( CNN ) -- After an eventful 12-plus months that began with him being named Time 's Person of the Year and ended with his blistering critique of the Vatican bureaucracy , Pope Francis got a chance to celebrate on Wednesday -- by presiding over Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter 's Basilica . The Mass , typically one of the biggest events on the Roman Catholic calendar , was attended by 8,000 people inside the Basilica while another 3,000 followed along on screens set up in St. Peter 's Square . This year , a drone outside and various 3-D cameras inside recorded the Mass . Pope Francis personally requested a performance of Mozart 's Mass in C minor for the service , according to a Vatican spokesman . Israeli soprano Chen Reiss sang `` Et Incarnatus Est '' from the Mozart composition . On the Vatican Radio website , Pope Francis said that `` Et Incarnatus Est '' is `` unbeatable and brings you to God . '' Manfred Honeck , music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra , conducted the orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome . It is the second Christmas Mass since Francis , born Jorge Mario Bergoglio , became pontiff . During his Homily , the Pope said that though time has been marked by hatred , oppression , violence and wars , God was there all along , waiting . `` Through the course of history , the light that shatters the darkness reveals to us that God is father and that his patient fidelity is stronger than darkness and corruption . This is the message of Christmas night , '' he said , according to an English translation of his remarks . Since becoming pope , Francis has stayed busy and remained an extremely popular , respected figure worldwide . In recent months , for instance , he urged religious tolerance during a visit to Turkey and played a key role in a historic breakthrough in U.S.-Cuba relations . His conversational tone , warm demeanor and rapport with children and others have continued to win Francis admirers . But he has also garnered critics , including among Catholic conservatives , for his positions -- such as a push to make the church more welcoming for gays and lesbians and his proposed solution for divorced and remarried Catholics who want to receive Communion . Despite his high position , Francis has n't always been successful : Bishops ended a tense , two-week summit in Rome in October without agreeing , for instance , on how to minister to gays and lesbians . Such pushback has n't stopped the Pope 's efforts to change the church , however . In his annual Christmas address Monday to the Vatican bureaucracy , the Curia , he criticized its members ' `` illnesses '' ranging from the `` disease of feeling immortal '' to vainglory and excessive planning . `` Dear brothers , such diseases and such temptations are naturally a danger for each Christian and for each Curia , '' the Pope said . `` ... We have to cure ourselves of these . '' Bishops will be held accountable for not protecting youths . Beginning of tough period for Francis . Journalist Livia Borghese contributed to this story .
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