I am extremely sad over the tragedy that has once again taken place in the Mediterranean. 130 migrants died in the sea. They are people. They are human beings. Let us pray for these brothers and sisters, and for all those who continue to die in these tragic crossings.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 25, 2021
Deus caritas est. God is love. Deus é amor. Dios es amor. Dieu est amour. Dio è amore. A Catholic blog in English, Sometimes also in Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian.
Tuesday, 10 August 2021
They are people
Nearness, compassion and tenderness
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus consoles his shepherds. If you remain close to the Lord, to the bishop, among yourselves, and to the people of God; if you maintain God's style - nearness, compassion and tenderness - you need not be afraid: everything will go well. #PriestlyOrdination
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 25, 2021
No one should be lost
Jesus the #GoodShepherd defends, knows, and above all loves his sheep. This is why He gives His life for them. Love for his sheep, for each one of us, would lead him to die on the cross. For this is the Father’s will: that no one should be lost. #GospelOfTheDay (Jn 10:11-18)
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 25, 2021
Do not be afraid!
Do not be afraid: these are words the Lord addresses to you, dear sister and brother, whenever you feel you can no longer delay your desire to give your life to him. It is a refrain accompanying all who say yes to God with their lives, through daily fidelity. #Prayer #Vocations
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 25, 2021
May he help everyone
St Joseph is an outstanding example of accepting God’s plans. May he help everyone, especially those who are discerning, to make God’s dreams for them come true. May he grant them the courage to say “yes” to the Lord who always surprises and never disappoints. #Prayer #Vocations
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 25, 2021
Open, capable of great initiatives, generous, compassionate in comforting anxieties and steadfast in strengthening hopes
The Lord wants to shape the hearts of fathers and mothers to be open, capable of great initiatives, generous, compassionate in comforting anxieties and steadfast in strengthening hopes. The priesthood and consecrated life greatly need these qualities. #Prayer #Vocations
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 25, 2021
The lesson learned from the recent pandemic is the awareness that we are a global community, all in the same boat
How do we prevent conflicts? No people, no social group, can single-handedly achieve #peace, prosperity, security and happiness. None. The lesson learned from the recent pandemic is the awareness that we are a global community, all in the same boat. #DiplomacyForPeace
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 24, 2021
Sunday, 8 August 2021
The secret of life: we come to possess it only by giving it away
The Lord of life wants us to be full of life, and he tells us the secret of life: we come to possess it only by giving it away.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 23, 2021
The fullness of life and of joy is found by giving oneself for our brothers and sisters, with openness, welcoming and goodness
The fullness of life and of joy is found by giving oneself for the Gospel and for our brothers and sisters, with openness, welcoming and goodness.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 22, 2021
We need to heal the damaged relationships that are essential to supporting us and the entire fabric of life
We have broken the bonds of our relationship with the Creator, with our fellow human beings, and with the rest of creation. We need to heal the damaged relationships that are essential to supporting us and the entire fabric of life. #EarthDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 22, 2021
Let us not abandon the simple prayers we learned in our families as children that we preserve in our memories and hearts
Let us not abandon the simple prayers we learned in our families as children that we preserve in our memories and hearts. They are sure ways to access the Father's heart. #Prayer #GeneralAudience
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 21, 2021
You are precious and unique in His eyes
For God, you are that little coin that the Lord seeks without pause. He wants to tell you that you are precious and unique in His eyes. No one can take your place in the heart of God.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 20, 2021
God does not give up
God does not give up. You are close to His heart, you who do not yet know the beauty of His love, you who have not yet welcomed Jesus as the center of your life, you who cannot overcome your sin.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 19, 2021
Reciprocal trust, reconciliation and peace
I invite you to pray for the population of eastern Ukraine. I truly hope that an escalation of the tensions might be avoided and, instead, that actions capable of promoting reciprocal trust and which foster reconciliation and peace might be undertaken.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 18, 2021
A living relationship
Being Christian is not first of all a doctrine or a moral ideal; it is a living relationship with the Risen Lord. #GospelOfTheDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 18, 2021
Only the love can transform our life and set us free from the vicious circles of disappointment, anger and constant complaint
Only the love of Jesus can transform our life, heal our deepest hurts and set us free from the vicious circles of disappointment, anger and constant complaint.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 17, 2021
Great numbers of children continue to live in inhuman situations, exploited, maltreated, enslaved, refugees
Sadly, in this world, with all its highly developed technology, great numbers of children continue to live in inhuman situations, exploited, maltreated, enslaved, refugees. Today, in acknowledging this, we feel shame before God, before God who became a child. #EndChildSlavery
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 16, 2021
Saturday, 7 August 2021
Even death trembles when a Christian prays
Even death trembles when a Christian prays, because it knows that everyone who prays has an ally who is stronger than it: the Risen Lord. #Prayer #Easter
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 15, 2021
We grow in faith inasmuch as we learn to pray
The breath of faith is #prayer: we grow in faith inasmuch as we learn to pray. #GeneralAudience https://t.co/PKTt04jgfs
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 14, 2021
Peace be with you!
