Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday! 

The Gospel of today's liturgy tells us about two miracles that seem to be connected to each other. As Jesus is on His way to the house of Jairus, one of the synagogue leaders whose daughter is gravely ill, a woman suffering from hemorrhages touches His cloak along the way. He stops to heal her. Meanwhile, we are told that Jairus' daughter has died, but Jesus does not stop. He arrives at the house, goes into the girl's room, takes her by the hand, and raises her, bringing her back to life (Mk 5:21-43). Two miracles, one of which is a healing and the other a resurrection.

These two healings are told in the same episode. Both occur through physical contact. Indeed, the woman touches Jesus' cloak, and Jesus takes the girl by the hand. Why is this physical contact important? It is because these two women are considered impure and cannot, therefore, be physically touched—one because she suffers from blood loss and the other because she is dead. Yet, Jesus allows Himself to be touched and is not afraid to touch. Jesus allows Himself to be touched and is not afraid to touch. Even before He carries out a physical healing, He challenges the false religious belief that God separates the pure, placing them on one side, from the impure on another. Instead, God does not make this kind of separation, because we are all His children. Impurity does not come from food, illness, or even death; impurity comes from an impure heart.

Let us learn this lesson: in the face of bodily and spiritual sufferings, of the wounds our souls bear, of the situations that crush us, and even in the face of sin, God does not keep us at a distance. God is not ashamed of us; God does not judge us. On the contrary, He draws near to let Himself be touched and to touch us, and He always raises us from death. He always takes us by the hand to say: daughter, son, arise! (cf. Mark 5:41). Walk forward; strive ahead! “Lord I am a sinner”—

“Strive forward; I became sin for you, to save you” – “But you, O Lord, are not a sinner” – “No, but I have endured all the consequences of sin to save you.” This is beautiful!

Let us fix the image that Jesus offers us in our hearts. It is God who takes you by the hand and raises you up again. It is He who lets Himself be touched by your pain and touches you to heal you and give you life again. He does not discriminate against anyone because He loves everyone.

Thus, we can ask ourselves: do we believe that God is like this? Do we let ourselves be touched by the Lord, by His Word, by His love? Do we relate to our brothers and sisters by offering them a hand to lift them up, or do we keep our distance and label people based on our tastes and preferences? We label people. Let me ask you a question: Does God, the Lord Jesus, label people? May everyone answer this question. Does God label people? And do I live by constantly labelling people?

Brothers and sisters, let us look to the heart of God, so that the Church and society may neither exclude nor treat anyone as "impure," so that each person, with their own particular past, is welcomed and loved without labels, prejudices, or adjectives.

Let us pray through the Holy Virgin. May She who is the Mother of tenderness intercede for us and for the whole world.

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After the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters,

I greet you all, Romans and pilgrims from Italy and various countries!

I especially greet the children of the “Misyjna Jutrzenka” Missionary Circle from Skoczów, Poland; and the faithful from California and Costa Rica.

I greet the religious sisters of the Daughters of the Church, who in these days have been on a pilgrimage following in the footsteps of their foundress, Venerable Maria Oliva Bonaldo, together with a group of lay people. I also greet the young people from Gonzaga, near Mantua.

Today we remember the Roman Protomartyrs. We too live in a time of martyrdom, one that is even more so than in the early centuries. Many of our brothers and sisters in various parts of the world suffer discrimination and persecution because of their faith; they thus bring fecundity to the Church. Others face a “white-glove” martyrdom. Let us support them and be inspired by their testimony of love for Christ.

On this last day of June, let us implore the Sacred Heart of Jesus to touch the hearts of those who desire war, that they may be converted to plans of dialogue and peace.

Brothers and sisters, let us not forget martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, and many other places where there is so much suffering due to war!

I wish everyone a good Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and arrivederci! Thank you.

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

Today, Solemnity of the Saints Apostles Peter and Paul, in the Gospel Jesus says to Simon, whom He named Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 16:19). This is why often we see Saint Peter depicted holding two large keys, as in the statue here in this Square. Those keys represent the ministry of authority that Jesus entrusted to him in the service of all the Church. Because authority is a service, and authority that is not service is dictatorship.

Let us be careful, though, to understand well the meaning of all this. The keys of Peter, in fact, are the keys of a Kingdom, which Jesus does not describe as a safe or a vault, but with other images: a tiny seed, a precious pearl, a hidden treasure, a handful of yeast (cf. Mt 13:1-33), that is, like something precious and rich, yes, but at the same time small and inconspicuous. To reach it, therefore, one does not need to operate mechanisms and safety locks, but to cultivate virtues such as patience, attention, constancy, humility, service.

Therefore, the mission that Jesus entrusts to Peter is not that of barring the doors to the house, permitting entry only to a few select guests, but of helping everyone find the way to enter, in faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus. For everyone: everyone, everyone, everyone can enter.

And Peter will do this throughout his life, faithfully, until his martyrdom, after having been the first to experience for himself, not without fatigue and with many setbacks, the joy and the freedom that come from meeting the Lord. He was the first to have to convert, and to understand that authority is a service, in order to open the door to Jesus, and it was not easy for him. Let us think: just after saying to Jesus, “You are the Christ”, the Master had to reproach him, because he refused to accept the prophecy of His passion and His death by the cross (cf. Mt 16:21-23).

Peter received the keys to the Kingdom not because he was perfect, no: he is a sinner; but because he was humble, honest, and the Father had given him sincere faith (cf. Mt 16:17). Therefore, entrusting himself to God’s mercy, he was able to support and fortify his brethren too, as was asked of him (cf. Lk 22:32).

Today we can ask ourselves, then: do I cultivate the desire to enter, with God’s grace, into His Kingdom, and to be, with His help, its welcoming guardian for others too? And to do so, do I let myself be “polished”, softened, modelled by Jesus and His Spirit, the Spirit who dwells in us, in each one of us?

May Mary, Queen of the Apostles, and the Saints Peter and Paul, grant for us, with their prayers, to be a guide and support to one another for the encounter with the Lord Jesus.

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After the Angelus the Pope continued:

Dear brothers and sisters,

I greet you all, who have come on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, and I greet the Romans in a special way! Today I would like my greeting to reach all the inhabitants of Rome, all of them, together with my prayer; for families, especially those who struggle the most; for the elderly, those who are loneliest; for the sick, the imprisoned, and those who for various reasons are in difficulty. I hope that everyone might have the experience of Peter and Paul; namely that the love of Jesus Christ may save their life and drive them to give it, drive them to give it with joy, with gratuitousness. Life is not sold.

I greet the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception, gathered in Rome for their General Chapter; and I congratulate them on the great flower display organized by the “Pro Loco” group in Piazza Pio XII, created by master florists from various parts of Italy. Thank you, thank you very much! I can see them from here, they are beautiful!

I think with sorrow of the brothers and sisters who are suffering because of war: let us pray for all the populations wounded and threatened by fighting, that God may free them and support them in the struggle for peace. And I give thanks to God for the freeing of the two Greek Catholic priests. May all the prisoners of this war soon return home! Let us pray together: may all the prisoners return home.

I wish you all a good feast day. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch, and arrivederci!

Let us look at the two Apostles, Peter and Paul: the fisherman from Galilee whom Jesus made a fisher of men, and the Pharisee who persecuted the Church but was transformed by grace into an evangelizer of the nations. In the light of God’s word, let us draw inspiration from their story and from the apostolic zeal that marked their lives. In encountering the Lord, they experienced a true passover:  they were set free: the doors to a new life opened before them.

Brothers and sisters, on the eve of the Jubilee Year, let us reflect on that image of the door. The Jubilee will be a time of grace during which we will open the Holy Door so that everyone may cross the threshold of that living sanctuary who is Jesus and, in him, experience the love of God that confirms our hope and renews our joy. In the story of Peter and Paul, several doors open.

The first reading tells of the deliverance of Peter from prison; it is filled with images reminiscent of Passover. The event takes place during the feast of Unleavened Bread. Herod recalls the figure of the Pharaoh of Egypt. The deliverance takes place at night, as it did for the Israelites. The angel gives Peter the same instructions once given to Israel: he tells Peter to rise quickly, gird himself and put on his sandals (cf. Acts 12:8; Ex 12:11). The account, then, is that of a new exodus. God delivers his Church, frees his people who are in chains, and once again reveals himself as the God of mercy who sustains them on their journey.

On that night of deliverance, the doors of the prison are first miraculously opened. Then, we are told that when Peter and the angel accompanying him came to the iron gate leading into the city, “it opened to them of its own accord” (Acts 12:10). They did not open the door; it opened by itself. It is God who opens doors; he is the one who sets us free and opens the way before us. Jesus, as we heard in the Gospel, entrusted the keys of the Kingdom to Peter, yet Peter realizes that it is the Lord who opens doors; he always goes before us. This point is significant: the doors of the prison were opened by the Lord’s strength, but Peter then found it hard to enter the house of the Christian community. The woman who went to the door thought that it was a ghost and did not open the door (cf. Acts 12:12-17). How many times have communities not learned this wisdom of the need to open the doors!

The journey of the Apostle Paul is also, primarily, a passover experience. First, he is changed by his encounter with the Risen Lord on the road to Damascus and then, fervently contemplating the crucified Christ, discovers the grace of weakness. When we are weak, he tells us, it is then that we are strong, because we no longer rely on ourselves, but on Christ (cf. 2 Cor 12:10). Seized by the Lord and crucified with him, Paul can write, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). Yet this does not lead to a consoling, inward-looking religiosity – like that found in a few movements in the Church today – on the contrary, the encounter with the Lord ignites in the life of Paul a burning zeal for evangelization. As we heard in the second reading, at the end of his life, he could say: “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the message fully, that all the Gentiles might hear it” (2 Tim 4:17).

In describing how the Lord gave him so many opportunities to preach the Gospel, Paul employs the image of open doors. He journeyed to Antioch with Barnabas, and we read that “when they arrived, they gathered the church together and declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27). In a similar way, in writing to the community in Corinth, he says, “a wide door for effective work opened to me” (1 Cor 16:9). Writing to the Colossians, he urges them: “Pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ” (Col 4:3).

Brothers and sisters, the Apostles Peter and Paul both experienced this grace. They witnessed first-hand the work of God, who opened the doors of their interior prisons but also the actual prisons into which they were thrown because of the Gospel. The Lord also opened before them the doors of evangelization, so they could have the joy of encountering their brothers and sisters in the fledgling communities and bring the hope of the Gospel to all.       Now, this year we also are preparing to open the Holy Door.

Brothers and sisters, today the Metropolitan Archbishops appointed in the last year receive the pallium. In communion with Peter and following the example of Christ, the gate for the sheep (cf. Jn 10:7), they are called to be zealous shepherds who open the doors of the Gospel and, through their ministry, help to build a Church and a society of open doors.

With fraternal affection, I greet the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, whom I thank for coming to manifest the shared desire for full communion between our Churches. I also send heartfelt cordial greetings to my dear brother Bartholomew.

May Saints Peter and Paul help us to open the door of our lives to the Lord Jesus. May they intercede for us, for this City of Rome and for the whole world. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

A special greeting to the Superior General, who has just been appointed Archbishop of Ende in Indonesia.

You have chosen a significant theme for your General Chapter: “Your Light Must Shine Before Others (Mt 5:16): Faithful and Creative Disciples in a Wounded World.” A Chapter is a pause for reflection on a Congregation’s charism and mission. Since you are the Society of the Divine Word, in these days you are returning to the source of your identity: the Lord Jesus, the Word of salvation.

God’s Word generates, gives life, inspires, and motivates; it is the focal point of your mission. That Word, which took flesh in Jesus, revealed the face of the Father and his merciful love. In this way, the Word incarnate became the light of the world, who then commanded his disciples, “Let your light shine before others” (Mt 5:16). How does this happen? By being with him and going forth, abiding in his love and bearing witness to him. Evangelization is only possible through this way, and “demands familiarity with God’s word” (Evangelii Gaudium, 175). This, brothers and sisters, is the source from which you are always born and reborn as faithful disciples and creative missionaries. Let us pause for a moment to reflect on these two aspects.

Faithful disciples. All of the baptized are called to be missionary disciples, and fidelity to this vocation, always by the grace of God, is our commitment. Faithful disciples are recognized by the joy of the Gospel that lights up their face, from the way they live their life and thus transmit to others the love that they first received and continue to receive anew each day. Experiencing the love of the Trinity and keeping alive the flame of the Spirit is vital to our growth as missionary disciples and religious. That flame daily renews us; it purifies and transforms us as we make our pilgrim way, ever conscious of our sins, amid the blandishments of this world. Yet, you have to be courageous and confident in the mercy of God, who always forgives. We, too, must always forgive and never deny absolution.

Creative missionaries. What is the source of your creativity? Good and healthy creativity, not one that is always superficial, self-referential, and worldly. Instead, sound missionary work comes from the Word and the Spirit, that is, from Christ living within you, who makes you sharers. It is he, not we, who attracts hearts to himself! The Spirit is the “protagonist”, while our role consists in working with all our might, employing all our talents in the certainty that the Creator Spirit is always at work, whereas we are called to be his docile instruments, “channels” that transparently reflect his presence. You serve in seventy-nine different countries: you are there to proclaim the Gospel and “make present in the world the kingdom of God” (Evangelii Gaudium, 176). This, as you well know, is done more by spreading joy than by imposing obligations. Creative missionary activities are born of love for the Word of God; and creativity is born of contemplation and discernment. While our personal initiatives are good, creative activity on the part of the community is better for the unity and strength of the Church.

Dear brothers, I thank you because your Chapter’s “guidelines” allow me to highlight some pressing current issues.

First: the need to be peacemakers. Our world is scarred by conflicts, wars, destruction of the environment, violent acts against human life and dignity, fundamentalist ideologies, and many other wounds. Peace is the cry rising from the world’s peoples. Let us listen to this plea and become peacemakers! The risen Jesus repeatedly said to the apostles: “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:19, 21, 26). He wants them to be sowers of peace, saying “Peace be with you”. To which he added, “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (v. 21). Let us bring the peace of Christ to all, especially to the poor, migrants who suffer much, women who face discrimination, children, and the marginalized. God heard the cry of an enslaved people (cf. Ex 3:9); may we not close our ears to the cry of those who are oppressed in our own day, and prove creative in fostering peace.

The second urgent need: to be the hope for every culture. You must be the hope for every culture. On the eve of the Jubilee Year, in this wounded world, our communities must become signs of hope. This is prophetic. It means that, before giving hope, we need to be hope, exercising the character that derives from our baptism. In your case, consecration in accordance with your original charism confirms and strengthens those baptismal gifts and impels you to become committed witnesses in the various social and cultural settings where you find yourselves, “being prophetic hope for every culture.” This is a great challenge! Only the Church can respond to it, because from the beginning she has been enlivened by the Spirit of Pentecost. I like to read in the Acts of the Apostles about what the Holy Spirit does. There is confusion, everyone is talking, but they all understand each other! So many times in confusing situations, the Spirit takes the Church forward. Do not be afraid of conflicts! Do not create conflicts, but don’t be afraid of conflicts either. Do not be afraid of the confusion of today’s culture. The Spirit can enter there. “Be the hope for every culture”. You are experts in inculturation, one of the fruits of your charism. In the course of the years, you have learned to live your missionary vocation by showing respect for all cultures and peoples. Yet discernment is needed. Today, the internet and social media, approached uncritically, are influencing people’s lifestyles and values. Saint John Paul II, on the other hand, called us to shape “a new culture of love and of hope inspired by the truth that frees us in Christ Jesus. This is the goal of inculturation.” [1] It takes discernment, so ask the Holy Spirit for this grace of discernment.

Now, a third aspect: to be missionaries of synodality. A Church that “goes forth” is open to others. It is a welcoming and embracing community where the Lord lives and the Spirit is active. The Church that goes out is extroverted, while a partisan Church is introverted. Always be open, put your heart into it! Today the Church must grow in a synodal approach, listening to everyone, dialoguing with everyone, and discerning in the Holy Spirit what is her mission. Synodality is not a question of being in fashion. “Synodality is essentially missionary and, vice versa, mission is always synodal” (Message for World Mission Day, 20 October 2024). For this reason, I encourage you to promote synodality in every aspect of your life. May every community grow and enjoy a synodal “style” whereby each member feels listened to and accepted. Finally, do as the Spirit tells you, but be sure to be sensitive to the way the Spirit moves: gently, among the simple and in the most distant places.

Dear brothers and sisters, in 2025 you will celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the foundation of the Society of the Divine Word. Your hearts are filled with gratitude to God for his immense love, which has moved you to go to every part of the world to preach the Word and to spread the love of God, forming communities, serving the poor, working for social justice, offering education and empowerment, and caring for the environment. In this spirit of gratitude, you are now reflecting on how to share creatively the joy of Jesus’ resurrection. Saint Arnold Janssen knew how to discern God’s will and to guide the Society in the way of the Spirit. This is the charism of a founder! Today, may you follow this charism, and may his example and intercession guide your communal discernment and help you to take courageous steps forward, in humility and in trusting abandonment to God. I thank you for who you are and for all that you do. I offer you my heartfelt blessing, and I ask you, please, not to forget to pray for me. Thank you.

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[1] Address to Participants in the Plenary Session of the Pontifical Council for Culture, 10 January 1992.

Your Eminence, dear Brothers in Christ, good morning and welcome!

I thank you for your presence. I am grateful to my beloved Brother His Holiness Bartholomew and to the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for once again sending a delegation to share in our celebration of the Holy Patrons of the Church of Rome, the Apostles Peter and Paul, who crowned their witness of faith in Christ Jesus by suffering martyrdom in this City. Your presence, and that of my own delegation to the Phanar for the feast of the Apostle Andrew, Peter’s brother, enable us to experience the joy of fraternal encounter. They also make it possible for us to bear witness to the profound bonds uniting the sister Churches of Rome and Constantinople, as well as our firm resolve to progress together towards the restoration of that unity to which the Holy Spirit alone can guide us, which is communion in legitimate diversity.

