We need to enter the darkness, the night in which so many of our brothers live. We need to be able to make contact with them and let them feel our closeness, without letting ourselves be wrapped up in that darkness and influenced by it. Caring for outcasts and sinners does not mean letting the wolves attack the flock. It means trying to reach everyone by sharing experience of mercy.
– Pope Francis, The Name of God Is Mercy
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In this time of pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics are a sign of hope, a sign of universal brotherhood marked by a healthy competitive spirit. #Tokyo2020
It would be good to ask ourselves every day: “What do I bring to Jesus today?”. He can do a lot with one of our prayers, with a gesture of charity for others. This is how God loves to act: He does great things, starting from those small things. #GospelOfTheDay (Jn 6:1-15)
Dear grandparents, what is our vocation today, at our age? To preserve our roots, to pass on the faith to the young and to care for the little ones. Let’s never forget this. #IamWithYouAlways @LaityFamilyLife
The significance of this Day is that every grandfather and grandmother, every older person, especially those among us who are most alone, might be visited by an angel! #IamWithYouAlways @LaityFamilyLife
“I am with you always” are the words as Bishop of Rome, elderly person like you, want to address to you on the first World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. The Church is close to you, to us. She loves you and doesn’t want to leave you alone! #IamWithYouAlways @LaityFamilyLife
The Lord is always close to us: through new invitations, new words, with His consolations. The Lord is eternal. He never, ever retires. #IamWithYouAlways
The Lord is aware of all that we have been through in this time. He is close to those who felt isolated and alone, feelings that became more acute during the pandemic. He is not indifferent to this. #IamWithYouAlways
Only a heart that is not taken over by hastiness is capable of being moved, that is, of not allowing itself to be caught up in itself and by things to do, and is aware of others, of their wounds, their needs. Compassion is born from contemplation. #GospelOfTheDay Mk 6:30-34
During summer time, let us learn how to take a break, turn off the mobile phone to gaze into the eyes of others, cultivate silence, contemplate nature, regenerate ourselves in dialogue with God. #GospelOfTheDay Mk 6:30-34
I thank all those who have been close to me with prayer and affection during my hospital stay. Let us not forget to pray for the sick and for those who assist them.
In these days of being hospitalized, I have experienced how important good health care is, accessible to all. This precious benefit must not be lost which needs everyone's contribution.
Let us pray for all the sick that may no one be left alone, that everyone receive the anointing of listening, closeness and care. We can all give it with a visit, a phone call, an outstretched hand.
I am touched by the many caring messages received in these days. I thank everyone for their closeness and prayer.
Like Jesus’s fellow villagers, we risk not recognising him. An abstract and distant god who doesn't get himself involved in situations is more comfortable. God incarnated Himself: humble, tender, hidden, drawing near to us, living the normality of our daily life. #GospelOfTheDay
In the #GospelOfTheDay (Mk 6:1-6), Jesus invites us to have eyes and hearts free of prejudices and open to be amazed at God’s surprises, at His humble and hidden presence in daily life.
The next World Meeting of Families on the theme "Family love: a vocation and a path to holiness" will take on a multi-centric and widespread format: each diocese will be able to be the center of a local Meeting for its own families and communities. vatican.va/content/f… pic.twitter.com/NIKb…
May the night of conflicts recede before a new dawn of hope. May hostilities cease, disagreements fade away, and Lebanon once more radiate the light of peace. vatican.va/content/f…
Let us pray that, in social, economic, and political situations of conflict, we may be courageous and passionate architects of dialogue and friendship. pic.twitter.com/WOA4…
Tomorrow a special day of prayer and reflection on Lebanon will take place. I invite you all to join spiritually with us, praying that Lebanon may recover from the serious crisis it is going through and show the world once again its face of peace and hope.
70 years ago Pope Benedict was ordained a priest. To you, Benedict, dear father and brother, goes our affection, our gratitude and our closeness. Thank you for your credible witness. Thank you for your gaze, constantly directed towards the horizon of God.
Peter and Paul did not believe in words, but in deeds. Peter did not speak about mission, he was a fisher of men; Paul did not write learned books, but letters of what he experienced as he traveled and bore witness.
At the heart of the story of Peter and Paul is not their own gifts and abilities, but the encounter with Christ that changed their lives. They experienced a love that healed and set them free, and because of that, they became apostles and ministers of freedom for others.
Let us ask the Lord, through the intercession of Saints Peter and Paul, to help us be open to His grace, so that we can see, judge and act from the truth and freedom that come from the encounter with Christ.
If we are docile to love, to the Holy Spirit who is the creative love of God and who brings harmony to diversity, he will open the way to a renewed fraternity.
On the occasion of today’s Day of prayer for peace in the Middle East, I invite everyone to implore God’s mercy and peace in that region, where the Christian faith was born and is alive, despite the suffering.
Today, in proximity to the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, I ask you to pray for the Pope. Pray in a special way: the Pope needs your prayers!
Sister, brother, let Jesus look upon and heal your heart. And if you have already felt His tender gaze upon you, imitate Him; do as He does. Help us to bring comfort to those with wounded hearts whom we meet on our journey. #GospelOfTheDay (Mk 5:21-43)
Love, following in the footsteps of Christ, in concern and compassion for all, is the highest expression of our faith and hope.
Charity is the beating heart of the Christian: just as one cannot live without a heartbeat, so one cannot be a Christian without charity.
