God tells Christians not to be afraid because He is always close, accompanying the faithful throughout their lives and through all their challenges, Pope Francis said.
General Audience
While society is increasingly focused on pushing the limits of human achievement, it must not lose sight of its duty to protect the dignity of the vulnerable, especially children exploited by the “scourge of child labor,” Pope Francis said.
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.
The Catholic Church must put more effort into ensuring that the sacrament of confirmation is not the “sacrament of goodbye” for young people, who receive it and then do not come to Church again until they want to get married, Pope Francis said.