Pope Francis wished Italians a very happy Christmas "like the first one" in a live phone call to the popular daytime television programme Uno Mattina, aired by public broadcaster Rai on Thursday.
"I wish you a Christian Christmas, like the first one, when God shook up the world's values," Francis said.
"God made himself small, in a stable, with the little, poor people at the margins of society," he continued.
"Smallness: in this world where the money God is venerated, it helps us to look to the smallness of our Lord who shook up the world's values.
"I wish you a holy and happy, extremely happy Christmas. A big hug to all of you," the pontiff said.
A day before his personal call to Rai Uno Mattina, Francis made an unnannounced visit to a small orthopedic store near the Vatican to order some new insoles.
