Pope Francis

Pope at Audience: God has found the means to attract us however we are – with love

28/12/2022   Paul VI Audience Hall, Vatican

Catechesis. Christmas with St Francis de Sales

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and again, Merry Christmas!

The liturgical season invites us to pause and reflect on the mystery of Christmas. And since today – today – marks the fourth centenary of the death of St Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, we can take a cue from some of his thoughts… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: Do I bear witness to Christ?

26/12/2022   Saint Peter's Square, Vatican

Dear sisters and brothers, buongiorno, happy feast day!

Yesterday we celebrated the Nativity of the Lord and the liturgy, to help us to welcome it better, extends the duration of the feast until 1 January: for eight days. Surprisingly, however, these same days commemorate some dramatic figures of martyr saints. Today, for example, Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr; the day after tomorrow, the Holy Innocents, the children killed by King Herod for fear that Jesus would take away his throne (cf. Mt 2:1-18)… Read more »

As we enjoy gathering with our loved ones, let us think of families that experience great hardship – Pope during Urbi et Orbi

25/12/2022   Central Loggia of the Vatican Basilica, Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, happy Christmas!

May the Lord Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, bring to all of you the love of God, wellspring of confidence and hope, together with the gift of the peace proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds of Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those whom he favours” (Lk 2:14)… Read more »

Pope at Audience: The Word of God is a living presence

21/12/2022   Paul VI Audience Hall, Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning, and welcome!

Let us continue – we are concluding – the catechesis on discernment. Anyone who has been following these catecheses until now might think: what a complicated practice discernment is! In reality, it is life that is complicated and, if we do not learn how to read it, as complicated as it is, we risk wasting our lives, using strategies that end up disheartening us… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: We do not need to give in to negative feelings

18/12/2022   Saint Peter's Square, Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

Today, the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, the liturgy presents the figure of Saint Joseph to us (cf. Mt 1:18-24). He is a just man who is about to get married. We can imagine what his dreams for the future are – a beautiful family, with an affectionate wife and many wonderful children, and a dignified job – simple and good dreams, the dreams of simple and good people. But all of a sudden, these dreams come up against a disconcerting discovery… Read more »

Pope at Audience: If vigilance is lacking, there is a very high risk that all will be lost

14/12/2022   Paul VI Audience Hall, Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We are now entering the final phase of this journey of catechesis on discernment. We started out from the example of Saint Ignatius of Loyola; we then considered the elements of discernment, namely, prayer, self-knowledge, desire and the “book of life”; we focused on desolation and consolation, which form its “matter”; and then we reached the confirmation of the choice made… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: Instead of thinking about gifts, we can give words and gestures of consolation to those who are wounded

12/12/2022

Dear brothers and sisters, blessed Sunday!

The Gospel of this third Sunday of Advent speaks to us about John the Baptist who, while in prison, sends his disciples to ask Jesus: “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Mt 11:4). Indeed, John, hearing of Jesus’ works, is seized with doubt as to whether He is really the Messiah or not… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: It takes effort to choose good

08/12/2022   Saint Peter's Square, Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno and happy feast day!

The Gospel of today’s Solemnity introduces us into the home of Mary to recount the Annunciation (cf. Lk 1:26-38). The angel Gabriel greets the Virgin like this: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (v. 28). He does not call her by her name, Mary, but with a new name, that she did not know: full of grace… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Possessiveness is the enemy of goodness and kills affection

08/12/2022   Paul VI Audience Hall, Rome

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In the process of discernment, it is also important to remain attentive to the stage that immediately follows the decision taken, in order to either catch the signs that confirm it or those that disprove it. I have to make a decision, [so] I make the discernment, pro or con, my feelings, I pray… then this process ends and I make the decision and then comes that part where we have to be careful, see… Read more »

No disability can change the fact that we are all children of the one Father – The Pope

05/12/2022   Saint John Lateran, Rome

Dear brothers and sisters!

All of us, as the Apostle Paul would say, hold the treasure of life in earthen vessels (cf. 2 Cor 4:7). The International Day of Persons with Disabilities invites us to recognize that our frailty in no way obscures “the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ”, but instead reveals that “its extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us” ( 2 Cor 4:4,7)… Read more »