Pope Leo XIV surprised the rain-soaked faithful in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday night with an apology, delivered in both English and Italian, to those who were unable to get inside the basilica for the American-born pontiff’s first Christmas Eve Mass.

“Welcome!” he said in English, greeting the thousands who were packed into the square. “Basilica of St. Peter’s is very large, but unfortunately it is not large enough to receive all of you. I admire and respect and thank you for your courage and your wanting to be here this evening.”

Then, in Italian, he continued: “Despite the weather, we want to celebrate the Christmas feast together."

“Merry Christmas to all of you!” he said, before adding, still in Italian, “Please follow the celebration on the screen.”

The celebration lasted almost two and a half hours and ended with a traditional homily from the Chicago native, who turned 70 in September.

In a nine-minute address, Leo retold the story of Jesus Christ’s birth and his significance to the world while indirectly addressing global crises.

In the most pointed section, Leo criticized the globalized economy and alluded to the world’s many military conflicts.

“While a distorted economy leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise, “ he said, “God becomes like us, revealing the infinite dignity of every person.

“While humanity seeks to become God in order to dominate others, God chooses to become man in order to free us from every form of slavery.”

He also addressed the legacies of his two immediate predecessors, Pope Francis, who died in April, and Pope Benedict XVI, who led the Roman Catholic Church from 2005 until 2013.

Their papacies engendered controversy, with Benedict emphasizing church tradition and Francis attempting to liberalize its institutions and teachings.