Seven illicit bishops have asked Pope Francis for pardon and requested reconciliation with him and the universal church.

The issue is expected to come up in the 2019 special gathering of the Synod of Bishops to study questions related to the church's pastoral work in the Amazon.

The Vatican newspaper noted media reports that President Donald Trump "used particularly harsh and offensive words about immigrants" from several countries.

The Vatican said Francis had followed the saga of the Sodalitium of Christian Life for years and was “particularly concerned about the seriousness of information about the internal regime, the training and financial management.”

In his homily on New Year’s eve,, the pope said God gave to us a “whole and sound” year, but “we humans in so many ways ruined and hurt it.”

Pope Francis has already attracted more than 40 million followers on Twitter, and he is quickly making a splash on Instagram as well.