Image of the statue of St. John Paul II at the Gemelli hospital  (ANSA)

Dear brothers and sisters,

In the Gospels of the childhood of Jesus there is an episode which is exclusive to Matthew’s narrative: the visit of the Magi. Attracted by the appearance of a star, which in many cultures is the harbinger of the birth of an exceptional person, some wise men set out on a journey from the east, without knowing exactly where they will go… Read more »

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In our Jubilee journey of catechesis on Jesus, who is our hope, today we will reflect on the event of his birth in Bethlehem.

The Son of God enters history as our travelling companion, and begins to travel while still in His mother’s womb. The evangelist Luke tells us that as soon as He was conceived, He went from Nazareth to the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth; and then, at the end of the pregnancy, from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census… Read more »

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In the last audience we spoke about children, and today too we will talk about children. Last week we focused on how, in his work, Jesus repeatedly spoke of the importance of protecting, welcoming and loving the little ones.

Yet, even today in the world, hundreds of millions of minors, despite not being of the minimum age to undergo the obligations of adulthood, are forced to work and many of them are exposed to particularly dangerous work; not to mention the boys and girls who are slaves to trafficking for prostitution or pornography, and forced marriages… Read more »

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

I wish to dedicate this and the next catechesis to children, and to reflect in particular on the scourge of child labour.

Nowadays we want to turn our gaze towards Mars or towards virtual worlds, but we struggle to look in the eyes of a child who has been left at the margins and who is exploited or abused… Read more »

Catechesis of the Holy Father: Cycle – Jubilee 2025. Jesus Christ our hope. 1. The infancy of Jesus – Genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1:1-17). The entry of the Son of God in history

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today we will begin the cycle of catechesis that will continue throughout the Jubilee Year. The theme is “Jesus Christ our Hope”: for He is the aim of our pilgrimage, and He Himself is the way, the path to follow… Read more »

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We have arrived at the end of our catecheses on the Holy Spirit and the Church. We will devote this final reflection to the title we gave to the entire cycle, namely: “The Holy Spirit and the Bride. The Holy Spirit guides the People of God towards Jesus our hope”. This title refers to one of the last verses of the Bible, in the Book of Revelation, which says: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’” (Rev 22:17)… Read more »