This journey of reconciliation and pacification received new impetus with the meeting between Pope Paul VI and the saintly Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras sixty years ago in Jerusalem. After centuries of mutual estrangement, that meeting was a sign of great hope that continues to inspire the hearts and minds of all those men and women who today yearn to arrive, with God’s help, at the day when we can share together in the Eucharistic banquet. Ten years ago, in May 2014, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and I made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of that historic event. There, where our Lord Jesus Christ died, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, and the Holy Spirit was first poured out upon the disciples, we reaffirmed our commitment to continue journeying together towards the unity for which Christ the Lord prayed to the Father, “that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21). I cherish vividly and gratefully the memory of that shared pilgrimage with His Holiness Bartholomew, and I give thanks to God the merciful Father for the fraternal friendship that has developed between us over these years. It has been nurtured in our numerous meetings and in the many instances of concrete cooperation between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church on matters of great significance for the Churches and for the world, such as the care of creation, the defence of human dignity, and peace.

Certain that I am also echoing the sentiments of my beloved Brother, I would reaffirm what we stated together on that occasion, namely, that dialogue between our Churches poses no risk to the integrity of the faith; rather, it is a necessity arising from our fidelity to the Lord and leading us to the whole truth (cf. Jn 16:13) through an exchange of gifts and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (cf. Common Declaration of Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Jerusalem, 25 May 2014). For this reason, I wish to encourage the work of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, which has embarked on the study of delicate historical and theological issues. It is my hope that the pastors and theologians engaged in this process will go beyond purely academic disputes and listen with docility to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the life of the Church. And, at the same time, that what has already been studied and agreed upon will find full reception in our communities and places of formation. There will always and everywhere be resistance to this, but we must move forward with courage.

As we recall that meeting in Jerusalem, our thoughts turn to the dramatic situation unfolding in the Holy Land today. Immediately following that pilgrimage, on 8 June 2014, His Holiness Bartholomew and I, in the presence of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Theophilos III, welcomed to the Vatican Gardens the late President of the State of Israel and the President of the State of Palestine, in order to invoke peace in the Holy Land, in the Middle East, and throughout the world. Ten years later, present events have tragically shown us the necessity and urgency of praying together for peace, so that the war may end, the leaders of nations and the parties in conflict may rediscover the path to concord, and all parties come to recognize one another as brothers and sisters. Naturally, this invocation for peace extends to all current conflicts, particularly the war now being fought in war-torn Ukraine.

At a time when so many men and women are prisoners of fear for the future, our Churches have the mission to proclaim always, everywhere, and to everyone Jesus Christ as “our hope” (1 Tim 1:1). For this reason, following a venerable tradition of the Catholic Church, according to which the Bishop of Rome proclaims a Jubilee every twenty-five years, I have decided to proclaim the Ordinary Jubilee for the year 2025, with the motto “Pilgrims of Hope.” I would be grateful if you and the Church you represent can accompany and support with your prayers this year of grace, so that abundant spiritual fruits may not be lacking. It would also be very nice to have you present.

2025 will also mark the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. It is my hope that the commemoration of this highly significant event will inspire all believers in Christ the Lord to testify together to their faith and their desire for greater communion. In particular, I am pleased that the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity have begun to reflect on how to join in commemorating this anniversary, and I thank His Holiness Bartholomew for inviting me to celebrate it near the place where the Council met. It is a trip that I truly wish to make.

Dear friends, let us confidently commend our Churches to the intercession of the Holy Brothers Peter and Andrew. May the Lord grant that we may continue to walk on the path that he points out to us, which is always the way of love, reconciliation and mercy. I thank you again for your visit, and I ask you, please, to pray for me!

I am reminded of something that the late Bishop Zizioulas said. He was ironic at times, but very good, and I really appreciated him. Once he jokingly said, “I know when the day of full unity will be: the day of the Last Judgment. But in the meantime, let us walk together, pray together and work together”. That is wise. Thank you, thank you very much.

Now I would like us to pray the Lord’s Prayer together before we finish, each in our own language: Our Father...

Hope and Act with Creation

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

“Hope and Act with Creation” is the theme of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to be held on 1 September 2024. The theme is drawn from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans (8:19-25), where the Apostle explains what it means for us to live according to the Spirit and focuses on the sure hope of salvation that is born of faith, namely, newness of life in Christ.

1. Let us begin with a question, one perhaps without an immediately obvious answer. If we are truly believers, how did we come to have faith? It is not simply because we believe in something transcendent, beyond the power of reason, the unattainable mystery of a distant and remote God, invisible and unnameable. Rather, as Saint Paul tells us, it is because the Holy Spirit dwells within us. We are believers because the very love of God “has been poured into our hearts” ( Rom 5:5) and the Spirit is now truly “the pledge of our inheritance” ( Eph 1:14), constantly prompting us to strive for eternal goods, according to the fullness of Jesus’ authentic humanity. The Spirit enables believers to be creative and pro-active in charity. He sends us forth on a great journey of spiritual freedom, yet one that does not eliminate the tension between the Spirit’s way of thinking and that of the world, whose fruits are opposed to each other (cf. Gal 5:16-17). We know that the first fruit of the Spirit, which sums up all the others, is love. Led by the Holy Spirit, believers are children of God and can turn to him with the words “Abba, Father” ( Rom 8:15), just as Jesus did. Moreover, they can do so with the freedom of those who no longer fall back into the fear of death, for Jesus has risen from the dead. This is our great hope: God’s love has triumphed and continues to triumph over everything. Indeed, even in the face of physical death, future glory is already assured for those who live the new life of the Spirit. Nor does this hope disappoint, as was affirmed in the recent Bull of Indiction of the forthcoming Jubilee. [1]

2. The life of a Christian, then, is one of faith, active in charity and abounding in hope, as we await the Lord’s return in glory. We are not troubled by the “delay” of the Parousia, Christ’s second coming; for us the important question is whether, “when the Son of man comes, he will find faith on earth” (Lk 18:8). Faith is a gift, the fruit of the Spirit’s presence in us, but it is also a task to be undertaken freely, in obedience to Jesus’ commandment of love. Such is the blessed hope to which we must bear witness. Yet where, when, and how are we to bear that witness? Surely by caring for the flesh of suffering humanity. As people who dare to dream, we must dream with our eyes wide open, impelled by a desire for love, fraternity, friendship and justice for all. Christian salvation enters into the depths of the world’s suffering, which embraces not only humanity but also the entire universe, nature itself, and the oikos, the home and living environment of humanity. Salvation embraces creation as an “earthly paradise,” mother earth, which is meant to be a place of joy and a promise of happiness for all. Our Christian optimism is founded on a living hope: it realizes that everything is ordered to the glory of God, to final consummation in his peace and to bodily resurrection in righteousness, as we pass “from glory to glory.” Nonetheless, in the passage of time we are not exempt from pain and suffering: the whole creation groans (cf. Rom 8:19-22), we Christians groan (cf. vv. 23-25) and the Spirit himself groans (cf. vv. 26-27). This groaning expresses apprehension and suffering, together with longing and desire. It gives voice to our trust in God and our reliance on his loving yet demanding presence in our midst, as we look forward to the fulfilment of his plan, which is joy, love and peace in the Holy Spirit.

3. The whole of creation is caught up in this process of new birth and, in groaning, looks forward to its liberation. This entails an unseen and imperceptible process of growth, like that of “a mustard seed that becomes a great tree” or “leaven in the dough” (cf. Mt 13:31-33). The beginnings are tiny, but the expected results can prove to be infinite in their beauty. Similar to the anticipation of a birth – the revelation of the children of God – hope can be seen as the possibility of remaining steadfast amid adversity, of not losing heart in times of tribulation or in the face of human evil. Christian hope does not disappoint, nor does it deceive. The groaning of creation, of Christians and of the Spirit is the anticipation and expectation of a salvation already at work; all the same, we continue to find ourselves enduring what Saint Paul describes as “tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword” ( Rom 8:35). Hope, then, is an alternative reading of history and human affairs. It is not illusory, but realistic, with the realism of a faith that sees what is unseen. This hope is patient expectation, like that of Abraham. I think of that great visionary believer, Joachim of Fiore, the Calabrian abbot who, in the words of Dante Alighieri, “was endowed with a spirit of prophecy”. [2]  At a time of violent conflicts between the Papacy and the Empire, the Crusades, the outbreak of heresies and growing worldliness in the Church, Joachim was able to propose the ideal of a new spirit of coexistence among people, based on universal fraternity and Christian peace, the fruit of a life lived in the spirit of the Gospel. I spoke of this spirit of social friendship and universal fraternity in Fratelli Tutti, but this harmony among men and women should also be extended to creation, in a “situated anthropocentrism” ( Laudate Deum, 67) and in a sense of responsibility for a humane and integral ecology, the path to salvation for our common home and for us who inhabit it.

4. Why is there so much evil in the world? Why so much injustice, so many fratricidal wars that kill children, destroy cities, pollute the environment and leave mother earth violated and devastated? Implicitly evoking the sin of Adam, Saint Paul states: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now” (Rom 8:22). The moral struggles of Christians are linked to the “groaning” of creation, ever since the latter “was subjected to futility” (v. 20). The entire universe and every creature therein groans and yearns “impatiently” for its present condition to be overcome and its original state to be restored. Our liberation thus includes that of all other creatures who, in solidarity with the human condition, were placed under the yoke of slavery. Creation itself, like humanity, was enslaved, albeit through no fault of its own, and finds itself unable to fulfil the lasting meaning and purpose for which it was designed. It is subject to dissolution and death, aggravated by the human abuse of nature. At the same time, the salvation of humanity in Christ is a sure hope also for creation, for, “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom 8:21). Consequently, thanks to Christ’s redemption, it is possible to contemplate in hope the bond of solidarity between human beings and all other creatures.

5. In our hopeful and persevering expectation of the glorious return of Jesus, the Holy Spirit keeps us, the community of believers, vigilant; he continually guides us and calls us to conversion, to a change in lifestyle in order to resist the degradation of our environment and to engagement in that social critique which is above all a witness to the real possibility of change. This conversion entails leaving behind the arrogance of those who want to exercise dominion over others and nature itself, reducing the latter to an object to be manipulated, and instead embracing the humility of those who care for others and for all of creation. “When human beings claim to take God’s place, they become their own worst enemies” (Laudate Deum, 73), for Adam’s sin has tainted our fundamental relationships, namely with God, with ourselves, with one another and with the universe. All these relationships need to be integrally restored, saved and “put right”. None of them can be overlooked, for if even one is lacking, everything else fails.

6. To hope and act with creation, then, means above all to join forces and to walk together with all men and women of good will. In this way, we can help to rethink, “among other things, the question of human power, its meaning and its limits. Our power has frenetically increased in a few decades. We have made impressive and awesome technological advances, yet we have not realized that at the same time we have turned into highly dangerous beings, capable of threatening the lives of many beings and our own survival” (Laudate Deum, 28). Unchecked power creates monsters and then turns against us. Today, then, there is an urgent need to set ethical limits on the development of artificial intelligence, since its capacity for calculation and simulation could be used for domination over humanity and nature, instead of being harnessed for the service of peace and integral development (cf. Message for the World Day of Peace 2024).

7. “The Holy Spirit accompanies us at every moment of our lives”. This was clearly understood by the boys and girls assembled in Saint Peter’s Square for the first World Day of Children, which was held on Trinity Sunday. God is not an abstract notion of infinity, but the loving Father, the Son who is the friend and redeemer of every person, and the Holy Spirit who guides our steps on the path of charity. Obedience to the Spirit of love radically changes the way we think: from “predators”, we become “tillers” of the garden. The earth is entrusted to our care, yet continues to belong to God (cf. Lev 25:23). This is the “theological anthropocentrism” that marks the Judeo-Christian tradition. To claim the right to possess and dominate nature, manipulating it at will, thus represents a form of idolatry, a Promethean version of man who, intoxicated by his technocratic power, arrogantly places the earth in a “dis-graced” condition, deprived of God’s grace. Indeed, if the grace of God is Jesus, who died and rose again, then the words of Benedict XVI certainly ring true: “It is not science that redeems man: man is redeemed by love” (Spe Salvi, 26), the love of God in Christ, from which nothing and no one can ever separate us (cf. Rom 8:38-39). Creation, then, is not static or closed in on itself, but is continuously drawn towards its future. Today, thanks to the discoveries of contemporary physics, the link between matter and spirit presents itself in an ever more intriguing way to our understanding.

8. The protection of creation, then, is not only an ethical issue, but one that is eminently theological, for it is the point where the mystery of man and the mystery of God intersect. This intersection can be called “creative”, since it originates in the act of love by which God created human beings in Christ. That creative act of God enables and grounds the freedom and morality of all human activity. We are free precisely because we were created in the image of God who is Jesus Christ, and, as a result, are “representatives” of creation in Christ himself. A transcendent (theological-ethical) motivation commits Christians to promoting justice and peace in the world, not least through the universal destination of goods. It is a matter of the revelation of the children of God that creation awaits, groaning as in the pangs of childbirth. At stake is not only our earthly life in history, but also, and above all, our future in eternity, the eschaton of our blessedness, the paradise of our peace, in Christ, the Lord of the cosmos, crucified and risen out of love.

9. To hope and act with creation, then, means to live an incarnational faith, one that can enter into the suffering and hope-filled “flesh” of others, by sharing in the expectation of the bodily resurrection to which believers are predestined in Christ the Lord. In Jesus, the eternal Son who took on human flesh, we are truly children of the Father. Through faith and baptism, our life in the Spirit begins (cf. Rom 8:2), a holy life, lived as children of the Father, like Jesus (cf. Rom 8:14-17), since by the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ lives in us (cf. Gal 2:20). In this way, our lives can become a song of love for God, for humanity, with and for creation, and find their fullness in holiness. [3]

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 27 June 2024

FRANCIS 

Dear brothers, good morning!

I greet Father Carlos Luis Suárez Codorniú, your Superior General, confirmed for a second term, you did not do too badly if you got re-elected! I offer my cordial good wishes for his ministry. I also greet the new Councillors and all of you who are taking part in the XXV General Chapter of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

You have chosen, as a guide for your work, the motto: Called to be One in a Changing World. “So that the world may believe” (Jn 17:21). This theme is closely aligned with your charism, in both its mystical and apostolic dimensions.

Venerable Léon Gustave Dehon taught you to “make union with Christ, in his love for the Father and for all, the principle and centre of [your] life” (Constitutions, 17); and to do so by closely linking your religious consecration and ministry to the reparation offered by the Son, so that everything, through his Heart, may return to the Father. Let us focus, then, on these two aspects of your present Chapter: to be one, so that the world may believe.

To be one: unity. We know how insistently Jesus, in his prayer to the Father at the Last Supper, asked this for his disciples (cf. Jn 17:23). He did not simply propose it to them as a project or a goal to be achieved. Before all else, he prayed that it would be given to them as a gift; the gift of unity. It is important to remember this. Unity is not our work; we cannot attain it on our own. We can do our part, and we have to strive to do it, but we need God’s help. It is he who brings us together and inspires us, and the more united we are with him, the more united we become with one another. If you want to grow in communion, then, I would urge that, in your Chapter’s decisions, you give priority to the sacramental life, prayerful meditation on the Word of God, the vital role of personal and communal prayer, particularly adoration – never forget adoration – as means of personal and fraternal growth and “service to the Church” (Constitutions, 31).

In your religious houses, the chapel should be, for each and all, the place most often visited, a place of humble and receptive silence and hidden prayer, enabling the beating of Christ’s heart to set the rhythm of your days, to modulate the tone of your conversations, and to sustain the zeal of your charity. Jesus’ heart eternally beats with love for us, and its beating can join with ours in restoring our calm, harmony, energy, unity, especially in times of difficulty. We all, both personally and communally, had and will have difficult times: do not be afraid! Even the Apostles had many. Remain close to the Lord so that unity is maintained in times of temptation. Yet for this to happen, we must make room for him, faithfully and perseveringly, silencing vain words and futile thoughts, and bringing everything into his presence. On this point, I would like to add a few words about gossiping. Please, gossiping is a plague, it seems small, but it destroys from within. Be careful and never gossip about one another, never! There is a good remedy for gossiping: bite your tongue, so that it hurts and will not let you talk. Please, never gossip about others. We need to pray! Let us never forget that without prayer, we neither progress nor stand firm, either in religious life or in the apostolate! Without prayer, nothing will be accomplished.

And so, we come to our second point: to be one, so that the world may believe. Unity has this ability to evangelize. This is a challenging goal, which gives rise to many questions. How do we go about being missionaries today, in an age marked by immense and complex challenges? In the various areas of apostolate in which you work, how can you say “something meaningful to a world that seems to have lost its heart” (cf. General Audience, 5 June 2024)? So many times, we have seen that this world appears to have lost its heart.

Venerable Léon Gustave Dehon can help us to answer this question. In one of his letters, meditating on the Lord’s Passion, he observed that “the scourges, the thorns, the nails” have written a single word in the flesh of the Saviour: love. He then added, “Let us not be satisfied with reading and admiring only the exterior of this divine writing. Let us penetrate to the heart and we shall see a much greater marvel: an inexhaustible and unfailing love that suffers willingly and gives itself without tiring” (The Love of the Sacred Heart II, 1905).

Herein lies the secret of a credible and effective proclamation: allowing, like Jesus, the word “love” to be written upon our flesh, that is, in the concreteness of our actions. And to do this with tenacity, steadfast in the face of searing judgments, distressing problems and the malice that pains our hearts; to do so tirelessly, with inexhaustible affection for every brother and sister, in solidarity with Christ the Redeemer in his desire to make reparation for the sins of all humanity. In solidarity with the Lord, crucified and risen, who, in the face of those who suffer, those who err, and those who do not believe, calls not for judgment but for “love and tears for those who have strayed, [in order] to trust completely in God” (Homily, Chrism Mass, 28 March 2024). In this way, he promises us a “calm that shields us from the storms raging all around us” (ibid.). Venerable Dehon understood this teaching and practised it to the end, as witnessed by the final words, touching in their simplicity, that he bequeathed to you on his deathbed: “For him I have lived, for him I die. He is my everything, my life, my death, my eternity”.

