General Audiences

Pope at Angelus: the Lord does not withdraw when faced with our frailties

  The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

Today’s Liturgy offers us a beautiful phrase, that we always pray in the Angelus and which by itself reveals to us the meaning of Christmas. It says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. These words, if we think about it, contain a paradox… Read more »

Pope at Audience on immigration: the cause is almost always the arrogance and violence of the powerful

  The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today I would like to present Saint Joseph to you as a persecuted and courageous migrant. This is how the Evangelist Matthew describes him. This particular event in the life of Jesus, which also involves Joseph and Mary, is traditionally known as “the flight into Egypt” (cf. Mt 2:13-23). The family of Nazareth suffered such humiliation and experienced first-hand the precariousness, fear and pain of having to leave their homeland… Read more »

The Pope’s message to engaged couples at audience: true love begins when courting phase ends

  The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Let us continue our journey of reflection on the person of Saint Joseph. Today, I would like to deepen his being “just” and “Mary’s betrothed spouse”, and thus provide a message to all engaged couples, and newlyweds as well. Many events connected with Joseph fill the stories of the apocryphal, that is, non-canonical gospels, that have even influenced art and various places of worship… Read more »

Pope at Audience: St Joseph a model for meaningful human relationships

  The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Last Wednesday we began a cycle of catecheses on Saint Joseph – the year dedicated to him is coming to an end. Today we will continue this journey, focusing on his role in salvation history.

Jesus in the Gospels is indicated as the “son of Joseph” (Lk 3:23; 4: 22; Jn 1:45; 6:42) and the “carpenter’s son” (Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3)… Read more »

Pope Francis: St Joseph, an example and a witness for our times

Following his catechesis on St Paul’s Letter to the Galatians at the Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis begins a new series of reflections on St Joseph as an example and a witness for our times.

Catechesis on Saint Joseph – 1. Saint Joseph and the environment in which he lived

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

On 8 December 1870, Blessed Pius IX proclaimed Saint Joseph Patron of the Universal Church… Read more »

The Pope at Audience: Let us not grow weary

  The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We have reached the end of the catechesis on the Letter to the Galatians. We could have reflected on so much other content contained in this writing of Saint Paul! The Word of God is an inexhaustible font. And in this letter, the Apostle has spoken to us as an evangeliser, as a theologian and as a pastor… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Believing in Jesus means following Him

  The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In the passage from the Letter to the Galatians we have just heard, Saint Paul exhorts Christians to walk according to the Holy Spirit (cf. 5:16, 25), that is a style: to walk according to the Holy Spirit. In effect, to believe in Jesus means to follow him, to go behind him along his way, just as the first disciples did… Read more »

Pope Francis: Love alone attracts and changes the human heart

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Saint Paul’s preaching is completely centred on Jesus and his Paschal Mystery. In fact, the Apostle presents himself as a witness of Christ, and Christ crucified (cfr. 1 Cor 2:2). He reminds the Galatians, tempted to base their religiosity on the observance of precepts and traditions, that the centre of salvation and faith is the death and resurrection of the Lord… Read more »