General Audiences

Pope at Audience: Let us be simple people

  Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Let us continue in our encounter with some Christian witnesses rich in zeal for proclaiming the Gospel. Apostolic zeal, the zeal for proclamation: and we are looking at some Christians who have been an example of this apostolic zeal. Today I would like to talk to you about a man who made Jesus and his poorest brothers the passion of his life… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Hope needs to be restored to our European societies

  Saint Peter's Squary, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters!

I went to Marseille at the end of last week to participate in the conclusion of the Rencontres Méditerranéennes (Mediterranean Meetings), which involved Bishops and mayors from the Mediterranean area, along with numerous young people, so that their outlook would be open to the future. In fact, the event that took place in Marseille was called “Mosaic of Hope”… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Do not forget the poor

  Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Along the course of catechesis on the passion for evangelization, that is, apostolic zeal, let us spend some time today on the witness of Saint Daniel Comboni. He was an apostle who was filled with zeal for Africa. He wrote of these peoples: “they have taken possession of my heart that lives for them alone” (Writings, 941)… Read more »

Pope at Audience: How do I react when faced with those who suffer the most?

  St Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In our catecheses, we continue to meet passionate witnesses to the proclamation of the Gospel. Let us recall that this is a series of catecheses on apostolic zeal, on the will and even the interior ardour to carry forward the Gospel. Today we go to Latin America, specifically to Venezuela, to get to know the figure of a layman, Blessed José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Patience and a heart open to Jesus are a recipe for living well

  Paul VI Audience Hall

Catechesis. The passion for evangelization: the apostolic zeal of the believer. 19. To pray and to serve with joy: Kateri Tekakwitha, first native saint of North America 

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Now, continuing our catechesis on the theme of apostolic zeal and passion for proclaiming the Gospel, we look today at St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first native North American woman to be canonized… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Let us learn to go to the Mother with the difficulties of life

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In our journey of rediscovering the passion for proclaiming the Gospel, that apostolic zeal; seeing how this passion to proclaim the Gospel has developed in the history of the Church; on this path, we look today to the Americas, where evangelisation has an ever vital source: Guadalupe – the Mexicans are happy. Of course, the Gospel had already reached there prior to those apparitions, but unfortunately it had also been accompanied by worldly interests… Read more »

Pope at Audience: There is no holiness if there is no care for the poor, the needy

  Saint Peter's Square, Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today we must have a bit of patience, with this heat – and thank you for coming, with this heat, with this sun: thank you very much for your visit.

In this series of catecheses on apostolic zeal – we are talking about this – we are encountering some exemplary figures of men and women from all times and places, who have given their lives for the Gospel… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Let us ask ourselves inwardly – Am I consistent?

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We are continuing these catecheses speaking about apostolic zeal, that is, what the Christian feels in order to carry out the proclamation of Jesus Christ. And today I would like to present another great example of apostolic zeal: we have spoken about Saint Francis Xavier, Saint Paul, the apostolic zeal of the great zealots; today we will talk about one – Italian, but who went to China: Matteo Ricci… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Are you a disciple of Christ?


Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In this series of catecheses that we are undertaking, we place ourselves in the school of some of the saints who, as exemplary witnesses, teach us apostolic zeal. Let’s recall that we are talking about apostolic zeal, which is what we must have in order to proclaim the Gospel.

Today we are going to find a great example of a saint of the passion for evangelization in a land far away, namely the Korean Church… Read more »