In the midst of the contradictions and perplexities we must confront each day, the din of so many words and opinions, there is the quiet voice of the Risen Lord who keeps saying to us: “Peace be with you!”
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 13, 2021
He lifts us back up after our falls
Jesus is the Risen One, the Lord who passed through death in order to lead us to safety. Even before we begin to seek Him, He is present beside us. He lifts us back up after our falls. He helps us grow in faith. #Easter
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 12, 2021
Mercy is made tangible, it becomes closeness, service, care for those in difficulty
Mercy is made tangible, it becomes closeness, service, care for those in difficulty. I hope you will always feel you have been granted mercy, so as to be merciful to others in turn.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 11, 2021
Let us be renewed by the peace, forgiveness and wounds of the merciful Jesus
So let us be renewed by the peace, forgiveness and wounds of the merciful Jesus. Only in this way will our faith be alive. Only in this way will we proclaim the Gospel of God, which is the Gospel of mercy. https://t.co/HLWOas4FrF
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 11, 2021
Let us not live a one-way faith, a faith that receives but does not give. Having received mercy, let us now become merciful
Today is the day to ask, “Am I, who have so often received God’s mercy, merciful to others?” Let us not live a one-way faith, a faith that receives but does not give. Having received mercy, let us now become merciful. #DivineMercy
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 11, 2021
The wounds of Jesus are open channels between him and us, shedding mercy upon our misery
The wounds of Jesus are open channels between him and us, shedding mercy upon our misery. They are pathways that God has opened up for us to enter into his tender love and actually “touch” who he is. Let us never again doubt his mercy. #DivineMercy
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 11, 2021
Thursday, 15 July 2021
In our failings He sees children to help up; in our misery He sees children in need of His merciful love
The Lord does not want us to keep thinking about our failings. He wants us to look to Him. In our failings He sees children to help up; in our misery He sees children in need of His merciful love. #DivineMercy
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 10, 2021
Peacemakers and witnesses of hope
The Lord calls us to cooperate in the construction of history, becoming, together with Him, peacemakers and witnesses of hope in a future of salvation and resurrection.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 9, 2021
The feast of salvation
#Easter is the most important feast of our faith because it is the feast of our salvation, the feast of God's love for us.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 8, 2021
The first way to pray for someone is to speak to God about him or her
The first way to pray for someone is to speak to God about him or her. If we do this frequently, each day, our hearts are not closed, but open to our brothers and sisters. To pray for others is the first way to love them and it moves us toward concretely drawing near. #Prayer
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 7, 2021
Only together can we build a more just and health world
Everyone needs assistance, especially the most vulnerable. Only together can we build a more just and health world. All of us are called to combat the pandemic and vaccines are an essential tool in this fight. #worldhealthday
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 7, 2021
Never lose hope
In these dark months of the #pandemic, let us listen to the Risen Lord as he invites us to begin anew and never lose hope. #Easter
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 6, 2021
To find Christ means to discover peace in our hearts
Let us never tire of seeking the risen Christ who gives life in abundance to those who meet him. To find Christ means to discover peace in our hearts. #Easter #ReginaCoeli
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 5, 2021
Too many wars and too much violence in the world!
There are still too many wars and too much violence in the world! May the Lord, who is our peace, help us to overcome the mindset of war. https://t.co/PsDVCzg2Kr
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 4, 2021
Where there was death, now there is life
Amid the many hardships we are enduring, let us never forget that we have been healed by the wounds of Christ. In the light of the Risen Lord, our sufferings are now transfigured. Where there was death, now there is life. Where there was mourning, now there is consolation.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 4, 2021
If on this night you are experiencing an hour of darkness, a day that has not yet dawned, a light dimmed or a dream shattered, open your heart with amazement to the message
Dear brother, dear sister: if on this night you are experiencing an hour of darkness, a day that has not yet dawned, a light dimmed or a dream shattered, open your heart with amazement to the message of #Easter: “Do not be afraid, he has risen!”
