, we are going to help the poor, we are going to welcome all, and we are all sinners. he includes himself in that. and i think that is what has made him so attractive, not just to catholics in this country and around the world, but to people in ge

pope francis is making his first christmas message at the vatican. today the pontiff delivered his christmas message in st. peters square. he is calling 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 loca

his words resonate far beyond the walls of the vatican to the halls of power. putin noted the pope's opposition to missile strikes in syria. earlier this month, president obama quoted the pope in a speech about income inequality. >> it is pope francis saying this is how i know how to be a christian, and i'm going to live it large. >> reporter: with the simplest of acts. >> and we'll ask him what the pope said and he'll say secret. >> reporter: nbc new, new york. >>> and that is our broadcast for this wednesday evening. brian will be right back here tomorrow night. i'm ann curry, and for all of us here at nbc new, thank you, and good night. . >> right now at 6:00, actions and the failure to act. the focus of a federal hearing on the plane crash at sfo. good evening. thanks for joining us. >> details emerging from an ntsb hearing in washington, d.c. looking into the cause of the asiana crash at sfo over the summer. we've been following this stor . we begin in washington, d.c., covering the hearings. stephen? >> jessica, one of the last witnesses to testify in thi

it involves jeb bush and the vatican. you won't want to miss this one. >>> the right keeps declaring the end of the obama presidency, but he keeps proving them wrong. that's ahead. people don't have to think about where their electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on. it's our job to make sure that it does. using natural gas this power plant can produce enough energy for about 600,000 homes. generating electricity that's cleaner and reliable, with fewer emissions-- it matters. ♪ spending the day with my niece. i don't use super poligrip for hold because my dentures fit well. before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. so it's not about keeping my dentures in, it's about keeping the food particles out. [ charlie ] try zinc free super

locals here in flores follow what he is doing and the vatican from a distance. this poor district is located in the south of the argentinian capital. priests have been living there for five years. >> poor districts like ours are receptive to what the pope says. the same as what he used to say but he was not so famous event. this is a great source of joy and pride. >> he wants to break an element of solidarity and humanity into an everyday reality where conditions are tough. he hopes of violence can be prevented by talking and football can't inter children from turning to drugs. he and other priest are well respected because they practice what they preach as does the pope. >> what is new are his gestures, not to be worse. the simple gestures that are moving of the world so much. they are becoming action. -- what is new are his gestures, not in the words. >> pope francis grew up near flores and work here. he was the first person to send priests into the area. this priest was to make sure his work continues. he spends all of the state giving advice or blessings to

from the vatican, here is a report. >> pope francis paused for a moment. this would be his third christmas day address -- first christmas day address. he seemed to want a chance to take in the moment, to absorb the sea of people that had filled 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

this is the christmas mass that happened earlier this morning at vatican city. this is a video we have into kron 4 because of the time difference. this was christmas morning there. so there's the pope leading his very first blessings on christmas day from the vatican basilica. and here are the crowds in bethlehem, making the pilgrimage for christmas eve celebrations. they had a tree lit up there, going to the biblical birthplace of jesus for christmas. a lot of tourists there as well. they had midnight mass in bethlehem. and some people, some kids who called and checked up on where santa was, you know, with norad's website you can call and see where he is, and they have volunteers to answer the phone, michelle obama was on the other line for a lot of people. she spent half an hour taking phone calls from children who called into the santa tracker hotline. they track santa's progress as you know every year. they did that yesterday. we showed you live on the kron 4 morning news. i think he was over kazakhstan yesterday morning. he's made it all the way around the

he's embracing disfigured men in vatican square. he's washing the feet of juvenile delinquents and talking about having increased role for women in the church. so it seems like he is successfully kind of changing the narrative as our political friends would say. >> what's the feeling as to why now that he would address this, you know, a tender topicing >> sure. well, to be clear, a vatican spokesman told me today that pope francis has been addressing this topic in private meetings with bishops in various countries, and in private meetings with other people who work for the church. and what they said was he is addressing this in particular with the dutch because the country went through a really, really terrible scandal in 2011, an independent report came out that said that the some 20,000 catholic children had been abused by priests between 1945 and 1981. it felt like he had to say something about this particular situation to these bishops. >> massive issue right around the world and still an open wound really for the church. now, i

this is first christmas at the vatican for pope francis. this morning he asked roman catholics around the world to be peacemakers. the pope delivered the traditional christmas message only in italian. last year pope benedict offered greetings in 65 languages. other christian pilgrims are celebrating the holiday in bethleh bethlehem. crowds there were the largest in years. >>> troops celebrated christmas in afghanistan. some prayed, lit candles and sang hymns in kabul. >>> a cold christmas morning for a half million utility customers from maine, michigan and canada. they're still in the dark after this weekend's ice storm. it could be days before they get power. at least 24 deaths are blamed on the storm. >>> christmas is all about giving. this morning we see how a las vegas cabbie took the spirit of the season to a whole new level. >> christmas almost came early for gerardo gamboa. the las vegas taxi driver couldn't believe what he found in the back seat of his cab, several stacks of $100 bills. >> i called my dispatcher. listen, manny, in

does that mean he thinks the d vatican has too much power? >> the answer to that question is, yes, he says in this document he believes in recent years there has been an excessive centralization, too much power accumulated in rome. he wants to spread some of that around promoting what he calls a sound day centralization. and he actually gives, to show you how important this is to him, he gives you a concrete example that is pretty much a direct repeal of previous policy. back in 1998, john paul ii ruled that bishops conferences around the world, such as the u.s. conference of catholic bishops in the states have no power to teach officially in the name of the church. that is, they can't proclaim the official catholic doctrine. francis says in this document he wants them to have exactly that power. and if that happens, that is a pretty significant shift of authority from the center, that is the headquarters of the catholic church in rome to the periphery to local churches around the world. >> now, i was going to say, pope francis also calls for

secret surveillance program and twerking and the vatican have in common? >> finalists for "person of the career," for time. that includes the pope, and snow know and miley cyrus whose performance was one of the most talk about moments at the music awards for video. last year they selected president obama as "person of the year." what do you think of the nominees? we posted the question on facebook this morning and it sparked a lost comment. >> nelson mandela was not on the list and a lost opinions so we want to hear from you. mike nuclear has the forecast. >> it will be cold. no getting an it. fill be cold, again, and we will talk how long it will last in the forecast with the clear sky, sunshine is going to modify the air mass and i will show you how much warmer it will be. >> the iphone case that says it is good for your health. >> and ready to bat [[man] it's nothing but tape... [woman] it's a block. we're havin' a baby! [laughter in background] [woman screams] are we havin' a baby? [ambient crying and laughter] >>> covering los altos, petaluma, and all

having lunch with the homeless at the vatican. good for him. welcome to "around the world." i'm suzanne malveaux. >> i'm michael holmes. all right now, respecting your privacy while protecting national security. that hot button issue is front and center at the white house right now. >> president obama is meeting with top xwvs of apple, google,ity twer, yahoo! microsoft, twasbook to name a few. 15 tech chiefs in all. we're getting video from the white house. the visit comes just a day after a federal judge ruled the government's collection of dose mess tick phone records is likely unconstitutional. we want to bring in two people to talk about this, george washington law professor jonathan turley and jim acosta at the white house. jim, i want to start off with you. you've got them talking about the economy, the problems that they're having with obama care w -- website. does it strike you as ironic you are people who collect information, they use it, they all sell it for profit, haven't always been good at protecting their privacy, now complaining about the government spying. t