Pope Francis made a cold call to wish a group of nuns in a Spanish convent a happy new year but got their answering machine instead.

"What are the nuns doing that they can't answer the phone?" he asked in the message he left, the recording of which was obtained by Spain's El Mundo newspaper and broadcast on Italian media.

"This is Pope Francis. I wanted to offer you greetings for the end of the year. Maybe I'll try to call again later. May God bless you," he said.

Pope Francis has made a habit out of calling people out of the blue, often checking in with ordinary folk who have written him about their hardships. He places the calls himself, as evidenced by the message.