Pope Francis

The Pope at Regina Caeli: true love is close but not possessive

29/05/2022 St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

Today in Italy and in many countries the Ascension of the Lord, that is, his return to the Father, is celebrated. In the Liturgy, the Gospel according to Luke narrates the final apparition of the Risen Christ to the disciples (cf. 24:46-53). The earthly life of Jesus culminates precisely with the Ascension, which we also profess in the Creed: “He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father”… Read more »

Pope at audience urges the elderly to sow hunger and thirst for justice in the young

25/05/2022 St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Catechesis on Old Age: 11. Ecclesiastes: the uncertain night of meaning and of things in life

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In our reflection on old age – we are continuing to reflect on old age – today we are dealing with the Book of Qoheleth, or Ecclesiastes, another jewel set in the Bible. On a first reading, this short book is striking and leaves one bewildered by its famous refrain: “Everything is vanity”, everything is vanity: the refrain that goes on and on, everything is vanity, everything is “fog”, everything is “smoke”, everything is “emptiness”… Read more »

The Pope at Regina Caeli: No one can give peace unless that person is at peace

22/05/2022 St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

In the Gospel of today’s Liturgy, bidding his disciples goodbye during the Last Supper, Jesus says almost as a sort of testament: “Peace I leave with you”. And he adds immediately, “My peace I give to you” (Jn 14:27). Let us reflect on these short phrases.

First of all, peace I leave with you… Read more »

The Pope at Audience: God is not afraid of our prayer of protest

18/05/2022 St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican

Catechesis on Old Age

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

The biblical passage we have just heard concludes the Book of Job, a universal literary classic. On our catechetical itinerary, we meet Job when he was an old man. We encounter him as a witness of a faith that does not accept a “caricature” of God, but protests loudly in the face of evil until God responds and reveals his face… Read more »

The new saints inspire solutions of togetherness and ways of dialogue – The Pope in Mass with Canonisation

Holy Mass and Canonisation of the Blesseds

15/05/2022 St Peter's Square, the Vatican

On the 15th of May 2022, Pope Francis celebrated holy mass where 10 new saints were proclaimed: Titus Brandsma, Lazzru known as Devasahayam, César de Bus, Luigi Maria Palazzolo, Giustino Maria Russolillo, Charles de Foucauld, Maria Rivier, Maria Francesca di Gesù Rubatto, Maria di Gesù Santocanale and Maria Domenica Mantovani.

Homily by Pope Francis

We have heard what Jesus told his disciples before leaving this world and returning to the Father. He told us what it means to be a Christian: “Even as I have loved you, so you must love one another” (Jn 13:34). This is the legacy that Christ bequeathed to us, the ultimate criterion for discerning whether or not we are truly his disciples. It is the commandment of love. Let us stop to consider two essential elements of this commandment: Jesus’ love for us – “as I have loved you” – and the love he asks us to show to others – “so you must love one another”… Read more »

Pope at Audience: The good that has been done and sown in old age is the best inheritance we can pass on

11/05/2022 St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Catechesis on Old Age

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today we will talk about Judith, a biblical heroine. The conclusion of the book that bears her name – we have listened to a passage – summarizes the final part of the life of this woman, who defended Israel from its enemies. Judith is a young and virtuous Jewish widow who, thanks to her faith, beauty and cunning, saved the city of Bethulia and the people of Judah from the siege of Holofernes, general of Nebuchadnezzar king of Assyria, an overbearing and contemptuous enemy of God… Read more »

Pope to LGBT Catholics: ‘God is Father who does not disown any of his children’

10/05/2022

“God’s style is closeness, mercy and tenderness” Pope Francis said answering three questions put to him by Jesuit Fr James Martin who ministers to LGBT Catholics. On 5 May Fr Martin had written to the Pope in Spanish asking him to answer some questions that he is most commonly asked by LGBT Catholics and their families.

He received a hand-written response a couple of days afterward, that was published in the form of a short interview on Fr Martin’s website Outreach… Read more »

The Pope at Regina Caeli: The way to discover the Lord’s love is to listen to him

08/05/2022 St Peter's Square, the Vatican

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

The Gospel for today’s Liturgy speaks to us about the bond that exists between the Lord and each one of us (cf. Jn 10:27-30). In doing so, Jesus uses a tender image, a beautiful image of the shepherd who stays with the sheep. And he explains it with three verbs: “My sheep”, Jesus says, “hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (v… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Faith is not a symbol of our weakness but rather a sign of its strength

04/05/2022 The Vatican

Catechesis on Old Age

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

On the path of these catecheses on old age, today we meet a biblical figure – and old man – named Eleazar, who lived at the time of the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes. He is a wonderful character. His character gives us a testimony of the special relationship that exists between the fidelity of old age and the honour of faith… Read more »

Pope at Regina Coeli: May we rediscover the impulse to do good

01/05/2022

At the Sunday Regina Coeli prayer, Pope Francis encourages us to look beyond the “empty nets” we can find in life and look always with courage to the Lord who can fill our nets with his overflowing love and consolation, renewing our desire to do good.

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

The Gospel of today’s Liturgy (Jn 21:1-19) recounts the third appearance of the Risen Jesus to the Apostles… Read more »