A world that has become “heartless” and indifferent to greed and war, and a Catholic Church in need of revitalizing its missionary joy, need to open themselves up to Christ’s infinite love, Pope Francis wrote.
Pope Francis
Because the Holy Spirit specializes in love and unity, Catholic couples should pray regularly for the Spirit to be present in their marriage, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis called on the faithful to yearn to serve, not thirst for power, as he proclaimed 14 new saints, including Canada-born St. Marie-Léonie Paradis, founder of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family, and 11 martyrs.
Pope Francis met a former prime minister of Israel and a former Palestinian foreign minister who believe they have a workable peace plan for the Holy Land.
Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington said he hopes U.S. voters who are as concerned as he is about the “anger and vitriol” of the current election cycle will take time away from the media to think and pray about the values important to them as Catholics.
Pope Francis called again for “an immediate cease-fire on all fronts” in the Middle East, urging leaders to “pursue the paths of diplomacy and dialogue to achieve peace.”
Pope Francis will welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy back to the Vatican Oct. 11, four months after their last meeting, the Vatican press office announced.
Most people claim they want unity, but usually they mean they want others to unite around their own point of view, which gives rise to conflict, Pope Francis said.
As fighting in the Middle East intensified and spread, Pope Francis turned to Mary, begging her to “intercede for our world in danger.”
The Synod of Bishops on synodality does not aim only at bridging the gap between factions within the Catholic Church, but it also must grapple with the immense diversity of its 1.3 billion members spanning across cultures and countries, a spiritual adviser to the synod said.