Dear brothers, may you persevere in your mission with that same faith and generosity! I thank you for all that you do, the world over. I bless you and all your confreres, I accompany you with my prayers and I ask you, please, not to forget to pray for me. Thank you.

Dear Friends,

In offering you a warm welcome at the conclusion of your Plenary Session, I greet Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, the other Superiors of the Dicastery, the Officials, and the members of the Agencies taking part in your meeting.

As I look around in your presence, my thoughts turn with affection to the Eastern Churches, which must be cherished and esteemed for the unique spiritual and sapiential traditions that they preserve, and for all that they have to say to us about the Christian life, synodality, and the liturgy. We think of early Fathers, the Councils, and monasticism… inestimable treasures of the Church. Among the Eastern Churches, some are in full communion with the Successor of the Apostle Peter. They enrich the Catholic communion by their impressive history and their distinctive features.

This beauty, however, is marred. Many Eastern Churches are bearing a heavy cross and have become “martyr Churches”. They carry the marks of Christ’s wounds. Just as the Lord’s flesh was pierced by nails and a lance, so many Eastern communities are suffering and bleeding because of the conflicts and violence they endure. Let us think of some of the places where they dwell: the Holy Land and Ukraine; Syria, Lebanon, the entire Middle East; the Caucasus and Tigray. It is in these very places, where great numbers of Eastern Catholics are found, that the brutality of war is felt most fiercely.

Brothers and sisters, we cannot remain indifferent. The Apostle Paul made clear the instruction he received from the other Apostles to be mindful of the neediest members of the Christian community (cf. Gal 2:10), and called for solidarity with them (cf. 2 Cor 8-9). This is God’s own message, and you, the members of ROACO, are the hands that give it flesh, hands that aid and lift up those who suffer. This is why you have met in these days: not to make speeches and develop theories, not to engage in geopolitical analyses, but to discern the best ways to draw close to our brothers and sisters in the East and to alleviate their sufferings.

I beg you, then, with heart in hand, to persevere in your support for the Eastern Catholic Churches, assisting them, in these dramatic times, to remain firmly rooted in the Gospel. With your help, may they be able to do what the civil authorities ought to do for the poorest and most vulnerable, but cannot do, do not know how to do, or fail to do. Urge the clergy and religious to be ever attentive to the cries of the flock, exemplary in faith, putting the Gospel before all forms of dissension or self-interest, and united in service to the common good, since all those in the Church belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God (cf. 1 Cor 3:23).

Dear representatives of the various Agencies, thank you for what you do! You are evangelizers, sharers in the Church’s mission and channels of the love of Jesus. How many people over the years have benefited from your generosity! You are sowers of hope, witnesses called to act, as the Gospel tells us, with kindness and discretion. Most of what you accomplish attracts little attention in the eyes of the world, yet it is pleasing in the sight of God. Thank you for responding to destruction by reconstruction; to the deprivation of dignity by restoring hope; to the tears of children with a smile that speaks of love; to the malign logic of power with the Christian logic of service. The seeds you plant in fields poisoned by hatred and war will surely blossom. They will be a prophecy of a different world, one that does not believe that might makes right, but in the non-violent power of peace.

I know that in recent days you have focused on the dramatic situation in the Holy Land. There everything began, there the Apostles received the mandate to go out to the whole world and preach the Gospel. The faithful throughout the world are presently called to demonstrate their closeness and to encourage Christians, there and throughout the Middle East, to rise above the temptation to abandon their lands, torn by conflicts. It makes me think of an awful situation: that these lands are being stripped of Christians. The sufferings caused by war are all the more jarring and absurd when they occur in the very places where the Gospel of peace was proclaimed! To those who fuel the spiral of conflicts and reap profit from them, I once more say: Stop! Stop, because violence will never bring peace. There is urgent need for a ceasefire, for meetings and dialogue to permit the coexistence of different peoples. This is the only possible path to a stable future. With war, a senseless and inconclusive venture, no one emerges a winner: everyone ends up defeated because war, from the very beginning, is always already a defeat. Let us listen to those who suffer its consequences, the victims and those who have lost everything. Let us hear the cry of the young, of ordinary individuals and peoples, who are weary of the rhetoric of war and the empty slogans that constantly put the blame on others, dividing the world into good and evil, weary of leaders who find it difficult to sit at a table, negotiate and find solutions.

My thoughts also turn to the terribly tragic plight of war-torn Ukraine. I pray daily, and keep inviting others to pray, that paths of peace may open for that beloved people, that prisoners of war may be freed and children repatriated. Promoting peace and freeing prisoners are distinctive signs of Christian faith (cf. Mt 5:9; Lk 4:18); they cannot be reduced to mere displays of power. In these days, you have also focused on the humanitarian issue of displaced persons in the Karabakh region. I thank you for everything that you have done and continue to do in assisting those who suffer. I would also like to say thank you to Bishop Gevork Saroyan of the Armenian Apostolic Church for his presence during these days. As you return, I would ask you to convey my fraternal greetings to His Holiness Karekin II and to the dear people of Armenia. I had the opportunity to meet the first and the second Karekin in Buenos Aires.

Today, many Eastern Christians, perhaps more than ever before, are fleeing conflicts or migrating in search of work and better living conditions. Many, therefore, are living in the diaspora. I know that you have reflected on the pastoral care of those residing outside their traditional territory. This is a timely and significant problem. Some Churches, due to the massive migrations of recent decades, now have most of their faithful living outside their traditional territory, in places where pastoral care is often lacking due to the scarcity of priests, structures, and adequate training. As a result, those who have already had to leave their native lands behind, now also risk losing their religious identity and, with the passing of generations, the spiritual heritage of the East, an invaluable treasure for the Catholic Church, is weakened. I am grateful to the Latin dioceses that welcome Eastern Christiansand that respect their traditions. I urge them to show particular concern, so that these, our brothers and sisters, may keep their rites alive and flourishing. I encourage the Dicastery to work to this end, also by establishing principles and norms that can help Latin bishops to aid the Eastern Catholics living in the diaspora. Thank you for all that you can do.

I thank all of you for your presence! I ask you, please, to pray for me. Thank you.

The following text includes parts that were not read out loud, but should be considered as such.

Catechesis. On the occasion of the International Day. Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning! I can’t hear you!

Today is International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987. This year’s theme is The evidence is clear: Invest in prevention.

Saint John Paul ii affirmed that “drug abuse impoverishes every community where it exists. It diminishes human strength and moral fibre. It undermines esteemed values. It destroys the will to live and to contribute to a better society”. [1] This drives the abuse of drugs and the use of drugs. At the same time, however, let us remember that each addict “has a unique personal story and must be listened to, understood, loved, and, insofar as possible, healed and purified… They continue to possess, more than ever, a dignity as children of God”. [2] Everyone has dignity.

However, we cannot ignore the evil intentions and actions of drug dealers and traffickers. They are murderers! Pope Benedict xvi used stern words during a visit to a rehabilitation centre: “I therefore urge the drug dealers to reflect on the grave harm they are inflicting on countless young people and on adults from every level of society: God will call you to account for your deeds. Human dignity cannot be trampled upon in this way”. [3] And drugs trample on human dignity.

A reduction in drug addiction is not achieved by liberalizing drug use — this is a fantasy — as has been proposed, or already implemented, in some countries. Liberalize, and consumption increases. Having known so many tragic stories of drug addicts and their families, I am convinced that it is a moral duty to end the production and trafficking of these dangerous substances. How many traffickers of death there are — because drug traffickers are traffickers of death — driven by the logic of power and money at any cost! And this scourge, which produces violence and sows suffering and death, demands an act of courage from society as a whole.

Drug production and trafficking also have a destructive impact on our common home. This has become increasingly evident, for example, in the Amazon basin.

Another key way to counter drug abuse and trafficking is through prevention, by promoting greater justice, educating young people in values that build personal and community life, accompanying those in need, and giving hope for the future.

I was able to visit several rehabilitation centres inspired by the Gospel, during my apostolic journeys in various dioceses and countries. They are a strong and hopeful witness to the commitment of priests, consecrated men and women, and lay people to put into practice the parable of the Good Samaritan. I am also comforted by the efforts undertaken by various bishops’ conferences to promote just legislation and policies regarding the treatment of people addicted to drug use, and prevention to stop this scourge.

As an example, I point to the network of La Pastoral Latinoamericana de Acompañamiento y Prevención de Adicciones (plapa ). The charter of this network recognizes that “addiction to alcohol, psychoactive substances, and other forms of addiction (pornography, new technologies, etc.) ... is a problem that affects us indiscriminately, beyond geographical, social, cultural, religious and age differences. Despite the differences ... we want to organize as a community: to share experiences, enthusiasm, difficulties”. [4]

I also mention the Bishops of southern Africa, who convened a meeting in November 2023 on the theme, “ Empowering youth as agents of peace and hope”. Youth representatives who participated in the meeting described it as a “significant milestone geared towards a healthy and active youth throughout the region”. They also made a promise: “We accept the role of being Ambassadors and Advocates who are going to fight against the use of substances. We plead with all young people to be empathetic to one another at all times”. [5]

Dear brothers and sisters, faced with the tragic situation of the drug addiction of millions of people around the world, faced with the scandal of the illicit production and trafficking of such drugs, “we cannot be indifferent. The Lord Jesus paused, drew near, healed wounds. In the style of His closeness, we too are called to act, to pause before situations of fragility and pain, to know how to listen to the cry of loneliness and anguish, to stoop to lift up and bring back to life those who fall into the slavery of drugs”. [6] And we pray for those criminals who give drugs to young people: they are criminals, they are murderers! Let us pray for their conversion.

On this World Day against drugs, as Christians and church communities, let us pray for this intention and renew our commitment of prayer and work against drugs. Thank you!

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

Today the Gospel presents us with Jesus on the boat with the disciples, on Lake Tiberias. A strong storm arrives unexpectedly, and the boat is in danger of sinking. Jesus, who was asleep, wakes up, threatens the wind and everything becomes calm again (cf. Mk 4:35-41).

But actually, he does not wake up, they wake him up! With great fear, it is the disciples who awaken Jesus. The evening before, Jesus himself had told the disciples to get on the boat and cross the lake. They were experts, they were fishermen, and that was their living environment, but a storm could have put them in difficulty. It seems that Jesus wanted to put them to the test. However, he did not leave them alone; he stayed with them on the boat, calm; indeed, he even slept. And when the storm broke, he reassured them with his presence, he encouraged them, he urged them to have more faith and accompanied them beyond the danger. But we can ask this question: Why does Jesus act this way?

To strengthen the faith of the disciples and to make them more courageous. Indeed, they emerge from this experience with more awareness of Jesus’ power and of his presence in their midst, and therefore stronger and readier to face obstacles and difficulties, including the fear of venturing out to proclaim the Gospel. Having overcome this trial with him, they will know how to face many others, even to the cross and martyrdom, to bring the Gospel to all peoples.

And Jesus does the same with us too, in particular in the Eucharist: He gathers us around him, he gives us his Word, he nourishes us with his Body and his Blood, and then he invites us to set sail, to transmit everything we have heard and to share what we have received with everyone, in everyday life, even when it is difficult. Jesus does not spare us from trials and tribulations, but, he helps us confront them, without ever abandoning us. He makes us courageous. So that, overcoming them with his help, we too increasingly learn to hold onto him and trust in his power, which goes far beyond our capacities, to overcome uncertainties and hesitations, closures and preconceptions, with courage and greatness of heart, in order to tell everyone that the Kingdom of Heaven is present. It is here, and with Jesus at our side, we can make it grow together, beyond all barriers.

Let us ask ourselves, then: in times of trial, can I remember the times when I experienced the Lord’s presence and help in my life? Let us think about it… When a storm arrives, do I let myself be overwhelmed by the turmoil or do I cling to him — there are many inner storms — to find calm and peace, in prayer, silence, listening to the Word, adoration and fraternal sharing of faith?

May the Virgin Mary, who welcomed God’s will with humility and courage, give us, in difficult moments, the serenity of abandonment in him.

________________________________________________

After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:

Dear brothers and sisters, I greet you all, people of Rome and pilgrims from Italy and various countries.

In particular, I greet the faithful from Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, and those from Bari. I greet the participants in the “Choose life” demonstration, the “Edelweiss” Choir of the Alpine Section of Bassano del Grappa, and the cyclists from Bollate, who have come by bicycle.

Let us continue to pray for peace, especially in Ukraine, Palestine and Israel. I see the Israeli flag … Today I saw it on my way from the Church of the Santi Quaranta Martiri — it is a call for peace! Let us pray for peace! Palestine, Gaza, the North of the Congo… let us pray for peace! And peace in Ukraine, which is suffering greatly. Let there be peace! May the Holy Spirit enlighten the minds of leaders and inspire wisdom and a sense of responsibility in them so they may avoid any action or word that could fuel confrontation, resolutely striving instead, for a peaceful resolution of conflicts. It requires negotiation.

The day before yesterday, Father Manuel Blanco, a Franciscan who lived in the Church of Santi Quaranta Martiri e San Pasquale Baylon in Rome for 44 years, passed away. He was a superior, a confessor, a man of counsel. In remembering him, I would like to remember many Franciscan brothers, confessors, preachers, who honoured and honour the Church of Rome. Thanks to all of them!

And I wish you all a happy Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your Eminence,
Your Excellency’s,
Brothers and sisters, good morning!

I greet with gratitude your President, Dr Anna Maria Tarantola, and I offer a warm welcome to all of you who are taking part in the annual International Conference of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation, on the theme: “Generative Artificial Intelligence and Technocratic Paradigm: How to Promote the Wellbeing of Humanity, Care for Nature and a World of Peace.”

This topic is one worthy of particular attention since AI is dramatically influencing the economy and social life, and can have a negative impact on the quality of life, interpersonal and international relations, global stability and our common home.

As you know, I dealt with technological development in my Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ and my Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum. I also discussed AI in this year’s World Day of Peace Message and, a few days ago, in my address at the G7. 

I am pleased that the Centesimus Annus Foundation is giving ample attention to this issue, engaging scholars and experts from different countries and disciplines in analyzing the opportunities and numerous risks associated with the development and use of AI, through a cross-disciplinary approach and above all from a human-centred standpoint, conscious of the risk of reinforcing the technocratic paradigm.

An interdisciplinary analysis is in fact essential in order to grasp all the current and future aspects of AI, its potential advantages in terms of productivity and growth, as well as the risks it poses, and to develop ethical approaches to its growth, use, and management.

In this year’s World Day of Peace Message, I referred to “algor-ethics” in speaking of the absolute need for an ethical development of algorithms where values guide the development of new technologies.

In my speech at the G7, I highlighted the critical aspects of Artificial Intelligence, emphasizing that it is, and must remain, a tool in human hands. Like other innovative tools through the ages, it demonstrates humanity’s ability to transcend itself, its drive to ever greater achievements, and thus its potential for bringing about great transformations, both positive and negative. In the latter sense, AI could well reinforce the technocratic paradigm and the culture of waste, aggravate disparities between advanced and developing nations, and delegate to a machine essential decisions with regard to human life. For this reason, I posited the absolute need for an ethical development and use of AI, and invited policymakers to adopt concrete actions to direct ongoing technological development towards universal fraternity and peace.

Your Conference, then, is helping to enhance our ability to appreciate the positive aspects of AI and to understand, mitigate, and contain its risks, working in dialogue with the scientific community to identify together the limits to be placed on innovation lest AI develop to the detriment of humanity.

Stephen Hawking, the well-known cosmologist, physicist and mathematician, observed that: “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete and would be superseded” (BBC Interview, 2 December 2014). Is this what we want?

The fundamental question you are asking is this: what is AI meant to do? Is it meant to meet the needs of humanity, and to enhance the well-being and integral development of individuals, or is it meant to enrich and increase the power already concentrated in the hands of a few technological giants, despite its threats to humanity? Again, this is the fundamental question.

The answer to this question depends on any number of factors, and a variety of aspects that call for deeper investigation. I would like to mention a few of these, as a stimulus for your continuing research.

• There is a need to explore the delicate and strategic issue of responsibility for the decisions made with the use of AI; this would require the contribution of various branches of philosophy and law, as well as other, more specific disciplines.

• Appropriate incentives and means of effective regulation must be identified, in order on the one hand to stimulate ethical innovation useful for the progress of humanity, and on the other to prohibit or limit undesirable effects.

• The whole sector of education, training, and communication needs to initiate a coordinated process to expand knowledge and awareness about the correct use of AI and to teach future generations, from childhood on, how to evaluate these tools.

• The impact of AI on the job market should also be carefully assessed. I encourage the members of the Centesimus Annus Foundation, and all those taking part in its initiatives, to work actively, within their respective fields, to promote processes of professional retraining and to formulate measures that can facilitate the relocation of individuals displaced by AI to other roles.

• The positive and negative effects of AI in the areas of security and privacy likewise call for careful study.

• We need to take into consideration and research more fully the impact of AI on people’s relational and cognitive abilities and behaviours. We must not allow these capacities to be diminished or conditioned by a technological instrument controlled by those who own it or operate it.

• Lastly, recognizing that this list is far from exhaustive, we should consider the enormous consumption of energy required to develop AI, especially as humanity presently faces a challenging energy transition.

Dear friends, the future of the economy, civilization, and humanity itself is being shaped by technological innovation. We must not pass up the chance to think and act in a new way, using our minds, our hearts and our hands, and thus to steer innovation towards a model that gives priority to human dignity. Unfortunately, this is not discussed. Innovation ought to promote development, well-being, and peaceful coexistence, while protecting the most disadvantaged. This means creating a regulatory, economic, and financial environment capable of limiting the monopolizing power of a few and ensuring that innovation benefits the whole of humanity.

