Today we celebrate Earth Day. I exhort everyone to see the world through the eyes of God the Creator: the earth is an environment to be safeguarded, a garden to be cultivated. The relationship of mankind with nature must not be conducted with greed, manipulation and exploitation, but it must conserve the divine harmony that exists between creatures and Creation within the logic of respect and care, so it can be put to the service of our brothers, also of future generations.
Pope FrancisWe must overcome...all forms of racism. The problem of intolerance should be dealt with as a whole: every time a minority is persecuted and marginalized...the good of the whole society is in danger.
Pope FrancisI am always wary of decisions made hastily. I am always wary of the first decision, that is, the first thing that comes to my mind if I have to make a decision. This is usually the wrong thing. I have to wait and assess, looking deep into myself, taking the necessary time.
Pope FrancisBrothers and sisters, good evening. You all know that the duty of the conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It seems that my brother cardinals have gone almost to the ends of the earth to get him... but here we are.
Pope FrancisCars are necessary, but take a more humble one. Think of how many children die of hunger and dedicate the savings to them.
Pope FrancisMany people who are forced into emigration suffer and often die tragically; many of their rights are violated, they are obliged to separate from their families and, unfortunately, continue to be subjected to racist attitudes and xenophobia.
Pope FrancisAre our lives truly filled with the presence of God? How many things take the place of God in my life each day?
Pope FrancisDon't be afraid to go to the Sacrament of Confession, where you will meet Jesus who forgives you.
Pope FrancisI like this idea of the re-foundation of the European Union, maybe it can be done, because Europe - I do not say is unique, but it has a force, a culture, a history that cannot be wasted, and we must do everything so that the European Union has the strength and also the inspiration to make it go forward.
Pope FrancisI had an experience of knowing the Polish people when I was a child, and where my father worked many Poles came to work after the war. They were good people, and this has stayed in my heart.
Pope FrancisWe are called to be 'ambassadors for Christ' (2 Cor 5:20). Ours is a ministry of reconciliation ... To be an ambassador for Christ means above all to invite everyone to a renewed personal encounter with the Lord Jesus.
Pope FrancisOne form of prayer moves us particularly to take up the task of evangelization and to seek the good of others: it is the prayer of intercession. Let us peer for a moment into the heart of Saint Paul, to see what his prayer was like. It was full of people: "...I constantly pray with you in every one of my prayers for all of you... because I hold you in my heart" (Phil 1:4, 7). Here we see that intercessory prayer does not divert us from true contemplation, since authentic contemplation always has a place for others.
Pope FrancisI cannot imagine a Christian who does not know how to smile. May we joyfully witness to our faith.
Pope FrancisI believe that in pretty much every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists.
Pope FrancisThe imposition of anomalous models and lifestyles are alien to people's identity and, in the end, are irresponsible.
Pope FrancisLove makes us similar, it creates equality, it breaks down walls and eliminates distances. God did this with us.
Pope FrancisJoy cannot be held at heel: it must be let go. Joy is a pilgrim virtue. It is a gift that walks, walks on the path of life, that walks with Jesus: preaching, proclaiming Jesus, proclaiming joy, lengthens and widens that path.
Pope FrancisOne cannot offend, make war, kill in the name of one's own religion, that is, in the name of God.
Pope FrancisWe also must learn to listen more to our conscience. Be careful, however: this does not mean we ought to follow our ego, do whatever interests us, whatever suits us, whatever pleases us. That is not conscience.
Pope FrancisLet us ask the Lord for the grace to take these things seriously. He came to fight for our salvation. He won against the devil! Please, let us not do business with the devil! He seeks to return home, to take possession of us Do not relativize; be vigilant! And always with Jesus!
Pope FrancisTo the criminals and all their accomplices, I, today, humbly and as a brother, repeat: convert yourselves to love and justice. It is possible to return to honesty. The tears of the mothers of Naples are asking this of you.
Pope FrancisI have neither silver nor gold, but I bring with me the most precious thing given to me: Jesus Christ.
Pope FrancisEach encounter with Jesus fills us with joy, with that deep joy which only God can give.
Pope FrancisI address a strong appeal from my heart that the dignity and safety of the worker always be protected.
Pope FrancisEnvironmental degradation is one of the biggest challenges we have. I think a question that we're not asking ourselves is: 'Isn't humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate and tyrannical use of nature?'
Pope FrancisWe are all sinners. But may the Lord not let us be hypocrites. Hypocrites don’t know the meaning of forgiveness, joy and the love of God.
Pope FrancisI sincerely hope I can contribute to the progress there has been in relations between Jews and Catholics since the Second Vatican Council in a spirit of renewed collaboration.
Pope FrancisIf we take the poor away from the Gospel, we won't be able to understand the whole message of Jesus Christ.
Pope FrancisWorking for a just distribution of the fruits of the earth and human labor is not mere philanthropy. It is a moral obligation.
Pope FrancisAnd there is this fact of the twelve baskets: why twelve? What does it mean? Twelve is the number of the tribes of Israel, symbolically it represents all the people. And this tells us that when food is shared equally, with solidarity, nobody is devoid of the necessary, each community can meet the needs of the poorest. Human ecology and environmental ecology go hand in hand.
Pope FrancisMen, to exist, to become complete and mature, need to feel the joy of fatherhood. When a man does not have this desire, something is missing in this man, it is like an incomplete life: a life that stops half way. The grace of fatherhood; of giving life to others, of pastoral paternity, of spiritual paternity is a gift from God.
Pope FrancisIt is by God’s mercy that we are saved. May we never tire of spreading this joyful message to the world.
Pope FrancisI think that even the Mexican society is a victim of all of this, of these crimes of "cleaning" people, of discarding people.
Pope FrancisYou may be asking yourselves, 'Who is this man standing before us?' i would like to reply to that question with something absolutely certain about my own life: The man standing before you is a man who has been forgiven. A man who was, and is, saved from his many sins.
Pope FrancisAlthough it is a symbol of life, the female body is unfortunately not rarely attacked and disfigured, even by those who should be its protector and life companion.
Pope FrancisI have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person's life. God is in everyone's life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else - God is in this person's life. You can - you must - try to seek God in every human life.
Pope FrancisEvery child who, rather than being born, is condemned unjustly to being aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ, bears the face of the Lord, who even before he was born, and then just after birth, experienced the world’s rejection. And every elderly person…even if he is ill or at the end of his days, bears the face of Christ. They cannot be discarded, as the ‘culture of waste’ suggests!
Pope FrancisThe key phrase used by the synod, which I'll take up again, is 'integrate' in the life of the Church the wounded families, remarried families, etc. But of this one mustn't forget the children in the middle. They are the first victims, both in the wounds, and in the conditions of poverty, of work.
Pope FrancisGod always forgives, always. But he asks that I forgive. If I don't forgive, in a certain sense I am closing the door to God's forgiveness.
Pope Francis