Pope Francis

Pope at Angelus – Never direct your eyes away from the light of Jesus

25/02/2024   Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

The Gospel of this second Sunday of Lent presents us with the episode of the Transfiguration of Jesus (cf. Mk 9:2-10).

After having announced his Passion to the disciples, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with him and goes up a high mountain, and physically manifests himself there in all his light. In this way, he reveals to them the meaning of what they had experienced together up to that moment… Read more »

Pope at Angelus – Lent is the time for prayer and silence

18/02/2024   Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

Today, first Sunday of Lent, the Gospel presents us with Jesus tempted in the desert (cf. Mk 1:12-15). The text says: “He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan”. We too, during Lent, are invited to “enter the wilderness”, that is, silence, the inner world, listening to the heart, in contact with the truth… Read more »

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

14/02/2024   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 »

Message of the Holy Father Francis for Lent

14/02/2024

Dear brothers and sisters!

When our God reveals himself, his message is always one of freedom: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex 20:2). These are the first words of the Decalogue given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Those who heard them were quite familiar with the exodus of which God spoke: the experience of their bondage still weighed heavily upon them… Read more »

Pope Francis canonises Argentina’s first female saint

13/02/2024

Pope Francis canonises María Antonia de San José, describing her as a “wayfarer of the spirit” and “a model of apostolic fervour and audacity”.

‘Mama Antula’ is Argentina’s first female saint.

She was canonised by Pope Francis – himself Argentinian– on Sunday morning, in a Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.

María Antonia de San José de Paz y Figueroa, known in her own country, and by millions of faithful around the world, as “Mama Antula”, lived in Argentina in the 18th century… Read more »

Pope at Angelus – Love needs presence, encounter, it needs to be given time and space

11/02/2024   Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

Today’s Gospel presents us with the healing of a leper (cf. Mk 1:40-45). To the sick man, who implores Him, Jesus answers: “I will; be clean!” (v. 41). He utters a very simple phrase, which He immediately puts into practice. Indeed, “immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean” (v. 42)… Read more »

It is not good that man should be alone – The Pope on the day dedicated to the sick

11/02/2024

“It is not good that man should be alone” (cf. Gen 2:18). From the beginning, God, who is love, created us for communion and endowed us with an innate capacity to enter into relationship with others. Our lives, reflecting in the image of the Trinity, are meant to attain fulfilment through a network of relationships, friendships and love, both given and received. We were created to be together, not alone… Read more »

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

07/02/2024   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 Angelus: God makes Himself close to accompany us, tenderly, and to forgive us

04/02/2024   Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

The Gospel of today’s Liturgy shows us Jesus on the move: indeed, He has just finished preaching and, after leaving the synagogue, He goes to Simon Peter’s house, where He heals his mother-in-law; then, towards the evening, He goes out again towards the city gates, where He meets many sick and possessed people and heals them; the morning after, He gets up early and goes out to withdraw in prayer; and finally, He sets out again across Galilee (cf. Mk 1:29-39)… Read more »

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

31/01/2024   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 »