In his homily at the morning Mass at the Casa Santa, Pope Francis called on Christians to be joyful, and said pessimism is not Christian. Contrasting the joyful countenance of a person who has been forgiven and redeemed, with the face of someone attending a wake, Pope Francis delivered a homily on the joy that springs from the forgiveness of sin and the closeness of the Lord. Both [...]
The mother of God is a figure of the Church from whom we want to learn to be a Church that embraces all the richness and cultural diversity of the people of Latin America and the Caribbean, where no one feels ashamed or small. Pope Francis’ exhortation came in his homily at an evening Mass on to commemorate the feast of Our Lady [...]
Pope Francis reflected on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Angelus on Tuesday. The feast of the Assumption, also known as Ferragosto, is an important religious and civil holiday in Italy, and thousands of faithful were present in St Peter’s Square to celebrate with the Holy Father. In his remarks, Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel reading, which relates the meeting [...]
Pope Francis on Thursday presided over the Chrism Mass, during which the sacred oils used for the Sacraments and Ordinations were blessed. In his homily for the Mass, the Holy Father spoke about the “joy of the Gospel”. He explored three “icons” of the good news: the stone water jars at the wedding feast of Cana, [...]
· the General Audience the Pontiff begins a new series of reflections dedicated to hope and asks that no one be excluded from the recognition of human rights · “Hope is the virtue of the little ones”, because “the great ones ... do not know what it is”. Thus, Christian hope is the focal point of the [...]
There are two “attitudes” that are unequivocal “signs” of being a Christian: ‘joyful service’ and “reaching out to others”. In the Mass he celebrated on Tuesday, 31 May, in the Chapel of Santa Marta, Pope Francis offered advice for Christians who “believe they are sufficient” but in reality “are not entirely so”. He invited them to [...]