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 3, 2021
He invites us to overcome barriers, banish prejudices and draw near to those around us every day in order to rediscover the grace of everyday life
This is the third message of #Easter: Jesus, the Risen Lord, loves us without limits and is there at every moment of our lives. He invites us to overcome barriers, banish prejudices and draw near to those around us every day in order to rediscover the grace of everyday life.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 3, 2021
He walks beside you each day, in every situation you are experiencing, in every trial you have to endure, in your deepest hopes and dreams
This is the second message of #Easter: faith is not an album of past memories; Jesus is not outdated. He is alive here and now. He walks beside you each day, in every situation you are experiencing, in every trial you have to endure, in your deepest hopes and dreams.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 3, 2021
It is always possible to begin anew, because there is a new life that God can awaken in us in spite of all our failures
This is the first #Easter message that I would offer you: it is always possible to begin anew, because there is a new life that God can awaken in us in spite of all our failures. From the rubble of our hearts, God can create a work of art.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 3, 2021
The disarmed and disarming power of love
From the cross God reigns with the disarmed and disarming power of love. He continues to amaze our minds and hearts. Let us allow ourselves to be filled with that amazement. Let us gaze upon the Crucified One and say: “Truly, You are the Son of God." You are my God. #GoodFriday
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 2, 2021
In those gashes, we recognize our emptiness, our shortcomings
Jesus's cross is God's silent throne. Let us daily contemplate his wounds. In those gashes, we recognize our emptiness, our shortcomings, the wounds of our sin. His wounds were inflicted for our sake, and by those wounds we have been healed. #GoodFriday
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 2, 2021
The cross expresses love, service, unreserved self-giving
The cross expresses love, service, unreserved self-giving: it truly is the “tree of life”, of overabundant life. #GoodFriday
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 2, 2021
A gift
The Eucharist is Jesus himself who gives himself entirely to us. Nourishing ourselves of Him and abiding in Him through Eucharistic Communion, if we do so with faith, transforms our life, transforms it into a gift to God and to our brothers and sisters. #HolyThursday
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 1, 2021
The power of the cross
The preaching of the Gospel is effective not because of our eloquent words but because of the power of the cross (cf. 1 Cor 1:17). #ChrismMass https://t.co/iGKXXIzKsS
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 1, 2021
Wednesday, 14 July 2021
There is no holiness without sacrifice
The process of conversion always entails the cross. There is no holiness without sacrifice and without a spiritual battle. #HolyWeek
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 31, 2021
Christ’s Cross is like a beacon that indicates the port to ships that are still afloat on stormy seas
Christ’s Cross is like a beacon that indicates the port to ships that are still afloat on stormy seas. It is the sign of the hope that does not disappoint. And it tells us that not even one tear, not one sigh is lost in God’s saving plan. #Holy Week
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 31, 2021
Along the daily way of the cross, we meet the faces of so many brothers and sisters in difficulty
Along the daily way of the cross, we meet the faces of so many brothers and sisters in difficulty: let us not pass by, let us allow our hearts to be moved with compassion, and let us draw near.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 30, 2021
Jesus was lifted up on the cross to descend into our suffering, to plumb the depths of our human experience, to draw near to us and not abandon us in our suffering and our death
Jesus was lifted up on the cross to descend into our suffering, to plumb the depths of our human experience, to draw near to us and not abandon us in our suffering and our death. To redeem us, to save us. #HolyWeek
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 30, 2021
The suffering Christ is present in the person of the poor, the excluded, the sick, the hungry, those who bear the mystery of the cross with Him
During these days, the Church enters into the great meditation of the Lord's Passion. The suffering Christ is present in the person of the poor, the excluded, the sick, the hungry, those who bear the mystery of the cross with Him. #HolyWeek
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 29, 2021
He achieves glory through humiliation
What is most amazing about the Lord and his Passover? It is the fact that he achieves glory through humiliation. He triumphs by accepting suffering and death, things that we, in our quest for admiration and success, would rather avoid. #PalmSunday
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 28, 2021
God is at our side in every affliction, in every fear
God is at our side in every affliction, in every fear; no evil, no sin will ever have the final word. God triumphs, but the palm of victory passes through the wood of the cross. For the palm and the cross are inseparable. #PalmSunday https://t.co/Nm9o1oR2P1
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 28, 2021
We are called to recognize that other living beings have a value of their own in God’s eyes
We are called to recognize that other living beings have a value of their own in God’s eyes: by their mere existence they bless him and give him glory, and indeed, the Lord rejoices in all his works (Ps 104:31). #EarthHour #LaudatoSi’
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 27, 2021
We have realized we are on the same boat
“Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” (Mk 4:35-41). We have realized we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together. #PrayTogether #Covid-19 https://t.co/ZfArzrWbmt
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 27, 2021
Monday, 12 July 2021
Fasting helps us love God and our neighbour, because love focuses our attention on others and considers them as one with ourselves
Those who fast make themselves poor with the poor and "accumulate" the treasure of a love received and shared. Understood and practiced thus, fasting helps us love God and our neighbour, because love focuses our attention on others and considers them as one with ourselves. #Lent
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 26, 2021
The Christian is the person who says “yes” to life
I would like once more to invite everyone to witness to the “Gospel of Life”, to promote and defend life in all its dimensions and at every stage. The Christian is the person who says “yes” to life, who says “yes” to God, the Living One. #EvangeliumVitae
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 25, 2021
Dante, prophet of hope
At this particular moment in history, characterized by many shadows, the figure of Dante, prophet of hope, can help us to advance with serenity and courage on the pilgrimage of life that each of us is called to make. https://t.co/1OlCV8AY7B
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 25, 2021
The road that we must travel in order to reach him
