To have a true Christian pilgrimage experience along the Camino de Santiago — the popular pilgrimage in northern Spain that leads to the tomb of St. James — pilgrims must cultivate silence, prayer, and charity along their route, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis told young people preparing to seek employment not to accept just any kind of work, especially if it is “evil,” and not to compromise their beliefs for any reason, even for money or social status.
Pope Francis, who was to celebrate his 88th birthday Dec. 17, mostly uses a wheelchair instead of walking and presides over rather than concelebrates most public liturgies. Still, he had a 2024 full of important engagements, the longest trip of his papacy, and major preparations for the Holy Year 2025, which he is set to open Dec. 24.
Making his customary visit to the Rome Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray before his trip to the French island of Corsica, Pope Francis also met and prayed with dozens of actors staging a living Nativity scene.
Pope Francis has called on all nations to eliminate the death penalty, to divert a fixed percentage of arms spending to a global fund to fight hunger and climate change, and to cancel the international debt of developing nations as concrete ways to usher in a new era of hope.
“With tears in our eyes, let us raise our prayer for peace,” Pope Francis said as he thanked the people of Bethlehem and Palestinian authorities for a Nativity scene to decorate the Vatican audience hall.
Prayer has the power to transform today’s Catholics into modern-day apostles who can respond to what the world truly needs, said the new acting international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
Homilies must be prepared with the help of the Holy Spirit, be shorter than 10 minutes, and put the spotlight on the Lord, not oneself, Pope Francis said.
Focusing again on the fundamental Christian beliefs outlined by the Council of Nicaea almost 1,700 years ago can help Christians today put Christ back at the center of their lives, Pope Francis said.
The Catholic Church must respond to cultural challenges facing marriage and family life with unity and compassion, Pope Francis said, and he called for a deeper integration of the Gospel into contemporary culture.