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of #SaintJohnTheBaptist. Let us imitate his humble witness to the Lamb of God.
The path indicated by Saint Paul in his Letter to the Galatians is the path of meek and obedient trust, in the certainty that the Holy Spirit works in the Church in every age. #GeneralAudience
Dear grandmother, dear grandfather, the Lord’s closeness will grant to all, even the frailest among us, the strength needed to embark on a new journey along the path of dreams, memory and prayer. #DayforGrandparentsandtheElderly @LaityFamilyLife
Even at the darkest moments, as in these months of pandemic, the Lord continues to send angels to console our loneliness and to remind us: “I am with you always”. #IamWithYouAlways @LaityFamilyLife vatican.va/content/f…
Christ is alive and desires that each of you live. He is the true beauty and youth of this world. Everything he touches becomes young, becomes new, full of life and meaning.
Let us open our hearts to refugees, making our own their sorrows and joys; may we learn from their courageous resilience! In this way, together we can help create a more humane community, one big family. #WorldRefugeeDay
With the Bishops of Myanmar I plead that humanitarian corridors be allowed and that churches, pagodas, monasteries, mosques, temples, schools and hospitals be respected as neutral places of refuge. May the Heart of Christ touch the hearts of all bringing peace to Myanmar!
How often we leave the Lord in a corner, at the bottom of the boat of life, to wake Him only in a moment of need! Let us ask for the grace of a faith that never tires of seeking the Lord, of knocking at the door of his heart. #GospelOfTheDay (Mk 4:35-41)
God knows that the only way to save us, to heal us from within, is by loving us. He knows that we become better only by accepting his unfailing love, an unchanging love that changes us.
Underlying all our strengths and weaknesses, stronger than all our past hurts and failures, or our fears and concerns about the future, there is this great truth: we are beloved sons and daughters.
The current pandemic has reminded us that there are no differences or boundaries between those suffering. The time has come to eliminate inequality and to cure injustice that is undermining the health of the entire human family.
Our prayers are fulfilled and completed when we intercede for others and take care of their concerns and needs. #Prayer does not separate us or isolate us from anyone, as it is love for all. #GeneralAudience
How evangelical it would be if we could say with all truth: we too are poor, because only in this way will we truly be able to recognize them, to make them part of our lives and an instrument of our salvation. vatican.va/content/f…
Today is World Blood Donor Day. I sincerely thank the volunteers and I encourage them to continue their work, bearing witness to the values of generosity and gratuitousness.
I am particularly close to the people of Tigray, Ethiopia, affected by a serious humanitarian crisis. Let us #PrayTogether so that the violence ceases, food and health assistance is guaranteed to all, and social harmony is restored as soon as possible.
The seed of our good works can seem like a small thing, yet all that is good pertains to God, and thus it humbly, slowly bears fruit. Good always grows in a humble, hidden, often invisible way. #GospelOfTheDay
Mary’s heart is like a pearl of incomparable splendour, formed and smoothed by patient acceptance of God’s will through the mysteries of Jesus meditated in prayer. #ImmaculateHeartofMary
Children are the future of the human family: all of us are expected to promote their growth, health and tranquility. #NoChildLabourDay
I invite each one of you to look with confidence to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to repeat often, especially during this month of June: Jesus, meek and humble of heart, transform our hearts and teach us to love God and our neighbor with generosity.
Perseverance is the gift of God by which all His other gifts are maintained. Let us pray that, as individuals and as Church, we might persevere in doing good, and not to lose sight of what counts.
Our Eucharistic celebrations are transforming the world to the extent that we are allowing ourselves to be transformed and to become bread broken for others.
Today at 1:00 pm International Catholic Action is calling for the dedication of "one minute for peace", each according to his or her own religious tradition. Let us pray in particular for the Holy Land and for Myanmar.
We cannot break bread on Sunday if our hearts are closed to our brothers and sisters. We cannot partake of that Bread if we do not give bread to the hungry. We cannot share that Bread unless we share the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in need.
To celebrate the #Eucharist, we need first to recognize our thirst for God, to sense our need for him, to long for his presence and love, to realize that we cannot go it alone. vatican.va/content/f…
These difficult times are a strong call for everyone to turn away from the colonial model and walk side by side in dialogue, mutual respect and recognition of the rights and cultural values of all the daughters and sons of Canada.
I join the Canadian Bishops and the whole Catholic Church in Canada in expressing my closeness to the Canadian people, who have been traumatised by shocking discovery of the remains of two hundred and fifteen children, pupils at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.
Let us #PrayTogether for the victims of the massacre that took place in a village of Burkina Faso. I am close to the family members and all the Burkinabé people suffering greatly because of these repeated attacks. Africa needs peace, not violence!
The #Eucharist gives us the courage to reach out with love toward the fragility of others. As God does with us. This is the logic of the Eucharist: we receive Jesus who loves us and heals our fragilities in order to love others and help them in their fragilities.
In the #Eucharist fragility is strength: the strength of God's love that becomes small so as to be welcomed and not feared; the strength of the love that is broken and shared so as to nourish and give life; the strength of the love that is split apart so as to join us in unity.
The #Eucharist heals because it unites with Jesus: it makes us assimilate his way of living, his ability to be broken up and given to brothers and sisters, to respond to evil with good. #CorpusDomini
