Pope Francis

Pope in Kazakhstan: We commit ourselves to ensuring women are increasingly respected, acknowledged, and involved

Reading of the Final Declaration and Conclusion of the Congress at the Apostolic Journey to Kazakhstan

15/09/2022   Palace of Independence, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

Dear brothers and sisters!

We have travelled this road together, and I thank you for coming from so many different parts of the world and for bringing with you the richness of your beliefs and cultures. Thank you for having taken part so intensely in these days of work, commitment and sharing in the service of dialogue. This is more valuable than ever in challenging times like our own, when the problems of the pandemic have been compounded by the utter folly of war… Read more »

Pope Francis begins his Apostolic Journey to Kazakhstan

13/09/2022

Pope Francis boards the papal plane at Fiumicino

The papal plane took off from Rome’s Fiumicino airport on Tuesday at 7:36 AM with Pope Francis aboard, along with a compliment of around 80 journalists in the papal entourage.

The Pope’s 38th Apostolic Journey abroad takes him to the Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, where he is expected to arrive at around 5:45 PM local time (GMT+6) after a roughly 6.5-hour flight… Read more »

Pope Francis mourns the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II

09/09/2022

Pope Francis greets Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on 10 April 2021

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland died on Thursday afternoon at Balmoral Castle, her residence in Scotland.

Her family had gathered with the late Queen as concerns grew about her health earlier in the day.

Queen Elizabeth II reigned for over 70 years, celebrating her Platinum Jubilee on 2 June 2022… Read more »

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 »