Pope Benedict XVI congratulated the Catholic world on Christmas

At Vatican City on Friday night, Catholic worshippers packed pews inside St. Peter's Basilica to hear Pope Benedict XVI deliver Midnight Mass. He prayed to God for peace.

"Grant us the grace of true brotherhood. Help us to become like you. Help us to recognize your face in others who need our assistance," he said. "And help us to live together with you as brothers and sisters so as to become one family -- your family," according to CNN reports.

The mass was held amid tight security following parcel bomb attacks targeting two embassies in the Italian capital, Rome.

The pontiff was guarded by bodyguards keeping him away from attendees on the procession to the altar in the Saint Peter's Basilica.

On Christmas Eve of 2009, he was attacked by a woman who dragged him to the floor.

In recent months, the Roman Catholic Church has been rocked by numerous revelations of child sexual abuse at the hands of priests around the world, Press TV informs.