Pope Francis has used sign language to deliver a lively Christmas video message for deaf Catholics.

The Pontiff smiles and waves enthusiastically before asking those watching to pray for him and offering a blessing for those with hearing impairments.

It is not the first time Francis has engaged directly with the deaf community. In July, he took the unusual step of marrying a young deaf couple in the chapel of his private residence at the Vatican.

Teodoro Pisciottani and Paulina Szczepanska, the daughter of a Vatican employee, were married on July 9 in the only wedding service conducted by Pope Francis at the Vatican's Domus Sanctae Marthae.

It is unusual for Pope Francis to preside over wedding ceremonies. The most recent was a wedding of 20 couples in St Peter's Basilica in 2014 that was shown on Vatican State television.

The small, quiet wedding ceremony for the deaf couple was reported by a regional news website, ondanews.it, in Salerno, Italy, where Pisciottani is from.

The couple have been active in cultural initiatives for the deaf community in Padova, northern Italy, including appearing in a version of Big Brother for the deaf.

Teodoro and Paulina are the president and vice-president, respectively, of the Padua chapter of the Deaf Youth Committee of Italy.