Mary is not only the bridge joining us to God; she is more. She is the road that God travelled to reach us, and the road that we must travel in order to reach him. #AnnunciationOfTheLord
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 25, 2021
Generously welcomed
#Praytogether for the victims and those reported missing because of the terrible fire that broke out in a #Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, which generously welcomed thousands of people. Let us pray for the twenty thousand brothers and sisters, who lost the little they had.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 25, 2021
Mary is always there next to us
Mary was and is present in these days of the pandemic, near to the people who, unfortunately, have concluded their earthly journey all alone, without the comfort of or the closeness of their loved ones. Mary is always there next to us, with her maternal tenderness.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 24, 2021
For the victims
I learned with sorrow the news of the recent terrorist attacks in #Niger, which caused the deaths of 137 people. Let us #PrayTogether for the victims, for their families and for the entire population.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 24, 2021
I am near the people and the families
I am near the people and the families affected by the major floods that have caused serious damage in New South Wales in Australia, especially those who saw their houses destroyed. #PrayTogether
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 24, 2021
Increased solidarity toward those who suffer
Today is World #Tuberculosis Day. May this annual event foster a renewed interest in the treatment of this disease and increased solidarity toward those who suffer from it.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 24, 2021
Sunday, 11 July 2021
May we not let this time of grace pass in vain
May we not let this time of grace pass in vain, in the foolish illusion that we can control the times and means of our conversion to the Lord! #Lent
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 23, 2021
In this life, we will always have things to do and excuses to offer, but right now is the time to return to God
How many times have we told the Lord: “Lord, I will come to you later... I can’t come today. Tomorrow I will begin to pray and do something for others”. In this life, we will always have things to do and excuses to offer, but right now is the time to return to God. #Lent
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 23, 2021
It is a universal symbol and is the source of life and health
For us believers, “sister water” is not merchandise: it is a universal symbol and is the source of life and health. Many brothers and sisters have access to too little and perhaps polluted water. It is necessary to assure potable water and hygienic services to all. #WorldWaterDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 22, 2021
In trials and in solitude while the seed is dying, that is the moment in which life blossoms, to bear ripe fruit in due time
“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12:23-24). Precisely then, in trials and in solitude while the seed is dying, that is the moment in which life blossoms, to bear ripe fruit in due time
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 21, 2021
A child needs to be welcomed, loved and nurtured. Always!
Every child who a woman expects in her womb is a gift that changes a family’s history: the life of fathers and mothers, grandparents and of brothers and sisters. That child needs to be welcomed, loved and nurtured. Always! #WorldDownSyndromeDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 21, 2021
Racism is a virus
Racism is a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding, and lurks in waiting. Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think. #FightRacism #FratelliTutti
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 21, 2021
Accompanied by courage
Each day that begins, if welcomed in #prayer, is accompanied by courage, so that the problems we have to face no longer seem to be obstacles to our #happiness, but rather appeals from God, opportunities for our encounter with him. #WorldHappinessDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 20, 2021
To be a good father means to offer everything, holding nothing back
To be a good father means to offer everything, holding nothing back; to protect without suffocating; to pardon without asking anything in return; to wait patiently and trustingly. It means following the example of the "Good Father" who is in heaven. May God bless all fathers!
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 19, 2021
Saint Joseph is an outstanding example of acceptance of God’s plans
Saint Joseph is an outstanding example of acceptance of God’s plans. May he help everyone, especially young people who are discerning, to make God’s dreams for them come true. #Vocations https://t.co/n7BhguDUoI
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 19, 2021
Thursday, 8 July 2021
With sincere and generous love, a source of joy even in trials and difficulties
I pray that every family may feel the living presence of the Holy Family of Nazareth in their own home, that they may fill our small domestic communities with sincere and generous love, a source of joy even in trials and difficulties. #AmorisLaetitia pic.twitter.com/ku78PZroiC
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 19, 2021
For our hope
To experience #Lent in hope means receiving the hope of Christ, who gave his life on the cross and was raised by God on the third day, and always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls us to account for our hope (1 Pt 3,15).
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 18, 2021
End the violence! May dialogue prevail!
With great sorrow, I must recall the dramatic situation in #Myanmar, where many people, especially young people, are losing their lives to offer hope to their country. I too kneel in the streets of Myanmar and say: End the violence! May dialogue prevail!
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 17, 2021
In each of us the Spirit composes original works
The Holy Spirit writes the history of the Church and of the world. We are open books, willing to receive his handwriting. And in each of us the Spirit composes original works, because there is never one Christian who is completely identical to another. #GeneralAudience
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 17, 2021
In these days of uncertainty about our future
In these days of uncertainty about our future, in our charity may we speak works of reassurance and help others to realise that God loves them as sons and daughters. #Lent
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 16, 2021
Love means caring for those who suffer or feel abandoned and fearful
To experience #Lent with love means caring for those who suffer or feel abandoned and fearful because of the #Covid-19 pandemic.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 15, 2021
Solidarity and hope
Ten years ago, the bloody conflict in Syria began that has caused one of the most serious humanitarian catastrophes. Let us #PrayTogether so that all the suffering experienced by beloved and tortured Syria might not be forgotten and so that our solidarity might revive their hope.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 14, 2021
Thank you for the joy you bring to the whole world!
Dear brothers and sisters from the #Philippines, five hundred years have passed since the Christian message first arrived in your land and you received the joy of the Gospel. And this joy is evident in your people. Thank you for the joy you bring to the whole world!
