‘If God can visit us, even when our hearts seem like a lowly manger, we can truly say: Hope is not dead; hope is alive and it embraces our lives forever!’

In Francis’ 12th Christmas address to the Roman Curia, he reminded them, “An ecclesial community lives in joyful and fraternal harmony to the extent that its members walk the path of humility.”

Despite his removal, Bishop Joseph E. Strickland has remained an outspoken detractor of Pope Francis, both online and at various events organized by Catholic laity opposed to the Holy Father.

The two leaders also spoke by telephone Dec. 19 during which the 82-year-old president thanked the pope “for his continued advocacy to alleviate global suffering.”

The White House is expected to announce soon that President Joe Biden will visit the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis next month for what would likely be the final international trip of his presidency.

In this episode of Inside the Vatican, Colleen and Gerry examine insights from Pope Francis' forthcoming autobiography and reflect on the first-ever visit of a pope to the Mediterranean island of Corsica on Sunday, Dec. 5.