A letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith sheds light on Pope Francis’ position regarding the Eucharist in inter-communion marriages. The issue has been raised by the German Catholic Bishops’ Conference and regards an ecumenical theme that concerns the Universal Church. Pope Francis has invited German bishops to await legislation that is applicable to the whole [...]
During his catechesis at the weekly General Audience Pope Francis told those present that Christians need to be constantly open to and challenged by the Word of God. Pope Francis invited the faithful to place themselves in silent openness to God’s saving message as it resounds in the ecclesial assembly and is a fundamental aspect of God’s [...]
On the Feast of the Holy Family we offer all the members of our own families on the altar for God’s blessing. Homily starter anecdote: Grandparents are a treasure: Pope Francis said that as a child, he heard a story of a family with a mother, father, many children and a grandfather. The grandfather, suffering from Parkinson’s [...]
In his homily at Christmas Mass “During the Night” in St Peter’s Basilica, the Pope reflects on how, with the birth of Jesus, everything becomes a source of hope The Christmas story is retold every year with all the places, people and themes we know so well: the stable, the shepherds, the birth. But perhaps the [...]
Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the Holy Mass at Wednesday's General Audience, beginning a series of reflections on the various parts of the Mass with a consideration of the introductory rites. At his General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the Holy Mass, beginning a series of reflections on the various parts of the liturgy. [...]
Pope Francis reflected on the nature and goals of the priesthood in his homily at Mass on Friday morning in Dhaka. During the Mass on the second day of his Apostolic Journey to Bangladesh, the Holy Father also ordained 16 young men to the priesthood. Much to the joy of the Catholic community of Bangladesh, Pope [...]
Pope Francis’ homily at the Mass in the Casa Santa Marta this morning focused on the figure of Our Lady of Sorrows, whose feast day the Church celebrates on September 15th. Contemplating the Mother of Jesus We need to contemplate the Mother of Jesus, said the Pope, we need to contemplate “this sign of contradiction, because [...]
“Even children can be heroes, the youngest, when they are deceived or make mistakes, they get up as heroes and carry on. Keep going, keep going like this! Do not let yourselves be defeated, do not let yourselves be deceived, do not lose your joy, do not lose hope, do not lose your smile”. Pope Francis [...]
In just one week’s time, Pope Francis takes off on a journey to the Egyptian capital Cairo, where he will visit the prestigious al-Azhar centre of Islamic studies. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the Orthodox world, is also expected to join the Holy Father there, alongside the Coptic Pope Tawadros II. Both Pope Francis and [...]
Pope Francis delivered the homily at the Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on the evening of Holy Saturday, 2017. Below, please find the full text of his prepared remarks, in their official English translation. Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Easter Vigil 15 April 2017 “After the Sabbath, as the first day of the [...]