For this reason, I express my hope that the Centesimus Annus Foundation will continue its efforts to address this issue. I congratulate you on your launch of a second joint research project involving your Foundation and the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU), on the topic: “Artificial Intelligence and Care for Our Common Home: A Focus on Business, Finance, and Communication,” coordinated by Professor Tarantola. Please keep me informed about this!

I would like to conclude with a challenge: are we certain that we should continue to call “intelligent” something that in fact is not? This is meant to be a challenge. Let us reflect and ask ourselves if the improper use of this word is actually important, properly “human”, or are we already surrendering to technocratic power.

I offer all of you my blessing and I wish you every success in your work. Continue to work courageously, and take risks! I ask you, please, to pray for me. Thank you!

With the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ on Care for Our Common Home of 24 May 2015, I invited all of humanity to become aware of the need to make changes to lifestyles, production and consumption, in order to counteract global warming, which has a pervasive use of fossil fuels as one of its main causes.

On 6 July 2022, the Permanent Observer to the UN deposited before the UN Secretary-General the Instrument by which the Holy See, in the name and on behalf of Vatican City State, accedes to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. With this Instrument, I intended to contribute to the efforts of all States to offer, in accordance with their respective responsibilities and capacities, an adequate response to the challenges posed by climate change to humanity and to our common home.

There is a need to make a transition to a sustainable development model that reduces greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, setting the goal of climate neutrality. Mankind has the technological means to deal with this environmental transformation and its pernicious ethical, social, economic and political consequences, and, among these, solar energy plays a key role.

Therefore, I entrust to you, dear Confrères, in your respective capacities as President of the Governorate of Vatican City State and President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, the task of constructing an agrivoltaic plant located within the extraterritorial zone of Santa Maria di Galeria that will guarantee, not only the power supply of the radio station there, but also the complete energy sustenance of Vatican City State.

In order to carry out this task, notwithstanding the current regulations, and without requiring any authorization, I appoint you as Extraordinary Commissioners with full capacity to carry out the necessary acts of ordinary and extraordinary administration.

For the purposes of maintaining the privileges of extraterritoriality guaranteed pursuant to Articles 15 and 16 of the Lateran Treaty — from which the area in question benefits by virtue of the Agreement between the Holy See and Italy for the Vatican Radio Installations in Santa Maria di Galeria and in Castel Romano of 8 October 1951 — I establish that the Extraordinary Commissioners may communicate to the Italian Authority — pursuant to Article 15, paragraph 1, of the Lateran Treaty — the placement in said area of structures and offices of entities belonging to the Holy See and the Governorate of Vatican City.

I decree, lastly, that the Secretariat of State facilitate every request of the Extraordinary Commissioners and work to ensure that in that territory nothing is lost of what has been available to the Apostolic See thus far.

Francis

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L'Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, Fifty-seventh year, number 26, Friday, 28 June 2024, p. 7.

Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, good morning!

I greet His Eminence Cardinal Vérgez and Sister Secretary General.  Now women are starting to be in charge here!

I offer you a cordial welcome and I thank you for your kind visit. In a special way, I express my gratitude to Brother Guy Consolmagno and to the other members of the community of the Vatican Observatory for their work in promoting this initiative.

You are meeting in Castel Gandolfo for the Conference on “Black Holes, Gravitational Waves and Space-Time Singularities” organized in honour of Monsignor Georges Lemaître. In the seven years following the last Conference, the scientific contributions of this Belgian priest and cosmologist have been recognized by the International Astronomical Union, which has determined that the well-known Hubble law should properly be renamed the Hubble-Lemaître law.

In these days, you have been discussing the latest questions raised by scientific research in cosmology: the differing results obtained in the measurement of the Hubble constant, the puzzling nature of certain cosmological singularities (from the Big Bang to Black Holes) and the very timely issue of gravitational waves.

The Church seeks to follow and encourage these discussions, because they stimulate the interest and thinking of men and women in today’s world. The origin of the universe, its ultimate evolution and the deep structure of space and time, raise a number of serious questions about the meaning of life. They also open before our eyes an immense scenario in which it is easy to lose our bearings. In this sense, we can appreciate the relevance of the Psalmist’s exclamation: “When I see the heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars which you arranged, what is man that you should keep him in mind, mortal man that you care for him? Truly, you have made him little less than a God; with glory and honour you have crowned him” (Ps 8:4-7). Nor can we fail to appreciate the importance of these issues for theology, philosophy, science and the spiritual life.

Georges Lemaître was an exemplary priest and scientist. His human and spiritual journey offers a model of life from which all of us can learn.

Out of respect for the wishes of his father, Lemaître first studied engineering. He served in the First World War and saw its horrors at first hand. Later, he went on to pursue his priestly and scientific vocation. At first, he tended towards “concordism”, namely the belief that veiled references to scientific truths are present in Sacred Scripture. Greater experience and spiritual maturity led him to realize that science and faith are two distinct and parallel paths, which are not in conflict. Indeed, the two paths prove complementary, inasmuch as, for the believer, science and faith are grounded alike in the absolute truth of God. Lemaître’s journey of faith led him to the awareness that “creation” and “the big bang” are two different realities, and that the God in whom he believed can never be reduced to an object neatly catalogued by human reason. Rather, he is always a Deus absconditus, a “hidden God”, shrouded in mystery and never fully transparent to human reason.

Dear friends, I urge you to continue to investigate, with sincerity and humility, the important topics that you are presently discussing. May the freedom and lack of conditioning that you have experienced in this Conference help you to advance in your various fields towards that Truth which is surely a reflection of God’s eternal love. Faith and science can be united in charity, provided that science is put at the service of the men and woman of our time and not misused to harm or even destroy them. I encourage you, then, to press forward to the outer limits of human knowledge. For there, we can come to experience the God of love, who fulfils the deepest yearnings of the human heart.

From the heart, I bless you and your work. And I ask you, in turn, please pray for me. Thank you.

Dear brothers and sisters,

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Rom 15:13).

I extend a warm welcome to all of you, the regional delegates of the Lutheran World Federation. I am especially grateful for the kind words and the gift presented to me by the new President, Bishop Henrik Stubkjær. I also greet the Reverend Anne Burghardt, who has served as General Secretary for a number of years.

Thank you for your visit, which I consider an important gesture of ecumenical fraternity. For this reason, in my initial greeting I chose the words of the Apostle Paul from the Letter to the Romans, words that have accompanied your recent consultations. May the “God of hope” now also bless our meeting today. For all of us are pilgrims of hope, as we are reminded by the motto chosen for the Holy Year of 2025.

Three years ago, when another delegation of the Lutheran World Federation came here to Rome, we reflected together on celebrating the approaching anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea as an ecumenical event. Last year, at the General Assembly of your Federation in Krakow, you, Dr Burghardt, together with my dear brother, Cardinal Koch, emphasized in a joint statement that, “the ancient Christian Creed of Nicaea, whose 1700^th anniversary we will celebrate in 2025, creates an ecumenical bond that has its center in Christ.” (Common Word of the Lutheran World Federation and the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, 19 September 2023). In this context, you rightly pointed to a fine sign of hope that holds a special place in the history of reconciliation between Catholics and Lutherans. Even before the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, Catholics and Lutherans in the United States of America bore witness together that: “The confession that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son, God of God, continues to assure us that we are in fact redeemed, for only he who is God can redeem us.” (The Status of the Nicene Creed as Dogma of the Church, Baltimore, 7 July 1965).

Jesus Christ is the heart of ecumenism. He is divine mercy incarnate, and our ecumenical mission is to bear witness to him. In the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, Lutherans and Catholics formulated the common goal of “confessing Christ in all things, who alone is to be trusted above all things as the one Mediator (cf. 1 Tim 2:5f) through whom God in the Holy Spirit gives himself and pours out his renewing gifts” (No. 18).

Dear brothers and sisters, twenty-five years have passed since the signing of the Official Common Statement confirming that Declaration. That event, which took place on 31 October 1999 in Augsburg, represented yet another sign of hope in our history of reconciliation. Let us cherish its memory as something ever alive. May this twenty-fifth anniversary be observed in our communities as a celebration of hope. Let us remember that our shared spiritual roots are found in the “one baptism for the forgiveness of sins” (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed) and thus move forward with confidence as “pilgrims of hope”. May the God of hope be with us and continue to accompany our dialogue of truth and charity with his blessing.

On this journey of ecumenism, I am reminded of a beautiful comment made by Bishop Zizioulas. This Orthodox Bishop, a pioneer of ecumenism, used to say that he knew the date of when Christians would unite: the day of the final judgment! But in the meantime, he said that we must walk together, pray together and do charitable work together, as we head toward that “hyper-ecumenical” day of the final judgment. He really said that; Zizioulas had a good sense of humor!

Once again, I thank you most heartily for your visit. Now I would invite you to join in praying the Our Father, each of you in his or her own language. Thank you.

The following text includes parts that were not read out loud, but should be considered as such.

Cycle of Catechesis. The Spirit and the Bride. The Holy Spirit guides the people of God towards Jesus our hope. 4. The Spirit teaches the Bride to pray. The Psalms, symphony of prayer in the Bible

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In preparation for the next Jubilee, I invited the [faithful] to devote 2024 “to a great ‘symphony’ of prayer”. [1] With today’s catechesis, I would like to recall that the Church already possesses a symphony of prayer, whose composer is the Holy Spirit, and it is the Book of Psalms.

Like all symphonies, it has various “movements”, that is, various genres of prayer: praise, thanksgiving, supplication, lamentation, narration, sapiential reflection, and others, both in the personal form and in the choral form of the whole people. These are songs that the Spirit himself placed on the lips of the Bride, his Church. As I mentioned last time, all the Books of the Bible are inspired by the Holy Spirit, but the Book of Psalms is also so in the sense that it is full of poetic inspiration.

The Psalms have had a special place in the New Testament. Indeed, there were and still are editions that combine the New Testament and the Psalms together. On my desk, I have a Ukrainian copy of the New Testament with the Psalms that was sent to me. It belonged to a soldier who died in the war. He prayed with this book at the front. Not all Psalms — and not every part of every Psalm — can be repeated and assimilated by Christians, and even less by modern man. At times, they reflect a historical context and a religious mentality that are no longer ours. This does not mean that they were not inspired, but in some ways, they are linked to a [particular] time and a temporary stage of revelation, as is also the case with a large part of ancient legislation.

What makes the Psalms worthy of our attention is that they were the prayer of Jesus, of Mary, of the Apostles and of all the Christian generations that came before us. When we recite them, God listens to them with that grandiose “orchestration” that is the communion of Saints. According to the Letter to the Hebrews, Jesus, enters the world with a verse from a Psalm in his heart: “Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God” (cf. Heb 10:7; Ps 40:9). And according to the Gospel of Luke, he leaves the world with another verse on his lips: “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit” (Lk 23:46; cf. Ps 31:6).

The use of Psalms in the New Testament is followed by that of the Fathers and the entire Church, which makes them a fixed element in the celebration of Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. “All the Sacred Scripture breathes the goodness of God”, says Saint Ambrose, “but in particular the sweet book of the Psalms” [2] — the sweet book of the Psalms. I wonder, do you pray with the Psalms from time to time? Do you pick up the Bible and pray a Psalm? When you are a bit sad for having sinned, for example, do you pray Psalm 50? There are many Psalms that help us keep going. Form the habit of praying with the Psalms. I assure you that you will be happy in the end.

But we cannot only live on the legacy of the past: it is necessary to make the Psalms our prayer. It was written that, in a certain sense, we must ourselves become the “scribes” of the Psalms, making them ours and praying with them.3 If there are Psalms, or just verses, that speak to our heart, it is good to repeat them and pray them throughout the day. Psalms are prayers “for all seasons”: there is no state of mind or need that does not find in them the best words to be transformed into prayer. Unlike other prayers, Psalms do not lose their effectiveness by being repeated; on the contrary, they increase it. Why? Because they are inspired by God and “breathe” God, every time they are read with faith.

If we feel oppressed by remorse or guilt, because we are sinners, we can repeat with David: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love” (Ps 51:1). If we want to express a strong personal bond with love, let us say: “O God, thou art my God / I seek thee, / my soul thirsts for thee; / my flesh faints for thee, / as in a dry and weary land where no water is” (Ps 63:1). It is not for nothing that the Liturgy has inserted this Psalm in the Lauds of Sunday and the solemnities. And if fear and anguish assail us, those wonderful words of Psalm 23 come to our rescue: “The Lord is my shepherd … Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, / I fear no evil” (Ps 23:4).

 Psalms allow us not to impoverish our prayer by reducing it merely to requests, to a continuous “give me, give us…”. Let us learn from the Lord’s Prayer, which, before asking for our “daily bread”, says, “Hallowed by thy name; thy Kingdom come, thy will be done”. The Psalms help us to open ourselves to a prayer that is less focused on ourselves: a prayer of praise, of blessing, of thanksgiving; and they also help us give voice to all creation, involving it in our praise.

Brothers and sisters, may the Holy Spirit, who gave the Church Bride the words to pray to her divine Bridegroom, help us to make them resound in the Church today, and to make this year of preparation for the Jubilee a true symphony of prayer. Thank you!

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[1] Letter to Archbishop Fisichella for the Jubilee 2025 (11 February 2022).

[2] Cf Comment on the Psalms I, 4, 7: CSEL 64,4-7.

[3] Giovanni Cassiano, Conlationes, X,11: SCh 54, 92-93.

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APPEAL

Tomorrow will be World Refugee Day, promoted by the United Nations. May it be an occasion to turn an attentive and fraternal gaze to all those who are compelled to flee their homes in search of peace and security. We are all required to welcome, promote, accompany and integrate those who knock on our doors. I pray that States will strive to ensure humane conditions for refugees and to facilitate integration processes.

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Special Greetings

I extend a cordial welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from Australia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Viet Nam. I invoke upon you and your families the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!

Lastly, my thoughts turn to the sick , to the elderly , to newlyweds and, in particular, to young people . The day after tomorrow, we will celebrate the liturgical memory of Saint Luigi Gonzaga, who loved life and for this reason, devoted it entirely to the great ideals of Christianity. May he help you rediscover the vocation to holiness in generously giving oneself to God and to our brothers and sisters.

Brothers and sisters, let us continue to pray for peace. War is always a defeat, from the time it starts. Let us pray for peace in martyred Ukraine, in the Holy Land, in Sudan, in Myanmar and everywhere where people are suffering from war. Let us pray for peace every day.

And I offer my blessing to all of you!

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Summary of the Holy Father's words

Today we continue our catechesis on the Holy Spirit, who teaches the Church, as the Bride of Christ, how to pray. For our symphony of prayer in preparation for the upcoming Jubilee, we turn to the poetry of the Psalms, just as that great “orchestra”, the communion of saints, has done since the Church’s earliest days.  The Psalms express every movement of this symphony and echo every sentiment of our hearts in words that often convey wonder, grief, and hope. The more frequently we repeat these inspired prayers, the stronger and more effective they become. May the Holy Spirit enrich our prayer with this gift, and in so doing, empower us to give voice to all creation, involving it in our praise.

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

Today the Gospel of the liturgy speaks to us about the Kingdom of God through the image of a seed (cf. Mk 4:26-34). Jesus uses this simile several times (cf. Mt 13:1-23; Mk 4:1-20; Lk 8:4-15), and today he does so by inviting us to reflect in particular on an important attitude connected to the image of the seed: it is the attitude of confident expectation.

Indeed, in sowing, no matter how good or abundant the seed the farmer scatters, or how well he prepares the land, the plants do not sprout immediately: it takes time and it takes patience! Therefore, it is necessary that, after having sown, he knows how to wait confidently, to allow the seeds to open at the right moment and the shoots to sprout from the soil and grow strong enough to guarantee an abundant harvest, in the end (cf. vv. 28-29). Underground the miracle is already in progress (cf. v. 27). There is enormous development, but it is invisible, it takes patience, and in the meantime it is necessary to keep tending the turf, watering it and keeping it clean, despite the fact that nothing seems to be happening on the surface.

The Kingdom of God is like this too. The Lord places the seeds of his word and his grace in us, good seeds, abundant seeds, and then, without ever ceasing to accompany us, he waits patiently. The Lord continues to take care of us, with the confidence of a Father, but he gives us time — the Lord is patient — so that the seeds can open, grow and develop to the point of bearing the fruits of good works. And this is because he wants nothing in his field to be lost, that everything should reach full maturity; he wants us all to be able to grow like ears of grain.

Not only this. By doing so, the Lord gives us an example: he teaches us too to sow the Gospel confidently wherever we are, and then to wait for the seed that has been sown to grow and bear fruit in us and in others, without becoming discouraged and without ceasing to support and help each other even where, despite our efforts, we do not seem to see immediate results. In fact, often even among us, beyond appearances, the miracle is already underway, and in due course it will bear abundant fruit!

Therefore, we can ask ourselves: do I let the Word be sown in me? Do I too sow the Word of God with confidence in the places where I live? Do I wait patiently, or am I discouraged because I do not see the results immediately? And do I know how to entrust everything serenely to the Lord, while doing my best to proclaim the Gospel?

May the Virgin Mary, who welcomed and made the seed of the Word grow within her, help us to be generous and confident sowers of the Gospel.

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After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:

Dear brothers and sisters, yesterday, in Krakow, Michał Rapacz was beatified. A priest and martyr, a pastor according to the heart of Christ, and a faithful and generous witness of the Gospel, he experienced both Nazi and Soviet persecution and responded with the gift of his life. A round of applause for the new Blessed!

Painful news continues to arrive of clashes and massacres in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I appeal to national leaders and the international community to do everything possible to stop the violence and safeguard the lives of civilians. Among the victims, there are many Christians killed in odium fidei. They are martyrs. Their sacrifice is a seed that sprouts and bears fruit, and teaches us to bear witness to the Gospel with courage and consistency.

