General Audiences

Pope at Audience – There are internal enemies we must defeat

  Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Cycle of Catechesis. Vices and Virtues. 14. Fortitude

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today’s catechesis is dedicated to the third of the cardinal virtues, namely fortitude. Let us begin with the description given in the Catechism of the Catholic Church : “Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Justice is a virtue for good coexistence between people

  Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter, good morning!

Here we are at the second of the cardinal virtues: today will talke about justice. It is the quintessential social virtue. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines it as “the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbour” (no… Read more »

Pope at Audience – Patiently enduring troublesome people

  Paul VI Audience Hall, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Last Sunday we listened to the account of the Passion of the Lord. Jesus responds to the sufferings He endures with a virtue that, although it is not considered among the traditional ones, is so important: patience. It regards the forbearance of what one suffers: it is not a coincidence that patience has the same root as passion… Read more »

Pope at Audience: The ancient lesson of prudence deserves to be revived

  Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We are devoting today’s catechesis to the virtue of prudence. Along with justice, fortitude and temperance, it is one of the so-called cardinal virtues, which are not the exclusive prerogative of Christians, but rather belong to the heritage of ancient wisdom, in particular of the Greek philosophers. Therefore, one of the most interesting themes in the work of encounter and inculturation was precisely that of the virtues… Read more »

Pope at Audience: How is it possible to obtain virtue?

  Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

After having concluded our overview of the vices, it is now time to take a look at the mirror image, which is in opposition to the experience of evil. The human heart can indulge evil passions, it can pay heed to harmful temptations disguised in persuasive garb, but it can also oppose all of this… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Humility is the true remedy for every act of pride

  St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Cycle of Catechesis. Vices and Virtues. 10. Pride

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In our catechetical journey on the vices and virtues, today we come to the last of the vices: pride. The ancient Greeks defined it with a word that could be translated “excessive splendor.” Indeed, pride is self-exaltation, conceit, vanity. The term also appears in that series of vices that Jesus lists to explain that evil always comes from the heart of man (cf. Mark 7:22)… Read more »

Pope at Audience – Envy, if unchecked, leads to hatred

  Paul VI Audience Hall, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today we examine two deadly vices that we find in the great lists that the spiritual tradition has left us: envy and vainglory.

Let us start with envy. If we read Holy Scripture (cf. Gen 4), it appears to us as one of the oldest vices: Cain’s hatred of Abel is unleashed when he realizes that his brother’s sacrifices are pleasing to God… Read more »

Pope at Audience – One must have the courage to welcome God’s presence

  Paul VI Audience Hall, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters,

Among all the capital sins there is one that is often overlooked, perhaps because of its name, which is often incomprehensible to many: I am talking about acedia. Therefore, in the list of vices, the term acedia is often substituted by another, much more commonly used: sloth, or laziness. In reality, laziness is an effect more than a cause… Read more »

Pope at Audience – There is something in everyone’s past that needs to be healed

  Paul VI Audience Hall, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In our itinerary of catechesis on the vices and virtues, today we will look at a rather ugly vice, sorrow, understood as a despondency of the soul, a constant affliction that prevents man for feeling joy at his own existence.

First and foremost, it must be noted that, with regard to sorrow, the Fathers drew an important distinction: it is this… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Reconcile, let go of anger before the sun sets

  Paul VI Audience Hall, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today we will pause to reflect on the vice of wrath. Now we are talking about vices and virtues: today it is time to reflect on the vice of wrath. It is a particularly dark vice, and it is perhaps the easiest to detect from a physical point of view. The person dominated by wrath finds it difficult to hide this impulse: you can recognize it from the movements of his body, his aggressiveness, his laboured breathing, his grim and frowning expression… Read more »