Pope Francis

Pope at Angelus: Jubilee an opportunity to renew our encounter with Christ

26/01/2025   Pjazza San Pietru, il-Vatikan

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

This Sunday, the Evangelist Luke presents Jesus to us in the synagogue in Nazareth, the town where He grew up. He reads the passage from the prophet Isaiah announcing the Messiah’s evangelizing and liberating mission. He then says, in the general silence: ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled’ (cf. Lk 4:21).

Let us Imagine the surprise and dismay of Jesus’ fellow citizens, who knew Him as the carpenter Joseph’s son and would never have imagined that He could present himself as the Messiah… Read more »

Pope to Catholic communicators: ‘Tell stories that nourish hope’

26/01/2025

As Catholic communicators from across the world convened to Rome for the Jubilee of the World of Communication this weekend, Pope Fracis urged them to approach their work with courage, integrity, and a steadfast focus on hope, liberating “the inner strength of the heart.“  “Let your storytelling be hope-telling”, the Pope said in prepared remarks he addressed on Saturday to the communicators  gathered in the Paul VI Hall… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Mary’s service reveals depths of hope in God

22/01/2025

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today we will resume the catecheses of the Jubilee cycle on Jesus Christ our hope.

At the beginning of his Gospel, Luke shows the effects of the transforming power of the Word of God, which reaches not only the halls of the Temple, but also the poor dwelling of a young woman, Mary, who, betrothed to Joseph, still lives with her family… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: Where we are lacking, the Lord responds abundantly

19/01/2025   Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

The Gospel of today’s liturgy (Jn 2:1-11) tells us about Jesus’ first sign, when He turns water into wine during a wedding feast in Cana, in Galilee. It is an account that foreshadows and encapsulates the whole of Jesus’ mission: on the day of the coming of the Messiah – so said the prophets – the Lord will prepare “a feast of … choice wines” (Is 25:6) and “the mountains shall drip with the juice of grapes” (Am 9:13); Jesus is the Bridegroom who brings the “good wine”… Read more »

Pope at Audience: We must protect all little ones and never tolerate abuse

15/01/2025

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In the last audience we spoke about children, and today too we will talk about children. Last week we focused on how, in his work, Jesus repeatedly spoke of the importance of protecting, welcoming and loving the little ones.

Yet, even today in the world, hundreds of millions of minors, despite not being of the minimum age to undergo the obligations of adulthood, are forced to work and many of them are exposed to particularly dangerous work; not to mention the boys and girls who are slaves to trafficking for prostitution or pornography, and forced marriages… Read more »

Pope Francis’ autobiography ‘Hope’ hits bookshelves in 80 countries

15/01/2025

Pope Francis’ widely-anticipated autobiography ‘Hope’ hits bookshelves in 80 countries this Jubilee, and includes narrated memories, anecdotes, photos, and elements offered personally to readers.

Pope Francis’ greatly-anticipated autobiography ‘Hope’ has hit bookshelves on Tuesday, 14 January 2025, in 80 countries globally.

The text, written firsthand by the Pope but with the collaboration of Italian writer Carlo Musso, is also made available to English-speaking readers in the United States through the publisher Random House, and in the UK, through the publisher Viking… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: Through Baptism we are reborn to new life

12/01/2025   Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

The feast of the Baptism of Jesus, which we celebrate today, makes us think of many things, including our own Baptism. Jesus joins His people, who are going to receive baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I like to recall the words of a hymn of today’s liturgy: Jesus goes to be baptized by John, “with a bare soul and bare feet”… Read more »

Pope at Audience: Protect childhood and nurture hope

08/01/2025

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

I wish to dedicate this and the next catechesis to children, and to reflect in particular on the scourge of child labour.

Nowadays we want to turn our gaze towards Mars or towards virtual worlds, but we struggle to look in the eyes of a child who has been left at the margins and who is exploited or abused… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: The Epiphany calls us to seek Jesus, not to remain indifferent

06/01/2025   Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Feast of the Epiphany!

Today the Church celebrates the manifestation of Jesus, and the Gospel concentrates on the Magi, who at the end of a long journey reach Jerusalem to adore Jesus.

If we look closely, we will discover something a bit stranger: while these wise men from far away come to find Jesus, those who were close by do not take one step towards the grotto in Bethlehem… Read more »

Pope at Epiphany Mass: Star calls all to seek Christ in pilgrimage

06/01/2025

Pope Francis presides at Mass on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, and recalls that the star which points to Jesus is visible to everyone, inviting us to seek Him in all things.

“The star speaks to us of God’s dream that men and women everywhere, in all their rich variety, will together form one family that can live harmoniously in prosperity and peace.”

Pope Francis offered that reminder on Monday as he presided at Mass in St… Read more »