church of nativity at midnight mass. so, really right now, it s the sound of music and celebration, instead of the wailing of sirenses and the crackling of gunfire. there s peace in bethlehem and also in jump in jerusalem for now. president obama says that this christmas his prayers are with christians around the world who suffer persecution for their faith. the president specifically mentions the violent crimes of islamic state terror trysts and says, quote in some areas of the middle east where church bells have rung for new jersey on christmas day, this year they ve will be silent. he said he is grateful for nations that respect people s rights to practice their faiths. right now at the vatican,
we re pinching ourselves all the time, that we are here in bethlehem for christmas what, a gift. it s a gift from god. merry christmas. merry christmas. god bless you. and the church of nativity s bells continue to ring tonight. among those celebrating christmas here in bethlehem, some of the 700 krchristians fr gaza that were bethlehem and by the way, it is officially christmas here, so merry christmas, john, and of course merry christmas to all our viewers as well. john, merry christmas to you as well. what a scene there behind you, thanks so much. another white on black police shooting in the st. louis area, we will discuss it with the panel after a quick break. everyone, every year i bring
the excitement and energy was palpable. an illustration of the power of pope francis. erin mclaughlin, cnn, the vatican. and let s take a look at other christmas celebrations around the world. thousands of christians packed the town of bethlehem in the west bank for christmas celebrations. a top roman catholic leader in the holy land said the message of christmas is peace, love, and brotherhood. the church of nativity is the birthplace of jesus. in tacloban, church goers remembered those lost to lant month s deadly hurricane. they relied on candlelight because electricity is not fully restored. in australia, revelers celebrating in the is surf on the sand. santa parked those reindeer and he padded around in flip-flops to deliver gifts and good cheer. i think he was holding a beer
international crisis. the agreement dismantles syria s chemical arsenal that left bashar al assad in power. a civil war raging and a civilian population still suffering. and right now, a live look at bethlehem as christmas day approaches. thousands of people gathering for a midnight mass. the church of nativity, the traditional birthplace of jesus christ. 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
live pictures of two of the most spiritual and holy places in the world. the big christmas tree, i bet you can guess, that is bethlehem. birthplace of jesus. and also the vatican, where the pope is getting ready for his midnight mass. beautiful settings, both spots. here in the u.s., less than nine hours to go until christmas day. it s all about the power to shop. last-minute shoppers are rolling into stores looking for that perfect, quick fix and retailers are definitely ready to let them in. they re slashing prices, extending store hours, hoping these holiday procrastinators can boost the bottom line. one best buy customer told our stephanie elam just how much shopping he still has to do. i have the children s gifts. i have to get that gift for the