Pope Francis

Pope at Audience asks us: do you know how to listen to your heart?

07/09/2022   St Peter's Square at the Vatican

Catechesis On Discernment: 2. An example: Ignatius of Loyola

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We are continuing our reflection on discernment – in this time we will speak every Wednesday about spiritual discernment – and for this it can help us to refer to a specific witness.

One of the most instructive examples is offered to us by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, with a decisive episode in his life… Read more »

Pope beatifies John Paul I: May he obtain for us the ‘smile of the soul’

Holy Mass and the beatification of Pope John Paul I

04/09/2022   St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem, and today’s Gospel tells us that “large crowds were travelling with him” (Lk 24:25).  To travel with Jesus means to follow him, to become his disciples.  Yet, the Lord’s message to those people was not exactly appealing; in fact, it was quite demanding: whoever does not love him more than his or her own family, whoever does not carry the cross, whoever remains attached to earthly goods, cannot be his disciple (cf… Read more »

Pope to new Cardinals: “May we bring fire of God’s love to all”

28/08/2022

In his homily during the Consistory, Pope Francis encourages 20 newly-created Cardinals to embrace apostolic zeal and bear witness to God’s boundless love and asks everyone to pray for new Cardinal Richard Kuuia Baawobr, Bishop of Wa, Ghana, who was hospitalized Friday after arriving in Rome.

Quoting a passage from Luke’s Gospel when Jesus says, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!”, Pope Francis focused his homily on the image of fire, the “powerful flame of the Spirit of God,” reflecting “a passionate love that purifies, regenerates and transfigures all things.”

He looked at two examples of this “fire”: the “consuming fire” of God’s love, and the “quiet and gentle” charcoal fire that Jesus started at the shore when cooking fish for the disciples, as recounted in John’s Gospel. 

The Pope was speaking on Saturday at the Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of Cardinals held in St… Read more »

Pope prays for war victims as Ukraine conflict marks six months

25/08/2022

At the conclusion of the General Audience, Pope Francis renewed his invitation to everyone to pray for peace from the Lord for “the beloved Ukrainian people who have been suffering the horrors of war for six months now.”

He recalled the dangerous situation concerning the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, and asked that concrete steps be taken to avert the risk of a catastrophe.

The Pope also recalled all war prisoners, saying they are close to his heart, especially those in precarious condition, asking that the authorities work for their release… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: Reducing egoism, presumption of self-sufficiency, pride, arrogance, and laziness

21/08/2022   The Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

In the passage from the Gospel of Luke for this Sunday’s liturgy, someone asks Jesus, “will those who are saved be few?” And the Lord responds: “Strive to enter through the narrow door” (Lk 13:24). The narrow door…thisis an image that could scare us, as if salvation is destined for only a few elect, or perfect people… Read more »

Pope at Audience: The vocation of the elderly is to be witnesses for children of faith and humanity

17/08/2022   The Vatican

Catechesis on Old Age – 17. The “Ancient of days”. Old age is a reassurance regarding the destination to a life that never dies again

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

The words we heard of Daniel’s dream evoke a mysterious, and at the same time, glorious, vision of God. This vision is picked up at the beginning of the Book of Revelation in reference to the Risen Jesus, who appears to the Seer as Messiah, Priest and King, eternal, omniscient and unchanging (1:12-15)… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: Mercy is the way of salvation for the entire world

15/08/2022

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

In the Gospel of today’s liturgy there is an expression of Jesus which always strikes us and challenges us. While he is walking with his disciples, he says: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Lk 12:49). What fire is he talking about? … Read more »

Pope at Audience: death is a passage leading us to the Lord

10/08/2022   The Vatican

Catechesis on Old Age: 16. “I go to prepare a place for you”. Old age, a time projected towards fulfilment

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We are now at the last catechesis dedicated to old age. Today we enter into the moving intimacy of Jesus’ farewell to his followers, amply recounted in the Gospel of John. The parting discourse begins with words of consolation and promise: “Let not your hearts be troubled” (Jn 14:1)… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: Safeguarding the goods entrusted to us by the Lord

07/08/2022   St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

In the Gospel of today’s Liturgy, Jesus speaks to the disciples to reassure them of any fear and to invite them to be vigilant. He addresses two fundamental exhortations to them: the first is, “Do not be afraid, little flock” (Lk 12:32); the second is, “Be ready” [literal translation of v. 35 used in the Italian original]… Read more »

Pope at audience describes journey in Canada as ‘penitential pilgrimage’

03/08/2022   St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Catechesis: The Apostolic Journey in Canada

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today I would like to share some reflections with you on the apostolic journey I made to Canada in recent days. It was unlike the other journeys. In fact, the main motivation was to meet the indigenous peoples to express to them my closeness and my sorrow, and to ask for forgiveness – to ask for forgiveness – for the harm done to them by those Christians, including many Catholics, who in… Read more »