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 14, 2021
Not sent to judge but to welcome
If God so loves us that he gives himself to us, the Church too has this mission. She is not sent to judge but to welcome; not to impose, but to sow; not to condemn, but to bring Christ who is our salvation. https://t.co/f6I43aD74X
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 14, 2021
Wednesday, 7 July 2021
He blessed our life forever
In Jesus, God went in search of us where we were lost. In Jesus, he came to raise us up when we fell. In Jesus, he wept with us and healed our wounds. In Jesus, he blessed our life forever. #Laetare
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 14, 2021
Let us ask: Where is my life’s navigation system taking me – towards God or towards myself?
#Lent is about discerning where our hearts are directed. Let us ask: Where is my life’s navigation system taking me – towards God or towards myself?
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 13, 2021
Having received forgiveness, we can offer it through attentive dialogue and giving comfort to those experiencing sorrow and pain
By receiving forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, that is the heart of our process of conversion, we spread forgiveness. Having received forgiveness, we can offer it through attentive dialogue and giving comfort to those experiencing sorrow and pain. #Lent
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 12, 2021
Fasting and prayer
I encourage you to dedicate time to the Word of God, to the Sacraments, and to fasting and prayer, in order to renew our relationship with God, ourselves, and our neighbor. #Lent #24hoursfortheLord
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 12, 2021
The right path: the path of humility
The beginning of the return to God is the recognition of our need for him and his mercy. This is the right path, the path of humility. #Lent #24hoursfortheLord
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 12, 2021
Wednesday, 5 May 2021
All of us have spiritual infirmities that we cannot heal on our own
All of us have spiritual infirmities that we cannot heal on our own. We need Jesus’ healing, we need to present our wounds to him and say: “Jesus, I am in your presence, with my sin, with my sorrows. You can set me free. Heal my heart”. #Lent
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 11, 2021
A message of fraternity
A message of fraternity came from Erbil as well, the city in which I was received by the President of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, @IKRPresident, and its Prime Minister, by the Authorities and by the people. I thank the dear Kurdish population for their warm welcome.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 10, 2021
A future of fraternity
I am grateful to the religious Authorities as well, beginning with the Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani, with whom I had an unforgettable meeting. May God, who is peace, grant a future of fraternity to Iraq, the Middle East and the entire world!
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 10, 2021
Gratitude to God
After my Visit in #Iraq, I am filled with gratitude to God and to all those who made it possible: the President of the Republic, @BarhamSalih, and the Government, the Patriarchs and Bishops.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 10, 2021
Keep the faith and hope
Thinking of the many Iraqis who have emigrated, I would like to say to them: you have left everything, like Abraham; like him, keep the faith and hope and be weavers of friendship and of fraternity wherever you are. And if you can, return. #Iraq #GeneralAudience
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 10, 2021
So it is for fraternity: it does not make noise, but is fruitful and grows
Let us continue to pray for Iraq and for the Middle East. Despite the destruction, in #Iraq, the palm, the country's symbol, has continued to grow and bear fruit. So it is for fraternity: it does not make noise, but is fruitful and grows. #GeneralAudience #PrayTogether
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 10, 2021
The response to war is not another war
The response to war is not another war. The response to weapons is not other weapons. The response is fraternity. This is the challenge not only for Iraq. It is the challenge for many regions in conflict and, ultimately, for the entire world. #Peace #GeneralAudience
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 10, 2021
A journey that involves our whole life, our entire being
#Lent is a journey that involves our whole life, our entire being. It is a time to reconsider the path we are taking, to find the route that leads us home and to rediscover our profound relationship with God, on whom everything depends.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 9, 2021
A future of peace and prosperity that leaves no one behind and discriminates against no one
Iraq will always remain in my heart. I ask all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to work together, united for a future of peace and prosperity that leaves no one behind and discriminates against no one. I assure you of my prayers for this beloved country. #ApostolicJourney
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 8, 2021
May women be respected and protected! May they be shown respect and provided with opportunities!