Let us not cease to pray for peace in Ukraine, in the Holy Land, in Sudan, in Myanmar and wherever people suffer from war.

I greet you all, people of Rome and pilgrims! In particular, I greet the faithful from Lebanon, Egypt and Spain; students from the “London Oratory School”; those from the Diocese of Opole in Poland and those of Budapest-Albertfalva; the participants in the European Forum of the Laity, on the theme “Faith, art and synodality”; and the group of mothers from the Congolese community of Rome. These mothers sing well! I would like to hear them sing another time.

I greet the faithful of Carini, Catania, Siracusa and Messina; the young candidates for Communion and Confirmation from Mestrino; the newly-confirmed from Castelsardo, Sassari, from Bolgare, Bergamo, and from Camin, Padua; and finally, a thought of gratitude to blood donors who have just celebrated their national Day.

I greet you all, and I wish you all a happy Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!

I am pleased to welcome all of you, Managing Directors and employees of major companies and banks.

The work you are called to carry out is ever more significant, not only in economic but also in social and political life. Large companies are entities which influence the dynamics of international relations. You make decisions, then, that impact thousands and thousands of workers and investors, and you do so increasingly on a global scale. Economic power is intertwined with political power. Indeed, in addition to choices about consumption, savings and production, large companies also affect the fortunes of governments, national and international public policies and the sustainability of development. You experience this reality, because “you are immersed in it”, this is your world. Yet experiencing it is not enough: you must become conscious of it and look at it critically, with discernment, so that you can fully exercise responsibility for the direct and indirect effects of your choices. For today, more than ever, the economy is greater than economics. In this regard, I would like to focus briefly on three challenges, namely, caring for the environment, the poor, and young people.

First of all, I urge you to place the environment and the earth at the centre of your attention and responsibility. We are living in a time of serious environmental crisis that depends on many individuals and factors, among which are the economic and business choices of the past and present. It is no longer enough merely to comply with the laws of states, which are proceeding too slowly: we need to innovate by anticipating the future, with courageous and forward-looking choices that can be imitated. The innovation of the entrepreneur nowadays must first and foremost be innovation in caring for our common home.

Second: do not forget the poorest and the discarded. A “circular economy” has become a key term, calling for reusing and recycling waste. Yet while we recycle materials and their waste, we have not yet learned – allow me to use the expression – to “recycle” and not discard people and workers, especially the most vulnerable, to whom the culture of waste often applies. It is important that you be wary of a certain “meritocracy” that is used to legitimize the exclusion of the poor, who are judged as undeserving, even to the point of viewing poverty itself as their fault. And let us not settle for merely a little philanthropy, that would be insufficient. The challenge is to include the poor in businesses, to make them resources for the benefit of all. This is possible. I dream of a world in which the discarded can become protagonists of change, yet it seems to me that Jesus has already accomplished that, don’t you think?

Third: young people. Young people are often among the poor of our time: poor in resources, opportunities and a future. Paradoxically, this occurs both where there are many of them, yet lacking in means, and where there are fewer and fewer of them – such as in Italy, because children are not being born here – yet with available means. We do not learn any job without “corporate hospitality”, which means generously welcoming young people even when they lack the required experience and skills, for every job is learned only by doing it. I encourage you, then, to be generous, to welcome young people into your businesses, giving them a glimpse of the future so that an entire generation does not lose hope.

Dear friends, you have a great and noble responsibility. May the Lord help you exercise it well in order to make courageous choices, in favour of the environment, the poor and young people. This will be a very fruitful investment, also an economic one.  I thank you for what you are doing: you are pioneers, do not be discouraged, but continue to be pioneers.  Please pray for me. I bless all of you, your businesses, your hopes and your work. I bless you all. Thank you.

An exciting and fearsome tool

Esteemed ladies and gentlemen,

I address you today, the leaders of the Intergovernmental Forum of the G7, concerning the effects of artificial intelligence on the future of humanity.

“Sacred Scripture attests that God bestowed his Spirit upon human beings so that they might have ‘skill and understanding and knowledge in every craft’ ( Ex 35:31)”. [1] Science and technology are therefore brilliant products of the creative potential of human beings. [2]

Indeed, artificial intelligence arises precisely from the use of this God-given creative potential.

As we know, artificial intelligence is an extremely powerful tool, employed in many kinds of human activity: from medicine to the world of work; from culture to the field of communications; from education to politics. It is now safe to assume that its use will increasingly influence the way we live, our social relationships and even the way we conceive of our identity as human beings. [3]

The question of artificial intelligence, however, is often perceived as ambiguous: on the one hand, it generates excitement for the possibilities it offers, while on the other it gives rise to fear for the consequences it foreshadows. In this regard, we could say that all of us, albeit to varying degrees, experience two emotions: we are enthusiastic when we imagine the advances that can result from artificial intelligence but, at the same time, we are fearful when we acknowledge the dangers inherent in its use. [4]

After all, we cannot doubt that the advent of artificial intelligence represents a true cognitive-industrial revolution, which will contribute to the creation of a new social system characterised by complex epochal transformations. For example, artificial intelligence could enable a democratization of access to knowledge, the exponential advancement of scientific research and the possibility of giving demanding and arduous work to machines. Yet at the same time, it could bring with it a greater injustice between advanced and developing nations or between dominant and oppressed social classes, raising the dangerous possibility that a “throwaway culture” be preferred to a “culture of encounter”.

The significance of these complex transformations is clearly linked to the rapid technological development of artificial intelligence itself.

It is precisely this powerful technological progress that makes artificial intelligence at the same time an exciting and fearsome tool, and demands a reflection that is up to the challenge it presents.

In this regard, perhaps we could start from the observation that artificial intelligence is above all else a tool. And it goes without saying that the benefits or harm it will bring will depend on its use.

This is surely the case, for it has been this way with every tool fashioned by human beings since the dawn of time.

Our ability to fashion tools, in a quantity and complexity that is unparalleled among living things, speaks of a techno-human condition: human beings have always maintained a relationship with the environment mediated by the tools they gradually produced. It is not possible to separate the history of men and women and of civilization from the history of these tools. Some have wanted to read into this a kind of shortcoming, a deficit, within human beings, as if, because of this deficiency, they were forced to create technology. [5] A careful and objective view actually shows us the opposite. We experience a state of “outwardness” with respect to our biological being: we are beings inclined toward what lies outside-of-us, indeed we are radically open to the beyond. Our openness to others and to God originates from this reality, as does the creative potential of our intelligence with regard to culture and beauty. Ultimately, our technical capacity also stems from this fact. Technology, then, is a sign of our orientation towards the future.

The use of our tools, however, is not always directed solely to the good. Even if human beings feel within themselves a call to the beyond, and to knowledge as an instrument of good for the service of our brothers and sisters and our common home (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 16), this does not always happen. Due to its radical freedom, humanity has not infrequently corrupted the purposes of its being, turning into an enemy of itself and of the planet. [6] The same fate may befall technological tools. Only if their true purpose of serving humanity is ensured, will such tools reveal not only the unique grandeur and dignity of men and women, but also the command they have received to “till and keep” (cf. Gen 2:15) the planet and all its inhabitants. To speak of technology is to speak of what it means to be human and thus of our singular status as beings who possess both freedom and responsibility. This means speaking about ethics.

In fact, when our ancestors sharpened flint stones to make knives, they used them both to cut hides for clothing and to kill each other. The same could be said of other more advanced technologies, such as the energy produced by the fusion of atoms, as occurs within the Sun, which could be used to produce clean, renewable energy or to reduce our planet to a pile of ashes.

Artificial intelligence, however, is a still more complex tool. I would almost say that we are dealing with a tool sui generis. While the use of a simple tool (like a knife) is under the control of the person who uses it and its use for the good depends only on that person, artificial intelligence, on the other hand, can autonomously adapt to the task assigned to it and, if designed this way, can make choices independent of the person in order to achieve the intended goal. [7]

It should always be remembered that a machine can, in some ways and by these new methods, produce algorithmic choices. The machine makes a technical choice among several possibilities based either on well-defined criteria or on statistical inferences. Human beings, however, not only choose, but in their hearts are capable of deciding. A decision is what we might call a more strategic element of a choice and demands a practical evaluation. At times, frequently amid the difficult task of governing, we are called upon to make decisions that have consequences for many people. In this regard, human reflection has always spoken of wisdom, the phronesis of Greek philosophy and, at least in part, the wisdom of Sacred Scripture. Faced with the marvels of machines, which seem to know how to choose independently, we should be very clear that decision-making, even when we are confronted with its sometimes dramatic and urgent aspects, must always be left to the human person. We would condemn humanity to a future without hope if we took away people’s ability to make decisions about themselves and their lives, by dooming them to depend on the choices of machines. We need to ensure and safeguard a space for proper human control over the choices made by artificial intelligence programs: human dignity itself depends on it.

Precisely in this regard, allow me to insist: in light of the tragedy that is armed conflict, it is urgent to reconsider the development and use of devices like the so-called “lethal autonomous weapons” and ultimately ban their use. This starts from an effective and concrete commitment to introduce ever greater and proper human control. No machine should ever choose to take the life of a human being.

It must be added, moreover, that the good use, at least of advanced forms of artificial intelligence, will not be fully under the control of either the users or the programmers who defined their original purposes at the time they were designed. This is all the more true because it is highly likely that, in the not-too-distant future, artificial intelligence programs will be able to communicate directly with each other to improve their performance. And if, in the past, men and women who fashioned simple tools saw their lives shaped by them – the knife enabled them to survive the cold but also to develop the art of warfare – now that human beings have fashioned complex tools they will see their lives shaped by them all the more. [8]

The basic mechanism of artificial intelligence

I would like now briefly to address the complexity of artificial intelligence. Essentially, artificial intelligence is a tool designed for problem solving. It works by means of a logical chaining of algebraic operations, carried out on categories of data. These are then compared in order to discover correlations, thereby improving their statistical value. This takes place thanks to a process of self-learning, based on the search for further data and the self-modification of its calculation processes.

Artificial intelligence is designed in this way in order to solve specific problems. Yet, for those who use it, there is often an irresistible temptation to draw general, or even anthropological, deductions from the specific solutions it offers.

An important example of this is the use of programs designed to help judges in deciding whether to grant home-confinement to inmates serving a prison sentence. In this case, artificial intelligence is asked to predict the likelihood of a prisoner committing the same crime(s) again. It does so based on predetermined categories (type of offence, behaviour in prison, psychological assessment, and others), thus allowing artificial intelligence to have access to categories of data relating to the prisoner’s private life (ethnic origin, educational attainment, credit rating, and others). The use of such a methodology – which sometimes risks de facto delegating to a machine the last word concerning a person’s future – may implicitly incorporate prejudices inherent in the categories of data used by artificial intelligence.

Being classified as part of a certain ethnic group, or simply having committed a minor offence years earlier (for example, not having paid a parking fine) will actually influence the decision as to whether or not to grant home-confinement. In reality, however, human beings are always developing, and are capable of surprising us by their actions. This is something that a machine cannot take into account.

It should also be noted that the use of applications similar to the one I have just mentioned will be used ever more frequently due to the fact that artificial intelligence programs will be increasingly equipped with the capacity to interact directly (chatbots) with human beings, holding conversations and establishing close relationships with them. These interactions may end up being, more often than not, pleasant and reassuring, since these artificial intelligence programs will be designed to learn to respond, in a personalised way, to the physical and psychological needs of human beings.

It is a frequent and serious mistake to forget that artificial intelligence is not another human being, and that it cannot propose general principles. This error stems either from the profound need of human beings to find a stable form of companionship, or from a subconscious assumption, namely the assumption that observations obtained by means of a calculating mechanism are endowed with the qualities of unquestionable certainty and unquestionable universality.

This assumption, however, is far-fetched, as can be seen by an examination of the inherent limitations of computation itself. Artificial intelligence uses algebraic operations that are carried out in a logical sequence (for example, if the value of X is greater than that of Y, multiply X by Y; otherwise divide X by Y). This method of calculation – the so-called “algorithm” – is neither objective nor neutral. [9] Moreover, since it is based on algebra, it can only examine realities formalised in numerical terms. [10] ^[0]

Nor should it be forgotten that algorithms designed to solve highly complex problems are so sophisticated that it is difficult for programmers themselves to understand exactly how they arrive at their results. This tendency towards sophistication is likely to accelerate considerably with the introduction of quantum computers that will operate not with binary circuits (semiconductors or microchips) but according to the highly complex laws of quantum physics. Indeed, the continuous introduction of increasingly high-performance microchips has already become one of the reasons for the dominant use of artificial intelligence by those few nations equipped in this regard.

Whether sophisticated or not, the quality of the answers that artificial intelligence programs provide ultimately depends on the data they use and how they are structured.

Finally, I would like to indicate one last area in which the complexity of the mechanism of so-called Generative Artificial Intelligence clearly emerges. Today, no one doubts that there are magnificent tools available for accessing knowledge, which even allow for self-learning and self-tutoring in a myriad of fields. Many of us have been impressed by the easily available online applications for composing a text or producing an image on any theme or subject. Students are especially attracted to this, but make disproportionate use of it when they have to prepare papers.

Students are often much better prepared for, and more familiar with, using artificial intelligence than their teachers. Yet they forget that, strictly speaking, so-called generative artificial intelligence is not really “generative”. Instead, it searches big data for information and puts it together in the style required of it. It does not develop new analyses or concepts, but repeats those that it finds, giving them an appealing form. Then, the more it finds a repeated notion or hypothesis, the more it considers it legitimate and valid. Rather than being “generative”, then, it is instead “reinforcing” in the sense that it rearranges existing content, helping to consolidate it, often without checking whether it contains errors or preconceptions.

In this way, it not only runs the risk of legitimising fake news and strengthening a dominant culture’s advantage, but, in short, it also undermines the educational process itself. Education should provide students with the possibility of authentic reflection, yet it runs the risk of being reduced to a repetition of notions, which will increasingly be evaluated as unobjectionable, simply because of their constant repetition. [11] ^[1]

Putting the dignity of the human person back at the centre, in light of a shared ethical proposal

A more general observation should now be added to what we have already said. The season of technological innovation in which we are currently living is accompanied by a particular and unprecedented social situation in which it is increasingly difficult to find agreement on the major issues concerning social life. Even in communities characterised by a certain cultural continuity, heated debates and arguments often arise, making it difficult to produce shared reflections and political solutions aimed at seeking what is good and just. Thus aside from the complexity of legitimate points of view found within the human family, there is also a factor emerging that seems to characterise the above-mentioned social situation, namely, a loss, or at least an eclipse, of the sense of what is human and an apparent reduction in the significance of the concept of human dignity. [12] ^[2] Indeed, we seem to be losing the value and profound meaning of one of the fundamental concepts of the West: that of the human person. Thus, at a time when artificial intelligence programs are examining human beings and their actions, it is precisely the ethos concerning the understanding of the value and dignity of the human person that is most at risk in the implementation and development of these systems. Indeed, we must remember that no innovation is neutral. Technology is born for a purpose and, in its impact on human society, always represents a form of order in social relations and an arrangement of power, thus enabling certain people to perform specific actions while preventing others from performing different ones. In a more or less explicit way, this constitutive power dimension of technology always includes the worldview of those who invented and developed it.

This likewise applies to artificial intelligence programs. In order for them to be instruments for building up the good and a better tomorrow, they must always be aimed at the good of every human being. They must have an ethical “inspiration”.

Moreover, an ethical decision is one that takes into account not only an action’s outcomes but also the values at stake and the duties that derive from those values. That is why I welcomed both the 2020 signing in Rome of the Rome Call for AI Ethics, [13] ^[3] and its support for that type of ethical moderation of algorithms and artificial intelligence programs that I call “algor-ethics”. [14] ^[4]  In a pluralistic and global context, where we see different sensitivities and multiple hierarchies in the scales of values, it might seem difficult to find a single hierarchy of values. Yet, in ethical analysis, we can also make use of other types of tools: if we struggle to define a single set of global values, we can, however, find shared principles with which to address and resolve dilemmas or conflicts regarding how to live.

This is why the Rome Call was born: with the term “algor-ethics”, a series of principles are condensed into a global and pluralistic platform that is capable of finding support from cultures, religions, international organizations and major corporations, which are key players in this development.

The politics that is needed

We cannot, therefore, conceal the concrete risk, inherent in its fundamental design, that artificial intelligence might limit our worldview to realities expressible in numbers and enclosed in predetermined categories, thereby excluding the contribution of other forms of truth and imposing uniform anthropological, socio-economic and cultural models. The technological paradigm embodied in artificial intelligence runs the risk, then, of becoming a far more dangerous paradigm, which I have already identified as the “technocratic paradigm”. [15] ^[5] We cannot allow a tool as powerful and indispensable as artificial intelligence to reinforce such a paradigm, but rather, we must make artificial intelligence a bulwark against its expansion.

This is precisely where political action is urgently needed. The Encyclical Fratelli Tutti reminds us that “for many people today, politics is a distasteful word, often due to the mistakes, corruption and inefficiency of some politicians. There are also attempts to discredit politics, to replace it with economics or to twist it to one ideology or another. Yet can our world function without politics? Can there be an effective process of growth towards universal fraternity and social peace without a sound political life?”. [16] ^[6]

Our answer to these questions is: No! Politics is necessary! I want to reiterate in this moment that “in the face of many petty forms of politics focused on immediate interests [...] ‘true statecraft is manifest when, in difficult times, we uphold high principles and think of the long-term common good. Political powers do not find it easy to assume this duty in the work of nation-building’ ( Laudato Si’, 178), much less in forging a common project for the human family, now and in the future”. [17] ^[7]

Esteemed ladies and gentlemen!

