Pope Francis

Pope to Roman Curia: ‘Only those who love go forward’

22/12/2023

Pope Francis’s Christmas greetings to the Curia resonated with the spirit of the ongoing Synodal process, which asks the Church to listen, discern, and walk together with the faithful so that everyone can participate in the dynamism of missionary communion.

Addressing members of the Roman Curia in the Vatican on Thursday morning, the Pope began his address highlighting the importance of listening.

Listening with the heart

He drew attention to the exemplary model of the Virgin Mary, and urged those present to listen not only with their ears but with their hearts, echoing the wisdom of Saint Benedict who speaks of listening with “the ear of your heart.”

Mary’s open-hearted reception of the angel’s message, he said, serves as a reminder that true listening involves an interior openness that goes beyond mere exchange of information “because more important than any precept is our need to enter into a relationship with God by accepting the gift of the love that he comes to bring us.“

“More important than any precept is our need to enter into a relationship with God by accepting the gift of the love that he comes to bring us.”

The Pope went on to emphasize the significance of humility in listening and said, “There is no better way to listen than ‘on our knees’.”

This humble posture, he explained, shows a willingness to set aside preconceived notions and prejudices, allowing us to truly understand the desires and needs of others… Read more »

Pope at Audience – Allow your heart to feel something within

20/12/2023 Paul VI Audience Hall, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Eight hundred years ago, at Christmas in 1223, Saint Francis organized the living Nativity scene in Greccio. While Nativity scenes are being prepared or completed in homes and other places, it is good for us to rediscover their origins.

How did the crib come about? What was St Francis’ intention? He said this: “I want to depict the Child born in Bethlehem, and in some way see with the eyes of the body the hardships in which He found Himself for want of the things necessary for an infant: how He was laid in a manger and how He lay on the straw between the ox and the ass” (Tommaso da Celano, Vita prima, XXX, 84: FF 468)… Read more »

Pope celebrates 87th birthday, asks Christians to celebrate Jesus’ birth

17/12/2023

Pope Francis turned 87 years old on Sunday, 17 December.

As he often does ahead of Christmas, the Pope spent a few moments with children and families assisted by the Santa Marta Dispensary, who presented him with a birthday cake and sang ‘Happy Birthday’.

The Santa Marta Dispensary has provided medical assistance to children and families in need for over 90 years, and is based just a stone’s throw away from the Pope’s residence inside the Vatican… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Do I truly love the Lord to the point of wanting to proclaim him?

13/12/2023 Paul VI Audience Hall, The Vatican

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we will conclude the series dedicated to apostolic zeal, in which we have allowed the Word of God to inspire us, to help nurture a passion for the proclamation of the Gospel. And this involves every Christian. Let us consider the fact that in Baptism, the celebrant, touching the ears and the lips of the baptized, says: “May the Lord Jesus, who made the deaf hear and the mute speak, grant that you may soon receive his word and profess the faith”… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: Let us value silence, sobriety and listening

10/12/2023 Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

On this second Sunday of Advent, the Gospel speaks to us about John the Baptist, the precursor of Jesus (cf. Mk 1:1-8), and it describes him as “the voice of one crying in the desert” (v. 3). The desert, an empty place, where you do not communicate; and the voice, a means to speak – these seem like two contradictory images… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: Do I find time to perform some tangible act of disinterested service?

08/12/2023 Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno and happy feast day!

Today, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Gospel presents us with the scene of the Annunciation (cf. Lk 1:26-38). It demonstrates two of Mary’s attitudes that help us understand how she may have guarded the unique gift she received – a heart completely free from sin. These two attitudes are amazement regarding the works of God and fidelity in the simple things… Read more »

Pope at Audience – Without the Holy Spirit, all zeal is vain and falsely apostolic

06/12/2023 Paul VI Audience Hall, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters,

In the last catecheses we saw that the proclamation of the Gospel is joy, it is for everyone, and it is addressed to today. Now let us discover a final essential characteristic: it is necessary that the proclamation takes place in the Holy Spirit. Indeed, to “communicate God”, the joyful credibility of the testimony, the universality of the proclamation and the timeliness of the message are not enough… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: Let us not be distracted by the many pointless things

03/12/2023 The Chapel of the House of Saint Martha, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

Today too I will not be able to read everything: I am getting better, but my voice is still not good. Monsignor Braida will read the catechesis.

Today, first Sunday of Advent, in the brief Gospel the liturgy offers us (cf. Mk 13: 33-37), Jesus addresses a simple and direct exhortation to us, three times: “Watch” (vv… Read more »

Pope at Audience: A truth does not become more credible because one raises one’s voice

29/11/2023 Paul VI Audience Hall, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters,

The last few times we saw that Christian proclamation is a joy, and it is for everyone; today we will see a third aspect: it is for today.

One almost always hears bad things being said about today. Certainly, with wars, climate change, worldwide injustice and migration, family and hope crises, there is no shortage of cause for concern… Read more »

Pope’s participation in COP28 Summit cancelled at doctors’ request

29/11/2023

The Director of the Holy See Press Office says Pope Francis’ physicians have asked him not to undertake his scheduled journey to Dubai to participate in the COP28 Summit, and he has accepted their advice “with great regret.”

A statement released on Tuesday evening by the Director of the Holy See Press Office said, “Even though the Holy Father’s general health situation has improved in relation to the flu and respiratory tract inflammation he has been suffering from, his doctors have asked the Pope not to undertake his scheduled visit to Dubai in the coming days, on the occasion of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.”

Matteo Bruni said that upon the advice of the doctors, Pope Francis “with great regret” has cancelled his visit to Dubai… Read more »