Pope Francis

The Pope at Audience: God is not afraid of our prayer of protest

18/05/2022   St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican

Catechesis on Old Age

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

The biblical passage we have just heard concludes the Book of Job, a universal literary classic. On our catechetical itinerary, we meet Job when he was an old man. We encounter him as a witness of a faith that does not accept a “caricature” of God, but protests loudly in the face of evil until God responds and reveals his face… Read more »

The new saints inspire solutions of togetherness and ways of dialogue – The Pope in Mass with Canonisation

Holy Mass and Canonisation of the Blesseds

15/05/2022   St Peter's Square, the Vatican

On the 15th of May 2022, Pope Francis celebrated holy mass where 10 new saints were proclaimed: Titus Brandsma, Lazzru known as Devasahayam, César de Bus, Luigi Maria Palazzolo, Giustino Maria Russolillo, Charles de Foucauld, Maria Rivier, Maria Francesca di Gesù Rubatto, Maria di Gesù Santocanale and Maria Domenica Mantovani.

Homily by Pope Francis

We have heard what Jesus told his disciples before leaving this world and returning to the Father.  He told us what it means to be a Christian: “Even as I have loved you, so you must love one another” (Jn 13:34).  This is the legacy that Christ bequeathed to us, the ultimate criterion for discerning whether or not we are truly his disciples.  It is the commandment of love.  Let us stop to consider two essential elements of this commandment: Jesus’ love for us – “as I have loved you” – and the love he asks us to show to others – “so you must love one another”… Read more »

Pope at Audience: The good that has been done and sown in old age is the best inheritance we can pass on

11/05/2022   St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Catechesis on Old Age

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today we will talk about Judith, a biblical heroine. The conclusion of the book that bears her name – we have listened to a passage – summarizes the final part of the life of this woman, who defended Israel from its enemies. Judith is a young and virtuous Jewish widow who, thanks to her faith, beauty and cunning, saved the city of Bethulia and the people of Judah from the siege of Holofernes, general of Nebuchadnezzar king of Assyria, an overbearing and contemptuous enemy of God… Read more »

Pope to LGBT Catholics: ‘God is Father who does not disown any of his children’

10/05/2022

“God’s style is closeness, mercy and tenderness” Pope Francis said answering three questions put to him by Jesuit Fr James Martin who ministers to LGBT Catholics. On 5 May Fr Martin had written to the Pope in Spanish asking him to answer some questions that he is most commonly asked by LGBT Catholics and their families.

He received a hand-written response a couple of days afterward, that was published in the form of a short interview on Fr Martin’s website Outreach… Read more »

The Pope at Regina Caeli: The way to discover the Lord’s love is to listen to him

08/05/2022   St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

The Gospel for today’s Liturgy speaks to us about the bond that exists between the Lord and each one of us (cf. Jn 10:27-30). In doing so, Jesus uses a tender image, a beautiful image of the shepherd who stays with the sheep. And he explains it with three verbs: “My sheep”, Jesus says, “hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (v… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Faith is not a symbol of our weakness but rather a sign of its strength

04/05/2022   The Vatican

Catechesis on Old Age

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

On the path of these catecheses on old age, today we meet a biblical figure – and old man – named Eleazar, who lived at the time of the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes. He is a wonderful character. His character gives us a testimony of the special relationship that exists between the fidelity of old age and the honour of faith… Read more »

Pope at Regina Coeli: May we rediscover the impulse to do good

01/05/2022

At the Sunday Regina Coeli prayer, Pope Francis encourages us to look beyond the “empty nets” we can find in life and look always with courage to the Lord who can fill our nets with his overflowing love and consolation, renewing our desire to do good.

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

The Gospel of today’s Liturgy (Jn 21:1-19) recounts the third appearance of the Risen Jesus to the Apostles… Read more »

Pope at Audience: The bridge between youths and the elderly must be rebuilt in a strong way

27/04/2022   The Vatican

Catechesis on Old Age – Naomi, the alliance between the generations that opens up the future

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

Today we will continue to reflect on the elderly, on grandparents, on old age – the word seems ugly but no, the elderly are great, they are beautiful! And today we will let ourselves be inspired by the splendid book of Ruth, a jewel of the Bible… Read more »

Divine mercy often makes us aware of the sufferings of our neighbour – Pope Francis

24/04/2022   St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican

Today the risen Lord appears to the disciples. To those who had abandoned him he offers his mercy and shows his wounds. The words he speaks to them are punctuated with a greeting that we hear three times in the Gospel: “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:19.21.26). Peace be with you! These are the words of the risen Jesus as he encounters every human weakness and error… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Bring your young children, closer to the elderly, always bring them closer

20/04/2022   The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today, with the help of the Word of God that we have heard, we open a passage through the fragility of old age, marked in a special way by the experiences of confusion and despondency, of loss and abandonment, of disillusionment and doubt. Of course, the experiences of our frailty in the face of life’s dramatic – sometimes tragic – situations can occur at any stage of life… Read more »