I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the women, especially the women of #Iraq, courageous women who continue to give life, in spite of wrongs and hurts. May women be respected and protected! May they be shown respect and provided with opportunities! #ApostolicJourney
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 8, 2021
Christ is alive
Today, I can see at first hand that the Church in Iraq is alive, that Christ is alive and at work in this, his holy and faithful people. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq https://t.co/VpbIOt9trA
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 7, 2021
He can raise our communities from the ruins left by hatred
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19). Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body, and about the Church as well. By the power of his Resurrection he can raise our communities from the ruins left by hatred. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 7, 2021
God can bring peace
God can bring peace to this land. We trust in him and, together with all people of good will, we say “no” to terrorism and the manipulation of religion. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 7, 2021
Hope is more powerful than hatred
Fraternity is more durable than fratricide, hope is more powerful than hatred, peace more powerful than war. This conviction can never be silenced by the blood spilled by those who pervert the name of God to pursue paths of destruction. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 7, 2021
The power of mercy
Lord, to you we entrust all those whose span of earthly life was cut short by the violent hand of their brothers and sisters; we also pray to you for those who caused such harm. May they repent, touched by the power of your mercy. https://t.co/QwcnOiABcX
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 7, 2021
Love is our strength
Love is our strength, strength of so many brothers and sisters who here too have suffered prejudice and indignities, mistreatment and persecutions for the name of Jesus. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq https://t.co/igMBv943ys
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 6, 2021
To be blessed, we do not need to become occasional heroes, but witnesses day after day
To be blessed, we do not need to become occasional heroes, but witnesses day after day. Witness is the way to embody the wisdom of Jesus. That is how the world is changed: not by power and might, but by the Beatitudes. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 6, 2021
Peace and light
Almighty God, our Creator, you love our human family, we, children of Abraham, ask you to welcome into your abode of peace and light all victims of violence and war. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq https://t.co/uBO9fzqEqd
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 6, 2021
Distribution of food for all
It is up to us, today’s humanity, especially believers, to turn instruments of hatred into instruments of #peace, to appeal firmly to the leaders of nations to make the increasing proliferation of arms give way to the distribution of food for all. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 6, 2021
Where does the journey of peace begin? From the decision not to have enemies
Where does the journey of peace begin? From the decision not to have enemies. Anyone who believes in God, has no enemies to fight. He or she has only one enemy to face, one that stands at the door of the heart and knocks to enter: it is hatred. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 6, 2021
Peace does not demand winners or losers, but brothers and sisters
#Peace does not demand winners or losers, but brothers and sisters who, despite past hurts, journey from conflict to unity. Let us ask for this in praying for the whole Middle East, especially for war-torn Syria. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 6, 2021
Message of forgiveness, reconciliation and rebirth
Let us remember our brothers and sisters who have paid the extreme price for their fidelity to the Lord. May their sacrifice inspire us to renew our trust in the strength of the Cross and its saving message of forgiveness, reconciliation and rebirth #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 5, 2021
Only if we succeed in regarding each other, with our differences, as members of the same human family
Only if we succeed in regarding each other, with our differences, as members of the same human family, can we begin an effective process of reconstruction and leave a better, more just and more human world to the future generations. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 5, 2021
A pilgrim of peace
I come as a penitent, asking forgiveness from Heaven and our brothers for so much destruction and cruelty; a pilgrim of peace, in the name of Christ, Prince of Peace. How we have prayed, in these years, for peace in #Iraq! God always listens. It is up to us to walk His paths.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 5, 2021
A Church of martyrs
My dear Christian brothers and sisters from #Iraq, who have testified to your faith in Jesus amid harsh sufferings: I cannot wait to see you. I am honoured to encounter a Church of martyrs: thank you for your witness! https://t.co/bgm76p31tM
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 4, 2021
Apostolic journey
Tomorrow I will go to #Iraq for a three-day pilgrimage. I have long wanted to meet those people who have suffered so much. I ask you to accompany this apostolic journey with your prayers, so it may unfold in the best possible way and bear hoped-for fruits.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 4, 2021
A time to believe
#Lent is a time to believe, or rather to receive God into our life so that we may “make our home with Him” (Jn 14: 23)
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 4, 2021
Sad news
Sad news of bloody clashes and loss of life reach us from Myanmar. I appeal to the authorities involved that dialogue may prevail over repression, and ask the international community to ensure that the aspirations of the people of Myanmar are not stifled.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 3, 2021
A God who loves humanity
We would not have had the courage to believe in a God who loves humanity, if we had not known Jesus. What kind of God is prepared to die for people? What kind of God loves always and patiently, without demanding to be loved in return? #GeneralAudience
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 3, 2021
The infinite mercy of God
Let us #PrayTogether that we may experience the sacrament of reconciliation with renewed depth, to taste the forgiveness and infinite mercy of God. #PrayerIntentions pic.twitter.com/f6wrayko76
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 2, 2021
The center of confession is Jesus
The center of confession is Jesus who waits for us, who listens to us and forgives us.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 2, 2021
Monday, 3 May 2021
All of us are specialists in crucifying others to save ourselves
All of us are specialists in crucifying others to save ourselves. Jesus, instead, allowed himself to be crucified, to teach us not to shift evil onto others. #Lent
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 1, 2021
Vaccines for everyone, especially for the world's most vulnerable and needy people
I ask government leaders, businesses, international organizations to cooperate and to seek a solution for everyone regarding #Covid: vaccines for everyone, especially for the world's most vulnerable and needy people. #ZeroDiscriminationDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 1, 2021