My reflection on the effects of artificial intelligence on humanity leads us to consider the importance of “healthy politics” so that we can look to our future with hope and confidence. I have written previously that “global society is suffering from grave structural deficiencies that cannot be resolved by piecemeal solutions or quick fixes. Much needs to change, through fundamental reform and major renewal. Only a healthy politics, involving the most diverse sectors and skills, is capable of overseeing this process. An economy that is an integral part of a political, social, cultural and popular programme directed to the common good could pave the way for ‘different possibilities which do not involve stifling human creativity and its ideals of progress, but rather directing that energy along new channels’ ( Laudato Si’, 191)”. [18] ^[8]

This is precisely the situation with artificial intelligence. It is up to everyone to make good use of it but the onus is on politics to create the conditions for such good use to be possible and fruitful.

Thank you.

 ___________________________________________________

[1]  Message for the 57th World Day of Peace, 1 January 2024, 1.

[2] Cf. ibid.

[3]Cf. ibid., 2.

[4] This ambivalence was already noted by Pope Saint Paul VI in his Address to the Personnel of the “Centro Automazione Analisi Linguistica” of the Aloysianum, 19 June 1964.

[5] Cf. A. GEHLEN, L’uomo. La sua natura e il suo posto nel mondo, Milan 1983, 43.

[6] Cf. Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), 102-114.

[7] Cf. Message for the 57th World Day of Peace, 1 January 2024, 3.

[8] The insights of Marshall McLuhan and John M. Culkin are especially relevant to the consequences of the use of artificial intelligence.

[9] Cf. Address to Participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, 28 February 2020.

[10] Cf. Message for the 57th World Day of Peace, 1 January 2024, 4.

[11] Cf. ibid., 3, 7.

[12] Cf. Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Dignitas Infinita on Human Dignity (2 April 2024).

[13] Cf. Address to Participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, 28 February 2020.

[14] Cf. Address to Participants in the Congress on Child Dignity in the Digital World, 14 November 2019; Address to Participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, 28 February 2020.

[15] For a more extensive explanation, see the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ on Care for Our Common Home (24 May 2015).

[16] Encyclical Letter, Fratelli Tutti on Fraternity and Social Friendship (3 October 2020), 176.

[17]  Ibid, 178.

[18] Ibid, 179.

Dear friends,

It is my pleasure to welcome all of you, and to express my gratitude to those in the Dicastery for Culture and Education who have organized this meeting. The Prefect told me that in Italy they say that “a smile is good for the blood”. Do they say that?

I hold you in high esteem as artists who express yourselves through the language of comedy, humour, and irony. How much wisdom there is in this kind of language! Among all the professionals working in television, cinema, theatre, print media, with songs, and on social media, you are among the most loved, sought after, and popular. Certainly, it is because you are very good at what you do, but there is also another motivation: you have and cultivate the gift of making people laugh.

In the midst of so much gloomy news, immersed as we are in many social and even personal emergencies, you have the power to spread peace and smiles. You are among the few who have the ability to speak to all types of people, from different generations and cultural backgrounds.

In your own way, you unite people, because laughter is contagious. It is easier to laugh together than alone: joy opens us to sharing and is the best antidote to selfishness and individualism. Laughter also helps to break down social barriers, create connections among people, and allows us to express emotions and thoughts, contributing to building a shared culture and creating spaces of freedom. You remind us that homo sapiens is also homo ludens! For playful fun and laughter are central to human life, to express ourselves, to learn, and to give meaning to situations.

Your talent is a precious gift. Together with a smile, it spreads peace in our hearts and among others, helping us to overcome difficulties and cope with everyday stress. It helps us find relief in irony and go through life with humour. I like to pray daily – and I have done this for more than forty years – with the words of Saint Thomas More: “Grant me, O Lord, a good sense of humour”.  Do you know this prayer? You should! I charge the Superiors of the Dicastery with making it known to all artists. The prayer is found in footnote 101 of my Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate. “Grant me, O Lord, a good sense of humour”. I ask for this grace for every day because it helps me approach things with the right spirit.

You also succeed in bringing about another miracle: you manage to make people smile even while dealing with problems and events, large and small. You denounce abuses of power; you give voice to forgotten situations; you highlight abuses; you point out inappropriate behaviour. You do this without spreading alarm or terror, anxiety or fear, as other types of communication tend to do; you rouse people to think critically by making them laugh and smile. You do this by telling stories of real life, narrating reality from your unique viewpoint; and in this way, you speak to people about problems, large and small.

According to the Bible, at the beginning of the world, while everything was being created, divine wisdom practiced your form of art for the benefit of none other than God himself, the first spectator of history. It is described in this way: “I was beside him, like a master workman; and I was daily his delight,rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited worldand delighting in the sons of men” (Prov 8:30-31). Remember this: when you manage to draw knowing smiles from the lips of even one spectator – what I am going to say now is not a heresy! – you also make God smile.

You, dear artists, know how to think and speak humorously in different forms and styles; and in each case the language of humour is suitable for understanding and “feeling” human nature. Humour does not offend, humiliate, or put people down according to their flaws. While communication today often generates conflict, you know how to bring together diverse and sometimes contrary realities. How much we need to learn from you! The laughter of humour is never “against” anyone, but is always inclusive, purposeful, eliciting openness, sympathy, empathy. Be sure to pray to the Lord and ask for a sense of humour.  The Superiors of the Dicastery will make sure that beautiful prayer of Saint Thomas More gets to you.

I am reminded of the story in the book of Genesis when God promised Abraham that within a year he would have a son. He and his wife Sarah were old and childless. Sarah listened and laughed inwardly. For, like women, she was curious and was listening inside her tent to what her husband was doing and what he was talking about, perhaps to scold him… She heard that she would have a son within a year and she laughed inwardly. Abraham, with some bitterness, must have done the same. “Why, at my age, don’t joke!” However, Sarah conceived and bore a son in her old age, at the time that God had set. Then Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me” (Gen 21:6). That is why they named their son Isaac, which means, “he laughs”.

Can we laugh at God? Of course, we can, and this is not blasphemy, we can laugh, just as we play and joke with the people we love. The Jewish wisdom and literary tradition is a master in this! It is possible to do this without offending the religious sentiments of believers, especially the poor.

Dear friends, may God bless you and your art. Continue to cheer people up, especially those who have the hardest time looking at life with hope. Help us, with a smile, to see reality with its contradictions, and to dream of a better world! With heartfelt sentiments, I bless you; and I ask you, please, to pray for me. Please, with a smile and not against me!

Now, before the blessing, I want everyone to hear that beautiful prayer of Saint Thomas More.

Luciana Littizzetto:

Thank you, first of all, thank you on behalf of myself and all my colleagues.  We always meet only at funerals, but this time, it is a moment of joy. Thank you!

Prayer (read by Luciana Littizzetto):

“Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest. Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humour to maintain it. Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil, but rather finds the means to put things back in their place.  Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumbling, sighs and laments, nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called ‘I’. Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humour. Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke and to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others”. Amen.

Pope Francis:

I had forgotten that I gave you a blessing, so as a farewell, I wish you a human blessing. I wish you the best. May God accompany you in this very beautiful calling to make people laugh, to be comedians. It is easier to be a tragedian than a comedian, it is easier. Thank you for making people laugh and also thank you for laughing from the heart. May the Lord bless you all. Thank you!

The prayer of the poor rises up to God (cf. Sir 21:5)

Dear brothers and sisters,

1. The prayer of the poor rises up to God (cf. Sir 21:5). In this year dedicated to prayer in anticipation of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025, this expression of biblical wisdom is most fitting as we prepare for the Eighth World Day of the Poor, which will be observed on 17 November. Indeed, Christian hope embraces the certainty that our prayer reaches God’s presence; not just any prayer but rather the prayer of the poor! Let us reflect on this word and “read” it on the faces and in the stories of the poor whom we encounter daily, so that prayer can become a path of communion with them and a sharing in their suffering.

2. The Book of Sirach, of which we are speaking, is not sufficiently known, yet it deserves to be discovered for the richness of its themes, especially regarding the relationship of humanity with God and with the world. Its author, Ben Sira, was a teacher, a scribe in Jerusalem, likely writing in the 2nd century B.C. He was a wise man, deeply rooted in Israel’s tradition, who taught on various aspects of human life: work, family, social life and the education of the young. He paid special attention to themes related to faith in God and observance of the Law. He tackled the difficult issues of freedom, evil and divine justice, which are still highly relevant to us today. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Ben Sira sought to point out to everyone the path to follow in order to live a wise and dignified life in the eyes of God and our brothers and sisters.

3. One of the themes to which this sacred author devotes significant attention is prayer. He does so with great fervour because he gives voice to his personal experience. Indeed, no writing on prayer can be effective and fruitful if it does not stem from someone who stands daily in God’s presence and listens to his Word. Ben Sira declares that he sought wisdom from his youth: “While I was still young, before I went on my travels, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer” (Sir 51:13).

4. On this journey, he discovered one of the fundamental truths of revelation, namely, that the poor hold a privileged place in God’s heart, to the point that, in the face of their suffering, God is “impatient” until he has rendered justice to them. “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord; he will not desist until the Most High visits him, and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgment. And the Lord will not delay” (Sir 35:17-18). God knows the sufferings of his children because he is an attentive and caring father. As a father, he takes care of those who are most in need: the poor, the marginalized, the suffering and the forgotten. No one is excluded from his heart, for in his eyes, we are all poor and needy. We are all beggars because, without God, we would be nothing. We would not even have life if God had not given it to us. Yet how often we live as if we were the masters of life or as if we had to conquer it! The mentality of the world demands that we become somebody, that we make a name for ourselves at any cost, breaking social norms in order to accumulate wealth. How sad of an illusion this is! Happiness cannot be acquired by trampling on the rights and dignity of others.

The violence caused by wars clearly shows the arrogance of those who consider themselves to be powerful before men and women, but they are poor in the eyes of God. How many more people are impoverished by misguided policies involving weapons! How many innocent victims! Yet we cannot turn our backs to this reality. The disciples of the Lord know that each of these “little ones” bears the image of the Son of God and each one must receive our support and expressions of Christian charity. “Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society.  This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come to their aid” (Evangelii Gaudium, 187).

5. In this year dedicated to prayer, we need to make the prayer of the poor our own and pray together with them. This is a challenge we must embrace and a pastoral activity that needs to be nurtured. Moreover, “the worst discrimination which the poor suffer is the lack of spiritual care. The great majority of the poor have a special openness to the faith; they need God and we must not fail to offer them his friendship, his blessing, his word, the celebration of the sacraments and a journey of growth and maturity in the faith.  Our preferential option for the poor must mainly translate into a privileged and preferential religious care” (ibid., 200).

All of this requires a humble heart, one that has the courage to become a beggar. A heart that is ready to acknowledge itself as poor and needy. Indeed, there is a correlation between poverty, humility and trust. The truly poor person is the humble one, as the holy Bishop Augustine said: “The poor have nothing to be proud of, the rich must combat their pride. Therefore, listen to me: be truly poor, be virtuous, be humble” (Sermons, 14, 4). The humble have nothing to boast of and nothing to claim; they know they cannot rely on themselves but firmly believe they can appeal to God’s merciful love, standing before him like the prodigal son who returns home repentant to receive the father’s embrace (cf. Lk 15:11-24). The poor, having nothing to rely on, receive strength from God and place all their trust in him. Indeed, humility generates trust that God will never abandon us and will never leave us without a response.

6. To the poor who dwell in our cities and are part of our communities, I say: do not lose this certainty! God is attentive to each of you and is close to you. He does not forget you nor could he ever do so. We all have had the experience of prayers that seem to remain unanswered. Sometimes we ask to be freed from a misery that makes us suffer and humiliates us, and God seems not to hear our cry. However, God’s silence does not mean he is inattentive to our sufferings; rather, it contains a word that must be received with trust, surrendering ourselves to him and to his will. Sirach again attests to this: the Lord’s judgment will be in favour of the poor (cf. Sir 21:5). From poverty, therefore, the song of the most genuine hope can spring up. Let us remember that “whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor.  God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades” (Evangelii Gaudium, 2).

7. The World Day of the Poor has now become a fixture for every ecclesial community. It is a pastoral opportunity not to be underestimated, for it challenges every believer to listen to the prayer of the poor, becoming aware of their presence and needs. It is an opportune occasion to implement initiatives that concretely help the poor and to recognize and support the many volunteers who dedicate themselves passionately to those most in need. We must thank the Lord for the people who make themselves available to listen to and support the poorest among us. They are priests, consecrated persons, lay men and women who, by their testimony, give voice to God’s response to the prayer of those who turn to him. This silence, therefore, is broken every time a person in need is welcomed and embraced. The poor still have much to teach us because in a culture that has placed wealth at the forefront and often sacrifices the dignity of people on the altar of material goods, they swim against the tide, highlighting that what is essential for life is something else entirely.

Prayer, then, is verified by authentic charity that manifests itself as encounter and proximity. If prayer does not translate into concrete action, it is in vain; indeed, “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (Jas 2:17). However, charity without prayer risks becoming philanthropy that soon exhausts itself. “Without daily prayer lived with fidelity, our acts are empty, they lose their profound soul, and are reduced to being mere activism” (BENEDICT XVI, Catechesis, April 25, 2012). We must avoid this temptation and always be vigilant with the strength and perseverance that comes from the Holy Spirit, who is the giver of life.

8. In this context, it is beautiful to recall the testimony left to us by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a woman who gave her life for the poor. Saint Teresa continually repeated that it was from prayer that she drew the strength and faith for her mission of service to the least among us. When she spoke at the General Assembly of the UN on October 26, 1985, showing everyone the rosary she always held in her hand, she said: “I am only a poor sister who prays. By praying, Jesus puts his love in my heart, and I go to give it to all the poor I meet along the way. Pray too! Pray, and you will notice the poor who are beside you. Perhaps on the same floor in your apartment building. Perhaps even in your houses, someone is waiting for your love. Pray, and your eyes will open, and your heart will fill with love”.

How can we not recall here in the city of Rome, Saint Benedict Joseph Labre (1748-1783), whose body rests and is venerated in the parish church of Santa Maria ai Monti. A pilgrim from France to Rome, rejected by many monasteries, he spent the last years of his life poor among the poor, spending hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, with the rosary, reciting the breviary, reading the New Testament and the Imitation of Christ. Having no place to stay, he usually slept in a corner of the ruins of the Colosseum like a “vagabond of God,” making his life a ceaseless prayer that rose up to God.

9. As we journey towards the Holy Year, I urge everyone to become pilgrims of hope, setting tangible goals for a better future. Let us not forget to keep “the little details of love” (Gaudete et Exsultate, 145): stopping, drawing near, giving a little attention, a smile, a caress, a word of comfort. These gestures are not automatic; they require a daily commitment and are often hidden and silent, but strengthened by prayer. In this time, when the song of hope seems to give way to the clamour of arms, to the cry of many innocent wounded, and the silence of the countless victims of wars, we turn to God with our plea for peace. We stretch out our hands to receive peace as a precious gift for we are “poor” in this regard, while at the same time committing ourselves to weave it back into daily life.

10.   We are called in every circumstance to be friends of the poor, following in the footsteps of Jesus who always began by showing solidarity when dealing with the least among us. May the Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, who appeared at Banneux and left a message not to be forgotten:  “I am the Virgin of the poor,” sustain us on this journey. To Mary, whom God has looked upon with favour for her humble poverty, accomplishing great things through her obedience, we entrust our prayers, convinced that they will rise to heaven and be heard.

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 13 June 2024, Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Patron of the Poor

FRANCIS

Your Eminence,
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome to everyone!

I am pleased to meet with you and take this opportunity to reflect with you on synodality, which you have chosen as the theme for your meeting. I have often emphasized that the synodal journey requires a spiritual conversion because without an interior transformation, lasting results cannot be achieved. My hope is that following this Synod, synodality may endure as a permanent mode of working within the Church, at all levels, permeating the hearts of all, pastors and faithful alike, until it becomes a shared “ecclesial style”. However, achieving this demands that a change must occur within each of us, a true “conversion”.

This has been a long journey. Think about the fact that the first person who saw the need for synodality in the Latin Church was Saint Paul VI when, following the Second Vatican Council, he established the Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops. The Eastern Churches had preserved synodality, yet the Latin Church had lost it. Saint Paul VI opened this path. Today, almost sixty years later, we can say that synodality has entered into the Church’s way of acting. The most important element of the Synod on synodality is not so much the treatment of this or that problem. The most important element is the parochial, diocesan and universal journey we make together in synodality.

In the light of this spiritual conversion, I wish to highlight some attitudes, some “synodal virtues,” which we can derive from the three announcements of the Passion in the Gospel of Mark (cf. Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:32-34): thinking as God thinks, overcoming exclusiveness, and cultivating humility.

First: thinking as God thinks. Following the initial announcement of the Passion, the evangelist recounts how Peter rebukes Jesus. He, who should have been an example by helping the other disciples to be fully at the service of the Master’s work, opposes God’s plans by rejecting his passion and death. Jesus tells him, “For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Mk 8:33).

This is the primary interior change that is asked of us: to move beyond “merely human thought” to embrace the “thought of God.” Before making any decision, before starting any programme, any apostolate, any mission within the Church, we should ask ourselves: what does God want from me, what does God want from us, at this moment, in this situation? Is what I envision, what we as a group have in mind, truly aligned with the “thought of God”? Let us remember that the Holy Spirit is the protagonist of the synodal journey, not we ourselves: he alone teaches us to listen to the voice of God, individually and as a Church.

God is always greater than our ideas, greater than prevailing mindsets and the “ecclesial fashions” of the day, even the charism of our particular group or movement. Therefore, let us never presume that we are “in tune” with God: rather, let us continually strive to rise above ourselves and embrace God’s perspective, not that of men and women. This is the first great challenge. Thinking as God thinks. Let us recall that Gospel passage when the Lord announced his Passion and Peter opposed him. What did the Lord say? “You are not acting according to God, you are not thinking as God thinks”.

