After having difficulty breathing, Pope Francis went to Rome’s Gemelli hospital March 29 where he was diagnosed with a respiratory infection that will be treated in the hospital for several days, the Vatican press office said.
Pope Francis
In a world where “there is no shortage of hotbeds of hatred and revenge,” Pope Francis told priests and seminarians that “we confessors must multiply the ‘hotbeds of mercy,'” by making it easy for people to access the sacrament of reconciliation.
Pope Francis has invited Catholics worldwide to renew the act of consecrating the church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine, to Mary every March 25, the feast of the Annunciation.
Being an apostle does not mean climbing up the church’s hierarchy to look down on others but humbling oneself in a spirit of service, Pope Francis said. During his general audience in St. Peter’s Square March 15, the pope explained that apostleship as understood by the Second Vatican Council produces an equality — rooted in service — among laypeople, consecrated religious, priests and bishops.
The aesthetic and artistic elements surrounding the liturgy must foster prayer and a sense of communion, Pope Francis said.
Right from the start, upon his election, Pope Francis presented a whole new style of being pontiff.
Taking in and welcoming others must be done without expecting anything from them in return, Pope Francis said.
On International Women’s Day, Pope Francis calls for an applause for women, saying “they deserve it,” while praising their “tender hearts” and “ability to construct a more humane society.”
The work of journalists is to listen and convey the truth of what was really said, Pope Francis told a Catholic weekly magazine.
The call to make sacrifices for others out of love remains urgent as so many people continue to suffer from war, violence, exclusion and poverty, Pope Francis said.