General Audiences

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 »

Pope at Audience: Freedom is fulfilled through charity

  The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In these days we are talking about the freedom of faith, listening to the Letter to the Galatians. But I was reminded of what Jesus was saying about the spontaneity and freedom of children, when this child had the freedom to approach and move as if he were at home… And Jesus tells us: “You too, if you do not behave like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven”… Read more »

Pope expresses shame for Church’s failure to confront abuse

  The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today we are taking up again our reflection on the Letter to the Galatians in which Saint Paul wrote immortal words on Christian freedom. What is Christian freedom? Today, we will reflect on this topic: Christian freedom.

Freedom is a treasure that is truly appreciated only when it is lost. For many of us who are used to being free, it often appears to be an acquired right rather than a gift and a legacy to be preserved… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Power of grace must lead to works of mercy

  The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

On our journey to better understand Saint Paul’s teaching, today we will encounter a difficult but important topic: justification. What is justification? We, who were sinners, have become just. Who justified us? This process of change is justification. We, before God, are just. It is true, we have our personal sins. But fundamentally, we are just… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Equality in Christ overcomes our differences

Catechesis on the Letter to the Galatians: 8. We are children of God

Brothers and sisters, good morning!

Let us continue our journey in deepening the faith – our faith – in the light of the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians. The Apostle is insistent with those Christians so they would not forget the novelty of God’s revelation that had been proclaimed to them… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Take time to reflect on how we live our faith

Catechesis on the Letter to the Galatians: 7. Foolish Galatians

Brothers and sisters, good morning!

We will continue the explanation of the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians. This is not something new, this explanation, it is something mine: what we are studying is what Saint Paul says in a very serious conflict with the Galatians… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Hypocrisy jeopardises the unity of the Church

  The Vatican

Brothers and sisters, good morning!

The Letter to the Galatians reports a rather surprising fact. As we have heard, Paul says that he reproached Cephas, or Peter, in front of the community at Antioch, since his behaviour was not that good. What had happened that was so serious that Paul felt obliged to address Peter in such harsh terms? Perhaps Paul was exaggerating, allowing his character to get in the way without knowing how to control himself? … Read more »