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SEASON FOR GIVING, BUT THAT
DOESN'T MEAN A WINE CHILLER FROM
BROOKSTONE.
AMERICANS ARE ABSOLUTELY WILD
ABOUT THIS NEW POPE.
AMONG AMERICAN CATHOLICS,
APPROVAL IS AT ALMOST 90%,
HIGHER THAN AT ANY TIME THAT
POPE JOHN PAUL WAS IN HIS LAST
DECADE IN POWER.
HE WILL SOON BE DECLARED A
SAINT.
ERIN McLOUGHLIN IS LIVE IN ROME.
SO ERIN, THE POPE'S CHRISTMAS
MESSAGE, WHAT IS IT AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY, HOW DIFFERENT IS IT
AND THE FEEL THERE FROM YEARS
PAST?
>> Reporter: I THINK THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH'S MESSAGE DURING
THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD IN GENERAL
IS A LITURGICAL ONE, THAT JESUS
WAS BORN ON CHRISTMAS EVE, THE
SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.
WE HEARD FROM THE POPE IN HIS
HOMILY TODAY, THE MESSAGE THAT
JESUS WAS ALSO BORN INTO
POVERTY, THAT HE IS THE LIGHT
THAT BRIGHTENS THE DARKNESS.
HE SAID THROUGHOUT THE PAST NINE
MONTHS OF HIS PAPACY, POPE
FRANCIS HAS EMPHASIZED THE
IMPOVERISHED, THE
DISENFRANCHISED, THE LEFT
FORTUNATE AND HIS MESSAGE ON
CHRISTMAS IS NO DIFFERENT.
ON SATURDAY HE ADDRESSED THE
GOVERNING BODY OF THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH THERE AND
EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
CHURCH'S SERVICE, THAT HE WANTS
A GOVERNING BODY THAT GETS OUT
INTO THE COMMUNITY AND ACTUALLY
HELPS THE PEOPLE.
THEN HE LED BY EXAMPLE, SPENT
THE NEXT THREE HOURS AT A LOCAL
HOSPITAL VISITING SICK CHILDREN,
MEETING WITH THEIR DOCTORS,
BRINGING CHRISTMAS CHEER.
THEN YESTERDAY, THERE WAS THIS
HISTORIC MOMENT, THE TWO POPES
MET FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME TO
EXCHANGE CHRISTMAS GREETINGS.
FRANCIS SPENT 45 MINUTES WITH
BENEDICT, A SIGN THAT THIS IS
NOT YOUR NORMAL OR USUAL PAPACY.
THEN ALSO NOT NORMAL, THE ROLE
OF THE VATICAN IN REACHING OUT
REALLY AT A GRASSROOTS LEVEL TO
THE POOR, THE POPE'S CHRISTMAS
GIFTS THIS YEAR, HE GAVE 2,000
EMIGRANTS AT A LOCAL SHELTER
PREPAID INTERNATIONAL PHONE
CARDS SO THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE
TO PHONE HOME DURING THE FESTIVE
SEASON.
AGAIN, EMPHASIZING THIS ROLE OF
THE CHURCH IN HELPING THE POOR
DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON.
>> WE'RE ALL WATCHING FROM AFAR.
YOU'RE THERE, YOU ARE IN ROME IN
VATICAN CITY.
WHAT DO YOU SEE THERE MAYBE THAT
WE DON'T SEE THAT MAKES THIS
POPE SO POPULAR, EVEN AMONG
ATHEISTS?
>> Reporter: I THINK IT'S JUST
THIS IDEA THAT THE POPE IS SO
INCLUSIVE.
LAST WEEK WAS HIS 77th BIRTHDAY.
HE INVITED FOUR HOMELESS MEN
PLUS THEIR DOG INTO THE VATICAN
FOR BREAKFAST AND TO CELEBRATE
MASS.
I DON'T KNOW MANY PEOPLE THAT
WOULD DO THAT, LET ALONE THE
POPE.
SO JUST THIS IDEA THAT HE