Second: overcoming exclusiveness. Following the second announcement of the Passion, John objects to a man who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name but was not of their group of disciples: “Teacher”, he said, “we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us” (Mk 9:38). Jesus disapproves of this attitude and tells him, “Whoever is not against us is for us” (Mk 9:40); then he invites all the apostles to be attentive so as not to be a stumbling block to others (cf. Mk 9:42-50).

Please, let us be wary of the temptation of the “closed circle”. Though chosen to be the foundation of the new people of God, open to all nations of the earth, the apostles fail to grasp this expansive vision. They withdraw into themselves, seemingly intent on safeguarding the gifts bestowed on them by the Master, such as healing the sick, casting out demons, proclaiming the Kingdom (cf. Mk 2:14), as if they were privileges.

The following are also challenges for us: limiting ourselves to what our “circle” thinks, being convinced that what we do is right for everyone, and defending, perhaps inadvertently, positions, prerogatives, or the prestige of the “group”. Alternatively, we could also be impeded by the fear of losing our sense of belonging and identity by opening up to other people and differing viewpoints, which stems from failing to recognize diversity as an opportunity rather than a threat. These are “enclosures” in which we all risk imprisonment. Let us be attentive: our own group, our own spirituality are realities that help us journey with the People of God, but they are not privileges, for there is the danger of ending up imprisoned in these enclosures.

Synodality instead asks us to look beyond the barriers with magnanimity, to see the presence of God and his actions even in people we do not know, in new pastoral approaches, in uncharted mission territories. It asks us to let ourselves be moved, even “hurt”, by the voice, the experience, and suffering of others: of our fellow believers and all those around us. Be open, with an open heart.

Thirdly and finally: cultivating humility. Following the third announcement of the Passion, James and John ask for positions of honour next to Jesus, who instead responds by inviting everyone to consider true greatness as not in being served, but in serving, in being a servant of all, for that is what he himself came to do (cf. Mk 10:44-45).

Here we understand that the starting point of spiritual conversion must be humility, the gateway to all virtues. It saddens me when I encounter Christians who boast: because I am priest from this place, or because they are lay people from that place, because I am from this institution... This is a bad thing.  Humility is the door, the beginning. It compels us to scrutinize our intentions: what do I really seek in my relationships with my brothers and sisters in faith? Why do I pursue certain initiatives within the Church? If we detect a hint of pride or arrogance within us, then let us ask for the grace to rediscover humility. Indeed, only the humble accomplish great things in the Church for they have a solid foundation in the love of God, which never fails, and therefore they do not seek further recognition.

This phase of spiritual conversion is also fundamental for building a synodal Church: only the humble person esteems others and welcomes their contribution, advice, inner richness, bringing out not their own “I”, but the “we” of the community. It pains me when we meet Christians…, in Spanish we say “yo me mí conmigo para mí”, that is, “I, me, with me, for me”. These Christians put themselves “at the centre”. It is sad. It is the humble who safeguard communion in the Church, avoiding divisions, overcoming tensions, knowing how to set aside their own initiatives in order to contribute to joint projects. In serving, they find joy and not frustration or resentment. Living synodality, at every level, is truly impossible without humility.

I want to say once again, in order to emphasize the role of ecclesial movements: ecclesial movements are for service, not for ourselves. It is sad when we feel that “I belong to this one, to another, to another”, as if this had to do with superiority. Ecclesial movements are meant to serve the Church, they are not a message in themselves, an ecclesial centrality. They are for service.

I hope these reflections assist you on your journey, within your associations and movements, in your relationships with pastors and with all aspects of ecclesial life. I hope that this meeting along with similar gatherings will help you to appreciate your respective charisms through an ecclesial lens, enabling you to make a generous and invaluable contribution to the mission of evangelization, to which we are all called.

Always think about this: my membership in an ecclesial movement, is it in the association or is it in the Church? It is in my movement, in my association for the Church, as a “step” to help the Church. Movements closed in on themselves, however, should be eliminated, they are not ecclesial.

I bless you, go forward! And I ask you to pray for me. Please!

Now I will impart the blessing. First, though, let us pray together to Our Lady.

Recitation of the Hail Mary

Blessing

About praying for me: I say this thinking about something that happened to me once. I was concluding the General Audience and there was little elderly lady, you could tell she was from the countryside, a humble woman, but she had beautiful eyes. And she was signalling me, she was twenty metres away. I went over to her. “How old are you?” “Eighty-seven”, she told me. “But what do you eat that keeps you so well?” “I eat ravioli, I make them”, and she explained her recipe for ravioli. And at the end I told her, “Pray for me”. She said, “I do, every day”. “But tell me, madam, do you pray for me or against me?” The answer of a simple person, “Your Holiness, you understand! In there, they pray against you!” That is why I asked you to pray for me. That lady made me laugh.

The following text includes parts that were not read out loud, but should be considered as such.

Cycle of Catechesis. The Spirit and the Bride. The Holy Spirit guides the people of God towards Jesus our hope. 3. “All Scripture is inspired by God”. Knowing God's love through God's words.

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning, welcome!

Let us continue the catechesis on the Holy Spirit who guides the Church towards Christ our hope. He is the guide. Last time we contemplated the work of the Spirit in creation; today we will see it in revelation, in which the Sacred Scripture  is witness inspired by God and authoritative.

The Second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy contains this statement: “All Scripture is inspired by God ” (3:16). And another passage in the New Testament says: “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God ” (2 Pt 1:21). This is the doctrine of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, which we proclaim as an article of faith in the Creed, when we say that the Holy Spirit “has spoken through the prophets”. The divine inspiration of the Bible.

The Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scriptures, is also the one who explains and makes them perennially living and active. From inspired, he makes them inspiring. The Sacred Scriptures “as inspired by God”, says Vatican Council II, “and committed once and for all to writing … impart the word of God Himself without change, and make the voice of the Holy Spirit resound in the words of the prophets and Apostles” (21). In this way the Holy Spirit continues, in the Church, the action of the Risen Jesus who, after Easter, “opened the minds of the disciples to understand the Scriptures” (cf. Lk 24:45).

Indeed, it can happen that in a certain passage of the Scripture, that we have read many times without particular emotion, one day we read it in an atmosphere of faith and prayer, and then that text is unexpectedly illuminated, it speaks to us, it sheds light on a problem we are living, it makes God’s will for us clear in a certain situation. To what is this change due, if not to an enlightenment of the Holy Spirit? The words of the Scripture, under the action of the Spirit, become luminous; and in those cases, we touch with our own hands how true is the statement in the Letter to the Hebrews: “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword ” (4:12).

Brothers and sisters, the Church is nourished by the spiritual reading of the Sacred Scripture, that is, by reading under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that inspired it. At its centre, like a beacon that illuminates everything, there is the event of the death and resurrection of Christ, which fulfils the plan of salvation, realizes all the figures and the prophecies, unveils all the hidden mysteries and offers the true key to reading the entire Bible. The death and resurrection of Christ is the beacon that illuminates all the Bible, and it also illuminates our life. Revelation describes all of this with the image of the Lamb that breaks the seals of the book “written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals” (cf. 5:1-9), that is, the Scriptures of the Old Testament. The Church, Bride of Christ, is the authorized interpreter of the inspired text of the Scriptures; the Church is the mediator of its authentic proclamation. Since the Church is gifted with the Holy Spirit — this is why she is the interpreter — she is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Tm 3:15). Why? Because she is inspired, held steady by the Holy Spirit. And the task of the Church is to help the faithful and those who seek the truth to interpret the biblical texts correctly.

One way of doing a spiritual reading of the Word of God is what is called the lectio divina, a word whose meaning we perhaps do not understand. It consists in dedicating a time of the day to the personal and meditative reading of a passage of the Scripture. And this is very important: every day, take the time to listen to, to meditate, reading a passage from the Scripture. And therefore, I recommend that you always have a pocket edition of the Gospel and keep it in your bag, in your pocket… So, when you are travelling, or have a little free time, you can take it and read it. This is very important for life. Get a pocket Gospel and read it once, twice, or whenever you have the chance throughout the day. But the quintessential spiritual reading of the Scriptures is the community reading in the Liturgy at Mass. There, we see how an event or a teaching, given by the Old Testament, finds its full expression in the Gospel of Christ. And the homily, that comment by the celebrant, must help to transfer the Word of God from the book to life. But for this, the homily must be brief: an image, a thought and a sentiment. The homily must not go on for more than eight minutes, because after that time, attention is lost and the people fall asleep, and they are right. A homily should be like that. And I want to say this to priests, who talk a lot, very often, and one does not understand what they are talking about. A brief homily: a thought, a sentiment and a cue for action, for what to do. No more than eight minutes. Because the homily must help transfer the Word of God from the book to life. And among the many words of God that we listen to every day in Mass or in the Liturgy of the Hours, there is always one that is meant especially for us. Something that touches the heart. Welcomed into the heart, it can illuminate our day and inspire our prayer. It is a question of not letting it fall on deaf ears!

Let us conclude with a thought that can help us to fall in love with the Word of God. Like certain pieces of music, the Sacred Scripture too has a base note that accompanies it from the beginning to the end, and this note is the love of God. “The whole Bible”, observes Saint Augustine, “does nothing but tell of God’s love”. [1] And Saint Gregory the Great defines the Scriptures as “a letter from God Almighty to His creature”, like a letter from a bridegroom to the bride, and exhorts us to “learn and know the heart of God in the words of God”. [2] “Through this revelation”, says Vatican Council II again, “the invisible God, out of the abundance of His love, speaks to men as friends and lives among them, so that He may invite and take them into fellowship with Himself” ( Dei Verbum, 2).

Dear brothers and sisters, keep reading the Bible! But do not forget the pocket Gospel: carry it in your bag, in your pocket, and at some moment during the day, read a passage. And this will bring you very close to the Holy Spirit, who is in the Word of God. May the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scriptures and now breathes from them, help us to grasp this love of God in the concrete situations of life. Thank you.

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[1] De catechizandis rudibus, I, 8, 4: PL 40, 319.

[2] Registrum Epistolarum, V, 46 (ed. Ewald-Hartmann, pp. 345-346).

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Special Greetings

I extend a cordial welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from the United Kingdom, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the United States of America. I invoke upon you and your families the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!

Lastly my thoughts turn to young people, to the sick, to the elderly and to newlyweds. Tomorrow we will celebrate the liturgical memory of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church. May the example of this eminent preacher, defender of the poor and the suffering, stir in each of you the desire to continue the journey of faith and imitate his life, thus becoming credible witnesses of the Gospel.

I offer my blessing to all of you!

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Summary of the Holy Father's words

Today, in our continuing catechesis on the Holy Spirit and the Bride, we reflect on the action of the Holy Spirit in Divine Revelation, specifically in Sacred Scripture. God, who inspired Scripture, in turn inspires the Church, the Bride of Christ, through his holy word, making of her its authoritative interpreter. The Spirit also communicates with us personally within this ecclesial reality, whether through lectio divina, which is a meditative reading of a Scripture passage, or above all, in the Liturgy. In whatever the setting, there is always one word that is meant especially for us. Like a musical composition, Sacred Scripture carries throughout an underlying theme, which Saint Augustine and Saint Gregory the Great call God’s love. May we “learn to know the heart of God through the words of God” and allow them to breathe that love into our daily lives.

Dear brothers and sisters!

I offer a cordial greeting to all of you assembled in Piacenza for Columban’s Day 2024, the twenty-fifth International Meeting of Columban Associations. In a particular way, I greet Bishop Adriano Cevolotto of Piacenza-Bobbio, as well as the other bishops and civil authorities present.

This occasion is indeed a cause for rejoicing, since for the past twenty-five years you have been meeting in the name of the great Irish abbot and have succeeded in creating a network of spiritual and cultural friendships in that part of Europe where Saint Columban and his companions left the imprint of their beneficent presence. Yours is certainly no merely historical, much less folkloric, commemoration. Rather, it aims to advance knowledge of Saint Columban and his legacy as a source of enrichment for both the Church and civil society in our own time.

At first glance, this aim might appear unrealistic, given the vast difference between the Europe of today and that of the sixth and seventh centuries, and between our way of life and the model proposed by the holy abbot and his companions. Yet, it is precisely this contrast, this difference, which makes the witness of Saint Columban’s message especially provocative and indeed attractive to us, immersed as we are in practical materialism and a type of neo-paganism. The Irish monks of those days became pilgrims and missionaries precisely in order to re-evangelize large areas of a continent where the first fruits of Christianity were at risk of being lost. Together with the work of reclaiming and cultivating those territories, they also made outstanding contributions to the fields of spirituality, learning and ethics. In this way, like the Benedictines elsewhere, the life and labours of the Columban monks proved decisive for the preservation and renewal of European culture.

In our own time, then, we need to draw nourishment from the vital “lymph” of the Gospel, lest the continent’s ecclesial and civil communities lose their identity and sink into a bland globalization, constantly at the mercy of the prevailing powers, but instead discover ways to express their faith and culture with creative fidelity to their rich traditions. In this way, they will be able to contribute to building up a Europe made up of peoples who live harmoniously, side by side, preserving their distinctiveness, yet open to encounter and dialogue with other cultures in our world.

I thank you, then, dear brothers and sisters, for participating in this initiative, especially those of you whose activities are inspired by the Gospel and carried out in respectful cooperation with the civil authorities. Upon all of you, and your various associations, I invoke the protection of Saint Columban. I bless you and I ask you, please, to pray for me.

From the Vatican, 11 June 2024

FRANCIS

Lord Mayor,
Assessors and Councillors of the Municipality of Rome,
Distinguished Authorities,
Dear friends!

I thank the Lord Mayor for the welcome invitation and the kind expressions he addressed to me; and I thank the President of the Capitoline Assembly for her words of welcome. I greet the Councillors of the Municipality, the Representatives of the Government, the other Authorities present and all the citizens of Rome.

In coming back to visit you, I feel sentiments of gratitude and joy. I come to meet you and, through you, the entire city, which almost from its birth, around 2,800 years ago, has had a clear and constant vocation of universality. For the Christian faithful, this role is not the fruit of chance, but corresponded to a providential plan.

Ancient Rome, due to its legal development and its organizational capacities, and the construction throughout the centuries of solid and lasting institutions, became a beacon to which many peoples turned for stability and security. This process allowed it to be a radiating centre of civilization and to welcome people from all parts of the world and integrate them into its civil and social life, even to the point of having not a few of them assume the highest magistracies of the state.

This ancient Roman culture, which undoubtedly experienced many good values, on the other hand needed to elevate itself, to confront a greater message of fraternity, love, hope and liberation.

The aspiration of that civilization, which had reached its heyday, offers a further explanation for the rapid spread of the Christian message in Roman society. The shining testimony of the martyrs and the dynamism of charity of the first communities of believers intercepted the need to hear new words, words of eternal life. Olympus was no longer enough; it was necessary to go to Golgotha and to the empty tomb of the Risen One to find the answers to the yearning for truth, for justice, for love.

This Good News, or rather the Christian faith, over time would permeate and transform the life of people and of the institutions themselves. It would offer people a far more radical and unprecedented hope; it would offer institutions the possibility of evolving to a higher stage, gradually abandoning - for example - an institution such as slavery, which even to so many cultured minds and sensitive hearts had seemed a natural and taken for granted fact, not at all susceptible to abolition.

Slavery is a very significant example of the fact that even refined civilizations can present cultural elements so rooted in the mentality of the people and of society as a whole that they are no longer perceived as contrary to human dignity. This is also the case today, when, almost unconsciously, there is sometimes a risk of being selective, partial, in the defence of human dignity, marginalizing or discarding certain categories of people, who end up finding themselves without adequate protection.

The Rome of the Caesars was succeeded, so to speak, by the Rome of the Popes, successors of the Apostle Peter, who “preside in charity” over all the Church and who, in some centuries, also had to play a role as a substitute for the civil powers in the progressive unravelling of the ancient world, and sometimes, with unfortunate behaviour. Many things changed, but Rome’s vocation to universality was confirmed and exalted. If in fact the geographical horizon of the Roman Empire had its heart in the Mediterranean world and, although very vast, did not involve the entire Orbe, the mission of the Church has no boundaries on this earth, because it must make Christ, His action and His words of salvation known to all peoples.

Starting from the unification of Italy, a new phase began in which, after the clashes and misunderstandings with the new unitary State, in the context of what was named the “Roman question”, ninety-five years ago a conciliation between civil power and the Holy See was reached.

This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the revision of the Concordat. It reaffirmed that the Italian State and the Catholic Church are, “each in its own order, independent and sovereign and commit themselves to the full respect of this principle in their mutual relations and to reciprocal collaboration for the full promotion of man and the common good of the Country” (Article 1 of the Agreement for the Revision of the Concordat, 3 June 1985).

Rome has always confirmed itself, even in these most recent historical phases, in its universal vocation, as shown by the work of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, the various Holy Years celebrated, the signing of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, as well as the Treaty establishing the International Criminal Court, the 1960 Olympics, and the international organizations, in particular the FAO, which have their headquarters in Rome.

Now Rome is about to host the Jubilee 2025. This event is of a religious nature, a prayerful and penitent pilgrimage to obtain from divine mercy a more complete reconciliation with the Lord. However, it cannot but involve the city too, in terms of the care and works necessary to welcome the many pilgrims who will visit it, in addition to the tourists who come to admire its immense treasure of works of art and the grandiose traces of past centuries. Rome is unique. This is why the forthcoming Jubilee can also have a positive impact on the very face of the city, improving its decorum and making public services more efficient, not only in the centre but also by bringing the centre and the suburbs closer together. This is very important, because the city is growing and this attention, this relationship becomes more important every day. And that is why I like to go and visit the suburban parishes, so that they can feel that the bishop is close to them; because it is very easy to be close to the centre - I am in the centre -, but to go and visit the suburbs is the presence of the bishop there.