I express my closeness to those who ill, especially the children, and their families
In the case of rare diseases, a support network among family members is more important than ever. I encourage those initiatives that support research and cures and I express my closeness to those who ill, especially the children, and their families.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 28, 2021
I am near
I join my voice to that of the Bishops of Nigeria to condemn the vile kidnapping of the 317 girls, taken away from their school in Jangebe. I am praying for these girls so they might return home soon. I am near to their families.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 28, 2021
Remember, especially when we pass through a difficult trial, that the Lord is Risen and does not permit darkness to have the last word
The #GospelOfTheDay (Mk 9:2-10) calls us to contemplate Jesus's transfiguration. It is an invitation to remember, especially when we pass through a difficult trial, that the Lord is Risen and does not permit darkness to have the last word.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 28, 2021
I hope that more and more people of goodwill will cooperate to promote the common good, protect the lasts and develop a shared algorethics
A year ago today the #RomeCall for Artificial Intelligence was signed and I hope that more and more people of goodwill will cooperate to promote the common good, protect the lasts and develop a shared algorethics.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 28, 2021
Through recollection and silent prayer, hope is given to us as interior light, illuminating the challenges and choices we face
Through recollection and silent prayer, hope is given to us as interior light, illuminating the challenges and choices we face in our mission. Hence the need to pray and, in secret, to encounter the Father of tender love (Mt 6:6). #Lent
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 27, 2021
It is not a physical place, but rather an existential dimension in which we can be silent and listen
During the Season of #Lent, the Holy Spirit drives us too, like Jesus, into the desert (Mk 1:12-15). It is not a physical place, but rather an existential dimension in which we can be silent and listen to the word of God, so that a true conversion might be effected in us.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 21, 2021
How generously, and sometimes heroically, they carry out their profession
May the example of so many doctors and healthcare workers who have risked their life to the point of losing it due to the #pandemic move us to feeling truly grateful for how generously, and sometimes heroically, they carry out their profession.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 20, 2021
Opening our hearts
In this #LentenSeason, accepting and living the truth revealed in Christ means, first of all, opening our hearts to God’s word, which the Church passes on from generation to generation.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 20, 2021
We Christians recognize Christ in each human being, so as to see him crucified in the sufferings of the abandoned and forgotten of our world
Lord, Our God, grant that we Christians may live the Gospel, and recognize Christ in each human being, so as to see him crucified in the sufferings of the abandoned and forgotten of our world, and risen in each brother or sister who makes a new start. #WorldDayOfSocialJustice
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 20, 2021
Fasting, prayer and almsgiving
Fasting, prayer and almsgiving, as preached by Jesus (cf. Mt 6:1-18), enable and express our conversion. #Lent
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 19, 2021
The season of hope
#Lent is precisely the season of hope when we turn our gaze back to the God who is patient. Saint Paul passionately urges us to place our hope in reconciliation: “Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20).
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 18, 2021
Let us rediscover the fire of praise, which consumes the ashes of lamentation and resignation
Let us return to the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, to the Fire that resurrects our #ashes. Let us pray once more to the Spirit and rediscover the fire of praise, which consumes the ashes of lamentation and resignation. #Lent
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 17, 2021
Salvation is not an ascent to glory, but a descent in love
Today we bow our heads to receive #ashes. #Lent is a humble descent both inwards and towards others. It is about realizing that salvation is not an ascent to glory, but a descent in love. It is about becoming little. https://t.co/1Jfc1j0vcR
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 17, 2021
Lent is a journey of return to God
We are now embarking on our #LentenJourney, which opens with the words of the prophet Joel. They point out the path we are to follow. We hear an invitation that arises from God: “Return to me with all your heart” (Joel 2:12). Lent is a journey of return to God.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 17, 2021
Brothers and sisters
During this season of #conversion, let us renew our faith, draw from the “living water” of hope, and receive with open hearts the love of God, who makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. #Lenthttps://t.co/LA8HkEjcRv
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 17, 2021
This everything right now, does not come from God
This haste, this everything right now, does not come from God. If we get worked up about the right now, we forget what remains forever: we follow the passing clouds and lose sight of the sky.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 16, 2021
In memory of twenty-one Coptic Martyrs
Let us pray together today in memory of twenty-one Coptic Martyrs: may they intercede for us all before the Father. https://t.co/pa395BHSU1
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 15, 2021
We will discover that God is a compassionate Father who always takes care of us
To understand God's plan for our lives better, let us seek to strengthen our relationship with Him through #Prayer. Thus we will discover that God is a compassionate Father who always takes care of us.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 15, 2021
The weakest in first place
May the Lord inspire everyone to draw near to those who suffer, especially children, and to put the weakest in first place. I entrust the doctors and all sick children to the Virgin Mary so that with her mother affection she might look after them. #ICCDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 15, 2021
In complete and definitive communion of life
We are created to love and through the conjugal union of a man and a woman, this vocation is lived reciprocally and in complete and definitive communion of life. On this memorial of St Valentine, I accompany engaged and married couples with my prayer.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 14, 2021
New ways to communicate the Gospel
May the intercession of Saints Cyril and Methodius, evangelizers of the Slavic people, help us find new ways to communicate the Gospel and that the Christian churches grow in their desire to walk toward full unity while respecting differences.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 14, 2021
Sunday, 2 May 2021
Jesus draws near with compassion
