I don't know how things stand in the thinking of the Italian parliament. The Pope doesn't get mixed up in Italian politics.

True charity requires courage: Let us overcome the fear of getting our hands dirty so as to help those in need.

It is neither a culture of confrontation nor a culture of conflict which builds harmony within and between peoples, but rather a culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue; this is the only way to peace.

The Book of Genesis tells us that God created man and woman entrusting them with the task of filling the earth and subduing it, which does not mean exploiting it but nurturing and protecting it, caring for it through their work.

Going out to others in order to reach the fringes of humanity does not mean rushing out aimlessly into the world. Often it is better simply to slow down, to put aside our eagerness in order to see and listen to others, to stop rushing from one thing to another and to remain with someone who has faltered along the way.

Children are to be welcomed, cherished, protected.

Christ comes among us at Christmas: it is the perfect time for a personal encounter with the Lord.