Around GMA

Article Inside Page

It's Christmas time once again and for Filipinos all over the world, it's a chance to catch up on the Simbang Gabi tradition.

In Vatican City, Pope Francis presided over the famous Filipino tradition in Saint Peter's Basilica --the first time a Pope has presided over the custom.

During the homily, Francis told Filipinos to “continue to be smugglers of faith” even to places where it is dangerous to be Catholic, such as the Middle East.

He added that Simbang Gabi has been held in the Philippines for centuries and “thanks to Filipino migrants, this devotion has crossed national borders and has arrived in many other countries.”

Simbang Gabi, literally translated as “Night Mass,” is a Filipino tradition of attending mass at dawn, or in the evening, for nine consecutive days before Christmas.

WATCH: Susan Enriquez, naiyak nang makita si Pope Francis sa Vatican

Ano ang hiling ng ilang Kapuso stars kay Pope Francis