Pope Francis

Pope Francis: Hope and kindness make the world more beautiful

28/12/2024

VATICAN MEDIA Divisione Foto

In an audio message broadcast today by the BBC as the “Thought for the Day,” Pope Francis urges us not to look at the future “with pessimism and resignation,” but to always choose the path of love and view the world with “the gentle gaze of hope”.

“I hope that during this Jubilee, we practice kindness as a form of love to connect with others,” says Pope Francis in a message offered to the BBC’s “Thought for the Day.”

In his message, the Holy Father highlights the importance of hope and kindness, which he says “touch the very heart of the Gospel and show us the path to follow in our behaviour.”

A world full of hope and kindness, he says, “is a more beautiful world” while “a society that looks to the future with confidence and treats people with respect and empathy is more humane.”

‘We can choose love’

Pope Francis notes that the Jubilee Year, which began on Christmas Eve, calls us to be pilgrims of hope, and he encourages everyone to choose love in a world beset with wars, social injustices, and various forms of violence… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: God always forgives

26/12/2024   Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City

Dear brothers and sisters, happy feast day! Happy feast day to everyone.

Today, immediately after Christmas, the liturgy celebrates Saint Stephen, the first martyr. The account of his stoning is found in the Acts of the Apostles (cf. 6:8-12; 7:54-60) and presents it to us while, dying, he prays for his killers. And this gives us pause for thought: in fact, even though at first sight Stephen seems to be helplessly suffering violence, in reality, as a truly free man, he continues to love even his killers and to offer his life for them, like Jesus (cf. Jn 10:17-18; Lk 23:34); he offers his life so that they may repent and, having been forgiven, be given eternal life… Read more »

Pope Francis ‘throws open’ Holy Door to inaugurate 2025 Jubilee

24/12/2024   Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City

An angel of the Lord, bathed in light, illumines the night and brings glad tidings to the shepherds: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk 2:10-11). Heaven breaks forth upon earth amid the wonder of the poor and the singing of angels… Read more »

Popes and Jubilees: The opening of the Holy Door in history

24/12/2024

Starting from the Holy Year of 1900, we retrace some key moments of the ceremonies for the opening of the Holy Door.

One of the symbolic images of every Jubilee is that of the Pontiff crossing the threshold of the Holy Door. This is a moment deeply rooted in the Middle Ages. The first pilgrim to cross the threshold is always the Bishop of Rome… Read more »

Pope at Audience: “Jesus Christ, our hope”

18/12/2024   Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City

Catechesis of the Holy Father: Cycle – Jubilee 2025. Jesus Christ our hope. 1. The infancy of Jesus – Genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1:1-17). The entry of the Son of God in history

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today we will begin the cycle of catechesis that will continue throughout the Jubilee Year. The theme is “Jesus Christ our Hope”: for He is the aim of our pilgrimage, and He Himself is the way, the path to follow… Read more »

Pope Francis ends apostolic journey to Corsica

16/12/2024

Pope Francis has embarked on his 47th apostolic journey, visiting Corsica for a day of spiritual, cultural, and diplomatic events on Sunday 15th December.

As is customary before big travels, Pope Francis asked the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary to ensure the success of his voyage.

On Saturday afternoon, he went to the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome to pray in front of the icon of Salus Populi Romani, the Roman people’s defender… Read more »

Pope’s World Day of Peace message: ‘We are all in debt to God’

12/12/2024

File photo of Pope Francis in prayer  (VATICAN MEDIA Divisione Foto)

In his message for the 58th World Day of Peace marked on 1 January, Pope Francis reflects on the central theme of the upcoming Jubilee of Hope and reiterates his pressing appeal for debt forgiveness, reminding us that we are all “debtors” to God and one another.

Hope has been a constant theme in all of Pope Francis’ World Day of Peace messages… Read more »

Pope Francis creates 21 new cardinals

07/12/2024

Pope Francis installed 21 new cardinals from five continents on Saturday.

Five bishops from Latin America, including from Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, Peru and Argentina, two from Africa’s Ivory Coast and Algeria and the archbishop of Tehran are among those being elevated to cardinal.

The 87-year-old pontiff led a ceremony in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, with what appeared to be a bruised chin… Read more »

Pope at Audience: May the Spirit help us ‘abound in hope’

11/12/2024   Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We have arrived at the end of our catecheses on the Holy Spirit and the Church. We will devote this final reflection to the title we gave to the entire cycle, namely: “The Holy Spirit and the Bride. The Holy Spirit guides the People of God towards Jesus our hope”. This title refers to one of the last verses of the Bible, in the Book of Revelation, which says: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’” (Rev 22:17)… Read more »

Pope: Place your hopes in God’s infinite mercy

08/12/2024   Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and happy feast day!

Today, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Gospel tells us about one of the most important, most beautiful moments in the history of humanity: the Annunciation (cf. Lk 26-38), when Mary’s “yes” to the Archangel Gabriel permitted the Incarnation of the Son of God, Jesus. It is a scene that inspires the greatest wonder and emotion because God, the Most High, the Omnipotent, by means of the Angel converses with a young girl from Nazareth, asking for her collaboration for His plan of salvation… Read more »