Pope Francis

Pope: A negotiated peace is better than an endless war

26/04/2024

In an interview with CBS, Pope Francis calls for an end to the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and around the world. He says there is room for everyone in the Church pointing out that if a parish priest doesn’t seem welcoming, one can look elsewhere: “There is always a place, don’t run away from the Church.”

Referring in particular to the wars in Ukraine, in Gaza and others that continue to ravage the world, Pope Francis said ” Please, countries at war, all of them… Stop the war… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Pride is a powerful poison, a drop is enough to spoil a lifetime of goodness

24/04/2024   St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Cycle of Catechesis. Vices and Virtues. 16. The life of grace according to the Spirit

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In recent weeks we have reflected on the cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They are the four cardinal virtues. As we have emphasized several times, these four virtues belong to a very ancient wisdom that predates even Christianity… Read more »

Called to sow seeds of hope and to build peace – The Pope

21/04/2024

Dear brothers and sisters!

Each year, the World Day of Prayer for Vocations invites us to reflect on the precious gift of the Lord’s call to each of us, as members of his faithful pilgrim people, to participate in his loving plan and to embody the beauty of the Gospel in different states of life. Hearing that divine call, which is far from being an imposed duty – even in the name of a religious ideal – is the surest way for us to fulfil our deepest desire for happiness… Read more »

Pope Francis to meet with 6,000 young people to discuss how to achieve world peace

19/04/2024

On 19th April 2024, Pope Francis will welcome 6,000 participants of the Schools of Peace, an initiative of the Community of Sant’Egidio that brings together children, young people and teachers from different parts of Italy.

The goal of the meeting is to build a commitment for peace among the younger generations. At a time when war abounds, the Schools of Peace propose “to look at the future without fear and to transform it.”

This will be the third time that the group will meet with the Pope… Read more »

Pope at Audience – Do not allow a moment’s anger to ruin relationships and friendships

17/04/2024   Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today I will talk about the fourth and final cardinal virtue: temperance. With the other three, this virtue shares a history that goes far back in time and does not only belong to Christians. For the Greeks, the practice of the virtues had happiness as its objective. The philosopher Aristotle wrote his most important treatise on ethics, addressing it to his son Nicomachus, to instruct him in the art of living… Read more »

Pope at Regina Caeli – It is important to share faith

14/04/2024   Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno, happy Sunday!

Today the Gospel takes us back to the evening of Passover. The apostles are gathered in the Upper Room, when the two disciples return from Emmaus and tell of their encounter with Jesus. And as they are expressing the joy of their experience, the Risen One appears to all the community. Jesus arrives precisely while they are sharing the story of the encounter with Him… Read more »

Pope at Audience – There are internal enemies we must defeat

10/04/2024   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 Regina Caeli: Ask yourself “do I believe that Jesus is risen?”

07/04/2024   Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

Today, the second Sunday of Easter, dedicated by Saint John Paul II to Divine Mercy, the Gospel (cf. Jn 20:19-30) tells us that, by believing in Jesus, Son of God, we can have eternal life in His name (v. 31). “To have life”: what does it mean?

We all want to have life, but there are various ways of having it… Read more »

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

03/04/2024   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 Regina Caeli – Let us not give up the joy of Easter!

01/04/2024   Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno, and happy Easter!

Today, Monday of the Octave of Easter, the Gospel (cf. Mt 28:8.15) shows us the joy of the women at the Resurrection of Jesus: the text says they abandoned the tomb with “great joy”, and “ran to tell His disciples” (v. 8). This joy, which is born precisely from the living encounter with the Risen One, is a powerful emotion, which impels them to spread and to tell what they have seen… Read more »