Each of us might experience wounds, failure, suffering, selfishness that make us close ourselves off from God and others. In the face of all this, Jesus draws near with compassion and touches our life to heal it. #GospelOfTheDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 14, 2021
It carries the word to the most distant places
#Radio has this beautiful trait: it carries the word to the most distant places #WorldRadioDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 13, 2021
A crime
Those who put arms into the hands of children instead of food, books and toys commit a crime not only against the little ones, but against all of humanity. #ChildrenNotSoldiers
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 12, 2021
Especially to the poorest
On the #WorldDayOfTheSick special attention goes toward those who are ill and to those who assist them. I think especially of those who suffer the consequences of the #coronavirus pandemic. I express my nearness to everyone, especially to the poorest.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 11, 2021
Let us ask the Lord to grant health of soul and body to all those who suffer due to illness and the current pandemic
Through the intercession of #OurLadyOfLourdes, patroness of the sick, let us ask the Lord to grant health of soul and body to all those who suffer due to illness and the current pandemic. May He give strength to those who assist them in this time of trial.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 11, 2021
For the workers
I express my closeness to the victims of the calamity that happened in #India where part of a glacier separated itself provoking violent flooding that devastated two power plants. I pray for the workers who died, for their families and for all those who were wounded.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 10, 2021
We can pray at any moment, and during what happens every day: on the street, in the office, on public transportation, through words and in the silence of our hearts
The person who prays is like someone in love with the beloved in his or her heart wherever they go. So we can pray at any moment, and during what happens every day: on the street, in the office, on public transportation, through words and in the silence of our hearts. #Prayer
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 10, 2021
All of us are responsible for the communications we make, for the information we share, all of us are to be witnesses of the truth
All of us are responsible for the communications we make, for the information we share, for the control that we can exert over fake news by exposing it. All of us are to be witnesses of the truth. #SaferInternetDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 9, 2021
The true cure for the pandemic and the many evils that have affected us
#Fraternity is the true cure for the pandemic and the many evils that have affected us. Along with vaccines, fraternity and hope are, as it were, the medicine we need in today’s world.https://t.co/ZFXaCQivv5
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 8, 2021
Praying and fighting together
The International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking encourages us to not stop praying and fighting together so that every person who is enslaved might be restored to freedom. #PrayAgainstTrafficking https://t.co/QQIMmNEbrF
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 8, 2021
The victims of an economic system that, by maximizing profit, causes "the human person to be commotidized"
The wounds of our brothers and sisters exploited by human trafficking cry out to us. They are victims of an economic system that, by maximizing profit, causes "the human person to be commotidized". Let us all be committed to a just and solidary economy. #PrayAgainstTrafficking
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 8, 2021
The drama of our brothers and sisters
Let us ask for the grace that our eyes might see the drama of our brothers and sisters who are the victims of trafficking in persons, and for the courage to act so that our communities will be free of slavery. #PrayAgainstTrafficking
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 8, 2021
The care they deserve
I would like to make an appeal in favor of unaccompanied minors, those who find themselves on the so called "Balkan route" and those on all the other "routes". May they not lack the care they deserve or the and preferential humanitarian channels because of us.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 7, 2021
Sincerely available to serve the common good
Once again I would like to assure my spiritual closely and solidarity to the people of Myanmar. And I am praying so that all those with leadership responsibilities in the country might make themselves sincerely available to serve the common good.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 7, 2021
Let us to allow Jesus to heal us
Let us to allow Jesus to heal us – we always need this, everyone – so that we might in our turn be witnesses to God’s healing tenderness. #GospelOfTheDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 7, 2021
Let us promote the necessary treatments so that no one will be left behind
In the spirit of human fraternity, I invite everyone not to forget the most vulnerable populations, and to give particular attention to neglected tropical diseases that affect the poorest people. Let us promote the necessary treatments so that no one will be left behind.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 6, 2021
The worth of every human person, always and everywhere
Social friendship and universal fraternity necessarily call for an acknowledgement of the worth of every human person, always and everywhere. #FratelliTutti
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 5, 2021
Fraternity is the new frontier for humanity on which we need to build
There is no time today for indifference. Either we are brothers and sisters, or everything will fall apart. Fraternity is the new frontier for humanity on which we need to build; it is the challenge of our century. @alimamaltayeb #HumanFraternity https://t.co/oWCr5gzxSg
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 4, 2021
UN Secretary General António Guterres, and Latifah Ibn Ziaten, Foundress of the Imad Association for Youth and Peace, winners of the 2021 Human Fraternity.
I would like to congratulate the UN Secretary General António Guterres, and Latifah Ibn Ziaten, Foundress of the Imad Association for Youth and Peace, winners of the 2021 #ZayedAward for #HumanFraternity. I thank both of you for your witness.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 3, 2021
Let us pray and work each and every day so that everyone might live fraternally together in our world
Tomorrow we will celebrate the first #HumanFraternityDay. Let us pray and work each and every day so that everyone might live fraternally together in our world and in peace.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 3, 2021
So that our lives might become a spiritual sacrifice offered to God
The Church evangelizes and is herself evangelized through the beauty of the Liturgy.Let us ask the grace of a personal and authentic encounter with the living Christ in the liturgical celebration,so that our lives might become a spiritual sacrifice offered to God.#GeneralAudience
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 3, 2021
Always try to sing in unison
The Lord does not call us to be soloists, but to be part of a choir that can sometimes miss a note or two, but must always try to sing in unison. #ConsecratedLife
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 2, 2021