Eight years as pope capped long ministry as teacher of faith By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY —…
Vatican
Two days after Pope Francis told people retired Pope Benedict was “very sick” and in need of prayers, the Vatican said he again had had a restful night and was able to participate in the celebration of Mass in his room.
The day after Christmas the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, which emphasizes how the story of Jesus’ birth is not a “fairy tale,” but a call to live as witnesses of the Gospel, Pope Francis said.
The interconnected “moral, social, political and economic crises” facing the world cannot be solved if individuals and nations continue to focus only on their own, immediate interests, Pope Francis said in his message for World Peace Day 2023.
True love of God or love of another person should lead to a sense of freedom, not to a need to possess or control, Pope Francis said.
Stopping to gaze at and perhaps pray before a Nativity scene is one of the best ways to remember the real meaning of Christmas, Pope Francis said.
Presenting the Ratzinger Prize to a French Jesuit theologian and a Jewish law professor, Pope Francis paid tribute to his predecessor and his theological work.
Being so distracted that one does not notice God’s presence in daily life is a warning sign that one is not being vigilant enough, Pope Francis cautioned. Vigilance during Advent is key, Pope Francis said, because Jesus “warns us: there is the danger of not realizing his coming and being unprepared for his visit.”
Wars, famine and calamities of every kind can tempt Christians to a paralyzing fear that the world is about to end; what they must do instead is act, even in a small way, to make the world a better place, Pope Francis said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has weakened many parishes, but that community “in the midst of homes, in the midst of people,” is still an essential place for nourishing and sharing faith, Pope Francis told Italian young adults.