The aesthetic and artistic elements surrounding the liturgy must foster prayer and a sense of communion, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis
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.
Tradition is a source of inspiration for seeking out new paths to take with Jesus and for avoiding the traps of stagnation or impromptu experimentation, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis expressed his “spiritual closeness” and “solidarity” with those affected by a pair of powerful earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria Feb. 6.
Across regions where armies recently fought deadly battles, a Catholic bishop in South Sudan embarked on a long and grueling trek to meet the pope. Bishop Christian Carlassare of Rumbek is walking for nearly 93 miles of the 260 that separate his diocese in the center of the country and the capital city of Juba. The 46-year-old member of the Comboni missionaries started the walk in the company of 80 youth on Jan. 25. In what is called the Ecumenical Pilgrimage of Peace Feb. 3-5, Pope Francis will visit South Sudan’s capital, Juba, in the presence of Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury and the Rev. Iain Greenshields, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The apostolic trip will follow a stop in Congo, where Pope Francis landed on Jan. 31.
The call to faith in Jesus always is a call to service and mission, Pope Francis told seminarians, priests and staff of the Pontifical North American College.