Meeting pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Ozamiz, Philippines, Nov. 17, Pope Francis said their visits to shrines in Europe dedicated to Mary should remind them that “being followers of Jesus always involves listening to his word, meditating on it in our hearts and then bringing that word to others” as Mary did when she visited her cousin Elizabeth.
Vatican
“A Christian who is discontented, sad, dissatisfied, or worse still, resentful or rancorous, is not credible” and will not attract anyone to a relationship with Jesus and a life of faith, Pope Francis said Nov. 15 at his weekly general audience.
Embrace God’s unconditional love and live in a way that is based on and radiates hope, Pope Francis told Catholic young people.
Like keeping a bicycle upright when riding it, a balanced life of faith is possible only in motion, Pope Francis said.
After the “unspeakable tragedy” of the shooting rampage that left 18 victims dead and another dozen people injured in Lewiston, Maine, Pope Francis prayed that God would give the entire United States his “blessings of strength and peace.”
Since the Gospel message touches every aspect of a person’s life, it must be proclaimed in a way people can understand, Pope Francis said at his weekly general audience Oct. 25
Speaking to thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square Oct. 8 for the recitation of the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis said he is following events in Israel and Gaza “with apprehension and sorrow.”
Pope Francis released his new apostolic exhortation “Laudate Deum” (“Praise God”) Oct. 4 as a follow-up to his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home.” The exhortation’s publication coincided with the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron of ecology, whose famous canticle inspired the title of “Laudato Si’.”
Hope and fraternity must be kept alive, organized and coordinated into concrete action so every crisis can be read as an opportunity and dealt with positively, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis said the title of his new letter on the environment will be “Laudate Deum,” (Praise God), a frequent refrain in several psalms, including Psalm 148, which tells the heavens and the angels and the sun and moon to praise the Lord.