Thanks to my friend Chris at CatholicTV for sharing the good news that we can view Pope Benedict as he presides at the World Day of Peace Mass on New Year's Day. The following information will tell you about the Mass and how to view it online:

The World Day of Peace Mass will be aired on CatholicTV at noon EST on January 1, 2009. CatholicTV is a nationally broadcast television station headquartered near Boston.

Pope Benedict XVI will preside at the Mass. The primary message from the Pope will be "Fighting Poverty To Build Peace". In this message, the Pope will speak of poverty as a contributing factor in conflicts, including armed ones. The Pope will take into account globalization when discussing poverty in his message.

Pope Benedict will also discuss population as an asset in the fight against poverty rather than a contributing factor to poverty. He sights how 20% of the population is below the poverty level compared to 40% just 27 years ago despite a significant increase in world population. The Pope also refers to the increase of the world’s population by 4 billion since World War II and "rapid development specifically because of the large number of their [countries’] inhabitants."

The Mass will take place at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

The Mass will air at noon EST on CatholicTV where available (rebroadcast at 12:30AM Friday, January 2nd). The show will also be streamed live at www.CatholicTV.com