Vatican City: Pope Francis says the "sickness of consumerism" is the enemy of generosity as he called for the faithful to give a little something to the poor.

Francis made the comments during his morning homily Monday, so-called Cyber Monday when online retailers woo shoppers with bargains ahead of Christmas.

Pope Francis arrives for his weekly general audience, in St Peter's Square. Credit:AP

Francis made no mention of Christmas shopping - in Italy, the official season begins December 8 - but his plea for generosity will likely be repeated in coming weeks.

Francis said giving away clothes, shoes or groceries can help the poor: "How many pairs of shoes do I have? One, two, three, four, 15, 20? ... If you have so many, give away half."

He said: "We can make miracles with generosity of little things."

AP