They call on the church “not to be impressed” by “the bad advocacies, the diabolical lies, the erroneous ways by which they wished to devalue priestly celibacy” in the media reporting of that synod.

Pope Francis stressed the need for reform and a new approach to evangelization in his annual Christmas address to the Roman Curia. America‘s Vatican correspondent, Gerard O'Connell, reports.

Pope Francis has abolished the pontifical secret for sexual misconduct cases concerning clerics, reports America’s Vatican correspondent Gerard O'Connell, a decision long called for by survivors of abuse.

Francis had decided to present Father Fiorito’s writings in the Jesuit Curia as “a way to express my gratitude for all that the Society [of Jesus] has given me and done for me.”

On this 50th anniversary of his priesthood, Francis, who now sees himself as “the world’s parish priest,” continued working as usual with a long series of audiences in the morning, including singers and musicians who will perform in the annual Vatican concert for Christmas.

The congregation's task has always been “the transmission and dissemination of the faith throughout the whole world.”

In 2015, Francis had Tomasito laid to rest in the Teutonic cemetery in the Vatican, close to the place where St. Peter was executed.

Father Sosa said the Society of Jesus will also seek to respond to “the concrete requests of Pope Francis” in support of his work for the renewal of the church and its structures.

"When, at Christmas, we place the statue of the Infant Jesus in the manger, the nativity scene suddenly comes alive. God appears as a child, for us to take into our arms," the pope said.

“Consumerism is a virus that attacks the faith at its roots, because it makes you believe that life depends only on what you have, and so you forget God," the pope said.