“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.
Pope Francis
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.
Pope Francis announced that he will canonize Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati next year and that the Vatican will host a world meeting on the rights of the child Feb. 3.
Pope Francis prayed for a conversion of hearts and a start to dialogue, reconciliation, and peace in a letter marking the 1,000th day since Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
A Christian faith that does not disturb the powers that be and cannot generate a serious commitment to charity becomes an innocuous devotion, Pope Francis said.
Christian martyrs from across denominations hold a place of honor in the Church, Pope Francis said, highlighting their examples of faith and courage that continue to inspire Christians today.
A Catholic institution of higher education is not merely a university with a “distinguished adjective in its name,” Pope Francis said, rather it bears a commitment to teaching and acting in service of others and in line with the Gospels.