Pope Francis Christmas Message 2016: Watch Live Stream Of Midnight Mass And ‘Urbi et Orbi’ Blessing From The Vatican

Children may go to sleep Christmas Eve dreaming of Santa Claus, but it is the pope who takes the spotlight for the 1.2 billion Catholics across the globe as the birth of Jesus Christ is commemorated. Pope Francis, who will be experiencing his third Christmas as the head of the Catholic Church, will have a busy few hours on a holiday that is second only to Easter in its importance.

Francis’ Christmas schedule begins on Christmas Eve with Midnight Mass, known as the Solemnity of the Lord’s Birth. The Papal mass will take place at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, attended by around 10,000 worshipers, including cardinals, archbishops and bishops. The mass is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. local time (3:30 p.m. EST) and will be preceded by the singing of the “Kalenda,” the traditional proclamation of the birth of Jesus.

As he did a year ago, Francis is again likely to emphasize the need to reject consumerism and embrace a more spiritual and austere lifestyle.

"In a society so often intoxicated by consumerism and hedonism, wealth and extravagance, appearances and narcissism, this Child calls us to act soberly, in other words, in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent, capable of seeing and doing what is essential,” he said at his 2015 Midnight Mass.

Once Midnight Mass has concluded, Francis will get a few hours of sleep before preparing for his Christmas Day blessing. It is an “Urbi et Orbi,” meaning to the City of Rome and to the world, the name given to the blessings made when a new Pope is elected and every Christmas and Easter.

Francis will give the blessing from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica at 12 p.m. local time (6 a.m. EST) on Sunday. Last Christmas, Francis used the address to pay tribute to those countries that were aiding refugees and warned of the threat posed by terrorist groups such as the Islamic State (ISIS).

Crowds of around 80,000 can be expected to watch the Pope in St. Peter’s Square, but for those who can’t make it to the Vatican in person, both his Midnight Mass and Christmas Day Blessing can be watched online via the Centro Televisivo Vatican below.