October 12, 2015, Monday — Apostasy “It is our very sleepiness to the presence of God that renders us insensitive to evil: we don’t hear God because we don’t want to be disturbed.” —Pope Benedict XVI, Vatican City, April 20, 2011, General Audience “The attempts made through the ages to extinguish the light of God, to [...]
Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! A few days ago the Synod of Bishops began on the theme “The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and in the Contemporary World.” The family that follows the way of the Lord is fundamentally witnessing the love of God and merits, therefore, all the dedication of [...]
October 7, 2015, Wednesday — Mortality "Every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes." —Pope Francis, on Thursday, September 24, in his address to the U.S. Congress during his visit to America; he called for the "global abolition" [...]
October 5, 2015, Monday — The One Thing "And he comes, moving slowly like a serpent, and makes those three proposals to Jesus: "If you are God, son of God, there are stones, you're hungry, change them into bread"; "If you are the Son of God, why so much effort? Come with me to the terrace [...]
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning! The Eucharistic celebration with which we began the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops just ended in St. Peter's Basilica. The Synod Fathers, coming from every part of the world and gathered around the Successor of Peter, for three weeks, will reflect on the vocation and mission of the [...]
Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! This is our final reflection on the subject of marriage and the family. We are on the eve of beautiful and demanding events, which are directly connected with this great subject: the World Meeting of Families at Philadelphia and the Synod of Bishops here in Rome. Both have a worldwide [...]
August 26, 2015, Wednesday — Eleven Cardinals and a Pope Introductory note We have just come out with a special 132-page Commemorative Edition of Inside the Vatican magazine, welcoming Pope Francis to America. At the center of the issue is a beautiful, deeply moving Photo Essay on "The Beatitudes of Pope Francis." This Photo Essay alone [...]
Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! A good morning… but it’s not a pretty day. Today the Audience is in two different places, as we do when it rains: you here in the Square, and many sick people in the Paul VI Hall, who are following the audience on the big screens. Now, as a gesture [...]