In the words of Pope Francis

Pope Francis: Imitate God’s mercy

Vatican City, 14 July 2013 (VIS) – At midday the Pope presided at his first Sunday Angelus in Castel Gandolfo, praying with the faithful gathered in Piazza della Liberta. He commented on the parable of the good Samaritan from the gospel of St. Luke, emphasizing that “God always wants mercy for everyone and not condemnation. […]

General Audience: In temple of the church there are no useless bricks

Vatican City, 26 June 2013 (VIS) – The image of the temple, to illustrate the mystery of the Church, was the theme chosen by Pope Francis for his catechesis in today's general audience.

Pope Francis: Culture of waste treats persons as if they were garbage

Vatican City, 5 June 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis dedicated the catechesis of today’s Wednesday morning general audience to the environment, noting that today marks the World Environment Day promoted by the United Nations. “When we speak of the environment, of creation, my thoughts go to the first pages of the Bible, to the Book […]

Angelus: Jesus worried about hunger of his followers

Vatican City, 2 June 2013 (VIS) – At noon today, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, informing them that this past Thursday was the celebration of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi—”the Feast of the Eucharist, the Sacrament of […]

In rosary meditation, Pope Francis urges paying attention to God’s word

Vatican City, 1 June 2013 (VIS) – At 8:00 yesterday evening, Pope Francis participated in the praying of the Rosary held in St. Peter’s Square concluding the Marian month of May. The celebration was presided by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, vicar general of His Holiness for Vatican City and archpriest of the Vatican Basilica. At the […]

Corpus Christi: God’s solidarity never ceases to amaze us

Vatican City, 31 May 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Pope Francis celebrated Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. He then led, on foot, the Eucharistic procession that wound along Rome’s Via Merulana, until reaching the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. Following are ample extracts from the Holy Father’s […]

The Church is God’s call to be part of His family

Vatican City, 29 May 2013 (VIS) – The mystery of the Church will be the theme of Pope Francis' new cycle of catechesis during the Wednesday general audiences. “A mystery,” he said, “that we all live and in which we all take part.” The Pope, who will discuss this topic in light of Vatican Council II texts, began from the parable of the prodigal son that illustrates God's plan for humanity.

Be courageous witnesses to the Gospel, pope says at audience

Vatican City, 22 May 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis dedicated his Wednesday general audience catechesis to the Holy Spirit, without whom, “the Church could not live or carry out the mission that Jesus has entrusted us with, of going out and making disciples of all nations. Evangelisation is the Church’s mission, not just of a […]

Pope Francis: Be open to God’s surprises

Vatican City, 19 May 2013 (VIS) – The Mass that Pope Francis celebrated this morning in St. Peter’s Square in front of over 200,000 people was the concluding event of the two days of pilgrimage for the ecclesial movements, communities, and lay associations to Rome as part of the Year of Faith celebrations. In his […]

Pope to new ambassadors: Financial crisis rooted in rejection of ethics

Vatican City, 16 May 2013 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father received the credential letters of four new ambassadors to the Holy See: Mr. Bolot Iskovich Otunbaev from Kyrgyzstan; Mr. David Shoul from Antigua and Barbuda; Mr. Jean-Paul Senninger from Luxembourg; and Mr. Lameck Nthekela from Botswana. In the address he gave them, the […]