At 12 p.m. Central European Time, Pope Francis delivered his first Christmas Day speech as Pontiff and offered his blessing to the 70 thousand worshippers present. The popular religious leader, known affectionately as the people's Pope, has attempted to soften the Catholic churches sullied reputation. He is a champion of the poor and repressed. Francis has also taken a less controversial stand on gay Catholics by saying, "who am I to judge?"

Francis began his papacy nine months ago. He became the Roman Catholic churches leader after the surprise retirement of his predecessor Benedict XVI. Benedict's health was failing and he previously tried to retire twice. Eventually Benedict remarked that he couldn't, "adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me" and stepped aside. He now goes by the title Pope Emeritus and lives in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery inside the Vatican.

In keeping with tradition, Pope Francis spoke from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the world's largest church. He wished for everlasting peace on Earth. Francis also called on Jesus Christ to bless god's children and hoped that the ongoing conflicts in Syria, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Nigeria and Iraq would come to a civil resolution.

"Bless the land where you chose to come into the world and grant a favorable outcome to the peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Heal the wound of the beloved country of Iraq, once more struck by frequent acts of violence."

Francis also remarked that achieving peace is a lifelong mission.

"True peace is not a balancing of opposing forces. It's not a lovely facade which conceals conflicts and divisions," he said. He also added: "Peace calls for daily commitment."

The Pope began the holiday season by officiating a late night Christmas Eve ceremony yesterday. He thanked the Lord Jesus for all he has given Catholics and non-Catholics alike in preaching the good word, despite immense danger to himself.

"You are immense, and you made yourself small; you are rich, and you made yourself poor; you are all-powerful and you made yourself vulnerable," Francis said of Jesus as he delivered his homily in the basilica, packed with faithful.

You can watch the entire Christmas Day and Christmas Eve speeches here.

Below is a complete transcript from Pope Francis' speech:

Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Christmas!

I take up the song of the angels who appeared to the shepherds in Bethlehem on the night when Jesus was born. It is a song which unites heaven and earth, giving praise and glory to heaven, and the promise of peace to earth and all its people.

I ask everyone to share in this song: it is a song for every man or woman who keeps watch through the night, who hopes for a better world, who cares for others while humbly seeking to do his or her duty.

Glory to God!

Above all else, this is what Christmas bids us to do: give glory to God, for he is good, he is faithful, he is merciful. Today I voice my hope that everyone will come to know the true face of God, the Father who has given us Jesus. My hope is that everyone will feel God's closeness, live in his presence, love him and adore him.

May each of us give glory to God above all by our lives, by lives spent for love of him and of all our brothers and sisters.

Peace to mankind.

True peace is not a balance of opposing forces. It is not a lovely "façade" which conceals conflicts and divisions. Peace calls for daily commitment, starting from God's gift, from the grace which he has given us in Jesus Christ.

Looking at the Child in the manger, our thoughts turn to those children who are the most vulnerable victims of wars, but we think too of the elderly, to battered women, to the sick. Wars shatter and hurt so many lives!

Too many lives have been shattered in recent times by the conflict in Syria, fueling hatred and vengeance. Let us continue to ask the Lord to spare the beloved Syrian people further suffering, and to enable the parties in conflict to put an end to all violence and guarantee access to humanitarian aid. We have seen how powerful prayer is! And I am happy today too, that the followers of different religious confessions are joining us in our prayer for peace in Syria. Let us never lose the courage of prayer! The courage to say: Lord, grant your peace to Syria and to the whole world.

Grant peace to the Central African Republic, often forgotten and overlooked. Yet you, Lord, forget no one! And you also want to bring peace to that land, torn apart by a spiral of violence and poverty, where so many people are homeless, lacking water, food and the bare necessities of life. Foster social harmony in South Sudan, where current tensions have already caused numerous victims and are threatening peaceful coexistence in that young state.

Prince of Peace, in every place turn hearts aside from violence and inspire them to lay down arms and undertake the path of dialogue. Look upon Nigeria, rent by constant attacks which do not spare the innocent and defenseless. Bless the land where you chose to come into the world, and grant a favorable outcome to the peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Heal the wounds of the beloved country of Iraq, once more struck by frequent acts of violence.

Lord of life, protect all who are persecuted for your name. Grant hope and consolation to the displaced and refugees, especially in the Horn of Africa and in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Grant that migrants in search of a dignified life may find acceptance and assistance. May tragedies like those we have witnessed this year, with so many deaths at Lampedusa, never occur again!

Child of Bethlehem, touch the hearts of all those engaged in human trafficking, that they may realize the gravity of this crime against humanity. Look upon the many children who are kidnapped, wounded and killed in armed conflicts, and all those who are robbed of their childhood and forced to become soldiers.

Lord of heaven and earth, look upon our planet, frequently exploited by human greed and rapacity. Help and protect all the victims of natural disasters, especially the beloved people of the Philippines, gravely affected by the recent typhoon.

Dear brothers and sisters, today, in this world, in this humanity, is born the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Let us pause before the Child of Bethlehem. Let us allow our hearts to be touched, let us allow ourselves to be warmed by the tenderness of God; we need his caress. God is full of love: to him be praise and glory forever! God is peace: let us ask him to help us to be peacemakers each day, in our life, in our families, in our cities and nations, in the whole world. Let us allow ourselves to be moved by God's goodness.