It is unthinkable that all this could take place in an orderly and safe fashion without the active and generous collaboration of the authorities of the Capitoline and national municipalities. In this regard, I warmly thank the municipal authorities for their commitment in preparing Rome to welcome the pilgrims of the forthcoming Jubilee, and I thank the Italian Government for its full willingness to cooperate with the ecclesiastical authorities for the success of the Jubilee, confirming the desire for friendly cooperation that characterizes the mutual relations between Italy and the Holy See, which are human relations. Many times, pettiness can lead us to think that relations are about money: no, this is secondary. They are human relations between authorities.

Rome is a city with a universal spirit. This spirit wishes to be at the service of charity, at the service of welcome and hospitality. May pilgrims, tourists, migrants, those in dire straits, the poorest, the lonely, the sick, prisoners, the excluded, be the truest witnesses of this spirit - which is why I have decided to open a Holy Door in a prison - and may they bear witness that authority is fully such when it places itself at the service of all, when it uses its legitimate power to meet the needs of the citizenry and, in particular, of the weakest, the last. And this is not only for you politicians, it is also for priests, for bishops. Closeness, closeness to God's people to serve them, to accompany them.

May Rome continue to show its face, a welcoming, hospitable, generous, noble face. The enormous influx of pilgrims, tourists and migrants into the city, with all this entails in terms of organization, could be seen as an aggravation, a burden that slows down and hinders the normal flow of things. In reality, all this is Rome, its specificity, unique in the world, its honour, its great attraction and its responsibility towards Italy, towards the Church, towards the human family. Its every problem is the “flip side” of its greatness and, from being a crisis factor, can become an opportunity for development: civil, social, economic, cultural.

The immense treasure of culture and history nestled in the hills of Rome is the honour and the burden of its citizenry and its rulers, and expects to be properly valued and respected. May everyone be aware of the value of Rome, of the symbol that it represents in all continents - let us not forget the myth of Rome's origin as a rebirth from the ruins of Troy - and may the reciprocal active collaboration between all the powers that reside there be confirmed, or rather, may it grow, by a choral and constant action that makes it even more worthy of the role that destiny, or rather Providence, has reserved for it.

For decades, ever since I was a young priest, I was always devoted to the Salus Populi Romani, and every time I went to Rome, I visited her. I ask her, the Salus Populi Romani, who watches over the city and people of Rome, to instil hope and inspire charity, so that, confirming its most noble traditions, it may continue to be, in our time too, a beacon of civilization and a promoter of peace. Thank you.

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Impromptu greeting to the employees gathered in Piazza del Campidoglio

Good morning! I greet you all, AMA, the Civil Protection, the gendarmes, the people who work here: thank you very much for your welcome, thank you very much!

I will permit myself today, at this moment, to say a prayer for Rome, for our city.

Hail Mary…

[Blessing]

Thank you for your work, thank you for what you do for the city! And please, do not forget to pray for me, in my favour! Thank you.

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 10 June 2024

Dear brothers and sisters, blessed Sunday!

The Gospel of today’s liturgy (cf. Mk 3:20-35) tells us that, after beginning his public ministry, Jesus faced a twofold reaction: that of his relatives, who were worried and feared he had gone a little mad, and that of the religious authorities, who accused him of acting under the influence of an evil spirit. In reality, Jesus preached and healed the sick by the power of the Holy Spirit. And it was precisely the Spirit that made him divinely free, that is, capable of loving and serving without measure or conditioning. Jesus, free. Let us pause a while to contemplate this freedom of Jesus.

Jesus was free in relation to wealth: therefore he left the security of his village, Nazareth, to embrace a life of poverty filled with uncertainties (cf. Mt 6:25-34), freely taking care of the sick and whoever came to ask him for help, without ever asking for anything in exchange (cf. Mt 10:8). This is the gratuitousness of Jesus’ ministry. And it is also the gratuitousness of every ministry.

He was free with regard to power: indeed, despite calling many to follow him, he never forced anyone to do so, nor did he ever seek out the support of the powerful, but always took the side of the last, teaching his disciples to do likewise, as he had done (cf. Lk 22:25-27).

Finally, Jesus was free of the quest for fame and approval. This is why he never gave up on speaking the truth, even at the cost of not being understood (cf. Mk 3:21), of being unpopular, even to the point of dying on the cross, not allowing himself to be intimidated, nor bought, nor corrupted by anything or anyone (cf. Mt 10:28).

Jesus was a free man. He was free in the face of wealth, free in the face of power, free in the face of the quest for fame. And this is important for us too. Indeed, if we let ourselves be conditioned by the quest for pleasure, power, money or consensus, then we become slaves to these things. If instead we allow God’s freely-given love to fill us and expand our heart, and if we let it overflow spontaneously, by giving it back to others, with our whole selves, without fear, calculation or conditioning, then we grow in freedom, and spread its good fragrance around us too.

So we can ask ourselves: am I a free person? Or do I let myself be imprisoned by the myths of money, power and success, sacrificing my serenity and peace, and that of others, to these things? In the places where I live and work, do I spread the fresh air of freedom, sincerity and spontaneity?

May the Virgin Mary help us live and love like Jesus taught us, with the freedom we have as children of God (cf. Rom 8:15,20-23).

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After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:

An international conference on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, convened by the King of Jordan, the President of Egypt and the Secretary General of the United Nations, will be held in Jordan the day after tomorrow. While I thank them for this important initiative, I encourage the international community to take urgent action, by all means, to come to the aid of the people of Gaza, exhausted by the war. Humanitarian aid must be able to reach those in need, and no one can prevent it.

Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of the invocation of peace in the Vatican, attended by the Israeli President, the late Shimon Peres, and the Palestinian President Abu Mazen. That meeting showed that joining hands is possible, and that it takes courage to make peace, far more courage than to wage war. Therefore, I encourage ongoing negotiations between the parties, even though they are not easy, and I hope that the proposals for peace, a ceasefire on all fronts and the freeing of hostages will be accepted immediately for the good of Palestinians and Israelis.

And let us not forget the martyred Ukrainian people. The more they suffer, the more they long for peace. I greet this Ukrainian group with the flags that are over there. We are close to you! It is a desire, this desire for peace, so I encourage all efforts that are being made so that peace can be built as soon as possible, with international help. And let us not forget Myanmar.

I greet you, people of Rome and pilgrims from many countries, in particular teachers from the “Saint John Paul II” Gymnasium in Kyiv, Ukraine — Slava Isusu Khrystu! (Praise be to Jesus Christ) — whom I encourage in their mission at this difficult and painful time. I greet the teachers and students of the “Cardenal Cisneros” diocesan school of the diocese of Sigüenza-Guadalajara in Spain, as well as the faithful of Assemini, Cagliari, the children of the “Giovanni Prati” School of Padua, and young people from the parish of Sant’Ireneo of Rome.

I reiterate my greeting to the choristers who have come to Rome from all over the world to participate in the Fourth International Meeting of Choirs. Dear friends, with your singing you can give glory to God always and transmit the joy of the Gospel!

I wish you all a happy Sunday. And please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!

Good morning!

Have you seen that the spontaneity of children speaks louder than the best of speeches? Children are like that, they express themselves as they are. We must take care of children because they are the future, they are hope, and they are also witnesses to spontaneity, innocence and promise. Indeed, that is why Jesus said that he wanted children to come close. When the apostles said to them, “Go away!”, the Lord said, “No, no, let the children come!”. Children are the privileged ones. For this reason, Jesus said: “it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs”. We must learn from the spontaneity that they have just displayed. Moreover, they did not come enticed by pieces of candy – afterwards they realized there was candy – instead they came because they wanted to come. That is how they are. Let us not forget the lesson they have taught us today. Thank you!

I extend a warm welcome to all of you, and I particularly thank Monsignor Marco Frisina and Nova Opera for promoting this initiative, which takes place on the fortieth anniversary of the foundation of the Choir of the Diocese of Rome. This anniversary encourages all of you to continue the precious service you provide, both in Rome and in many other parts of the world.

Your fourth International Meeting brings together parish and diocesan choirs, scholæ cantorum, chapel choirs, directors and musicians. You have come together in the Vatican to explore more deeply the significance of music in service to the liturgy.  It is very good to see you here, coming as you do from many different places yet all united by faith and a passion for music. You are an eloquent sign of unity. For this reason, I want to draw your attention to three essential aspects of your service: harmony, communion, and joy.

First: harmony. Music creates harmony, thereby reaching everyone, consoling those who suffer, rekindling enthusiasm in the downhearted, and bringing forth wonderful values such as beauty and poetry, which reflect God’s harmonious light. Music, indeed, is a universal and immediate language that requires no translation or elaborate explanation.  Both experts and ordinary people can appreciate it, each grasping different aspects to varying degrees, yet all drawing from the same richness. Moreover, music educates us how to listen, to pay attention and study; it elevates emotions, feelings, and thoughts, guiding people beyond the whirlwind of haste, noise, and a merely material vision of life, and helping them to contemplate themselves and the reality around them better.  Thus, it grants to those who cultivate it a wise and serene outlook, which makes it easier to overcome divisions and rivalry and so to be in harmony, much like the instruments of an orchestra or the voices of a choir.  It encourages us to be vigilant about “off-key notes” and to correct “dissonance”, which are useful for the dynamics of compositions as long as they are integrated into a wise harmonic fabric.

Second: communion. Choral singing is done together, not alone. This also speaks to us about the Church and the world in which we live.  Our journey together can be likened to the performance of a great “concert”, where each person offers their contribution according to their abilities, playing or singing their “part”, and so discovering their unique richness from the symphony of communion. In a choir or orchestra, each member relies on the others, and the success of the performance depends on the commitment of each individual. All must give their best according to their role, respecting and listening in harmony with those around them, without seeking personal prominence. This mirrors the life of the Church and our own lives, where we are all called to fulfil our role for the benefit of the entire community, so that a song of praise to God may rise from all over the world (cf. Ps 47:1).

Finally: joy. You are custodians of a centuries-old treasure of art, beauty, and spirituality. Do not let the mentality of the world taint it with self-interest, ambition, jealousy, or division, for such things, as you know, can infiltrate the life of choirs as well as communities, making them places that are no longer joyful but sad and burdensome, even leading to their disintegration. To this end, it will be good for you to maintain the lofty spiritual tenor of your vocation through prayer and meditation on the word of God, participating in the liturgies you animate not only with your voices but also with your minds and hearts, and by enthusiastically living your daily lives accordingly, so that your music may increasingly be a joyful self-offering to God, who with his love attracts, enlightens, and transforms everything (cf. 1 Cor 13:1-13). In this way, you will fulfil the exhortation of Saint Augustine: “Let us praise the Lord with our lives and our tongues, with hearts and mouths, with our voices and our behaviour” (Sermo 256).

Dear sisters and brothers, I thank you for your visit, and especially for your service to the Church’s prayer and evangelization. I accompany you with my blessing and I ask you please, while you sing, to pray for me. Thank you!

Your Excellencies,

I am pleased to welcome you for the presentation of the Letters by which you are accredited as Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of your countries to the Holy See: Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi, Qatar and Mauritania.  I would ask you kindly to convey to your respective Heads of State my greetings and sentiments of esteem, together with the assurance of my prayers for them and for your fellow citizens.

As you take up your new responsibilities, I would like to reflect briefly on three words that can guide your service: family, hope and peace.

First, family.  The nations you represent have their own unique histories, cultures, traditions and identities.  At the same time, they are part of the one human family.  Indeed, the image of family, applied to the international community, is a fitting one, for “families are the first place where the values of love and fraternity, togetherness and sharing, concern and care for others are lived out and handed on” (Fratelli Tutti, 114).  The noble work of diplomacy, on both the bilateral and multilateral levels, aims to promote and enhance such values, for they are indispensable to each person’s authentic and integral human development, as well as to the progress of all peoples.  In this perspective, I encourage your efforts and those of your governments to foster the common good, protect the fundamental rights and dignity of all and strive to build a culture of fraternal solidarity and cooperation.

Sadly, the fabric of the family of nations is today torn by the tragedy of civil, regional and international strife.  We have only to think of what is taking place in Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza and Haiti, to name but a few examples.  At the same time, we are witnessing multiple humanitarian crises that result from such conflicts, including a lack of access to adequate shelter, food, water and medical supplies.  Then, too, we must be attentive to the problems of forced migration and the increasing number of internally displaced persons, the scourge of human trafficking, the effects of climate change, especially upon the poorest and most vulnerable, and global economic imbalances that contribute to a loss of hope, especially among young people.  As well, the decline in the birthrate, experienced by many countries, is a cause for grave concern.  In view of such challenges, it is essential to undertake a far-sighted, constructive and creative dialogue, based on honesty and openness, in order to find shared solutions and strengthen the bonds that unite us as brothers and sisters within the global family.  In this regard, we must also bear in mind our obligations to future generations, asking ourselves what kind of world we want to leave to our children and those who will come after them.

The answer to that question involves the second word, hope.  Hope is the central message of the forthcoming Jubilee Year that the Catholic Church will celebrate beginning on 24 December next (cf. Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, 9 May 2024).  In the face of uncertainty about the future, it is easy to become discouraged, pessimistic and even cynical.  Yet hope leads us to recognize the goodness present in our world and provides the strength needed to meet the challenges of our day.  For this reason, I like to think of you, dear Ambassadors, as signs of hope, because you are women and men who seek to build bridges between peoples, not walls.  The lofty responsibilities you exercise are a reminder that common ground, mutual understanding and concrete expressions of social friendship are all possible.  In this regard, I trust that your mission will contribute not only to the consolidation of the good relations existing between your nations and the Holy See, but also to the building of a more just and more humane society in which all are welcomed and given the necessary opportunities to advance together along the path of fraternity and peaceful coexistence.

Indeed, peace – the third word I would offer you – is “the fruit of relationships that recognize and welcome others in their inalienable dignity” (Message for the 57th World Day of Peace, 1 January 2024).  Only when we set aside indifference and fear can a genuine climate of mutual respect that leads to lasting concord grow and flourish.  Your presence here is an eloquent sign of the resolution of the nations you represent and of the international community as a whole to address the situations of injustice, discrimination, poverty and inequality that afflict our world and hamper the peaceful aspirations of present and future generations.  It is my hope that in exercising your role as diplomats you will always strive to be peacemakers, those who are blessed by the Almighty (cf. Mt 5:9).

Dear Ambassadors, as you begin your mission to the Holy See, I offer you my prayerful good wishes and I assure you of the constant readiness of the Secretariat of State and the other Dicasteries and Offices of the Roman Curia to assist you in the fulfillment of your duties.  Upon you and your families, your co-workers and all your fellow citizens, I cordially invoke an abundance of divine blessings.  Thank you!

Your Eminences,
Your Excellencies,
Dear Ambassadors,
Dear brothers and sisters,

I thank you for coming here to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invocation for Peace in the Holy Land. Thank you.

At that time, the late President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres, and the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, accepted my invitation to come here to implore from God the gift of peace. Some weeks prior to that, I had been a pilgrim in the Holy Land and had expressed a great desire that these two leaders might meet, in order to carry out a significant and historic gesture of dialogue and peace. I still give immense and heartfelt gratitude to the Lord for that day, and I cherish the memory of the emotional embrace exchanged by the two Presidents, in the presence of the Ecumenical Patriarch, His All Holiness Bartholomew, and representatives of the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities in Jerusalem.

Today, it is important to remember that event, especially in light of what is sadly happening in Palestine and in Israel. For months now, we have witnessed an escalating wave of hostility, and we see many people, many innocent people dying before our eyes. All this suffering, the brutality of war, the violence it unleashes and the hatred it sows even among future generations should convince us all that “every war leaves our world worse than it was before. War is a failure of politics and of humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil” (Fratelli Tutti, 261).

For this reason, instead of deceiving ourselves that war can resolve problems and bring about peace, we need to be vigilant and critical towards an ideology that is unfortunately dominant today, which claims that “conflict, violence and breakdown are part of the normal functioning of a society” (ibid., 236). What is really at stake are the power struggles between different social groups, partisan economic interests, and international political manoeuvrings aimed at an apparent peace yet fleeing from real problems.

At a time marked by tragic conflicts, there is need for a renewed commitment to building a peaceful world. To all, believers and people of good will, I wish to say: let us not cease to dream of peace and to build relationships of peace!

Every day I pray that this war will finally end. I think of all who suffer in Israel and in Palestine: Christians, Jews and Muslims. I think of how urgent it is that from the rubble of Gaza a decision to stop the weapons will finally arise, and therefore I ask that there be a ceasefire. I think of the families and of the Israeli hostages and ask that they be released as soon as possible. I think of the Palestinian population and ask that they be protected and receive all necessary humanitarian aid. I think of the many who are displaced due to the fighting and ask that their homes be rebuilt soon so that they can return to them in peace. I think too of those Palestinians and Israelis of good will who, amid tears and suffering, continue to hope for the coming of a new day and strive to bring forth the dawn of a peaceful world where all peoples “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Is 2:4).

All of us must work and commit ourselves to achieving a lasting peace, where the State of Palestine and the State of Israel can live side by side, breaking down the walls of enmity and hatred. We must all cherish Jerusalem so that it will become the city of fraternal encounter among Christians, Jews and Muslims, protected by a special internationally guaranteed status.

Brothers and sisters, we are here today in order to pray for peace. Let us ask God for this, as a gift of his mercy. Indeed, peace is not made only by written agreements or by human and political compromises. It is born from transformed hearts, and arises when each of us has encountered and been touched by God’s love, which dissolves our selfishness, shatters our prejudices and grants us the taste and joy of friendship, fraternity and mutual solidarity. There can be no peace if we do not let God himself first disarm our hearts, making them hospitable, compassionate and merciful. These are the attributes of God: hospitable closeness, compassion and mercy. God is near, compassionate and merciful.

This evening, then, we wish to renew our intercession, once again raising to God our prayer for peace, as we did ten years ago. We wish to ask the Lord to give continued growth to the olive tree we planted on that day, which has already become strong and flourishing because it has been sheltered from the wind and watered with care. Likewise, we must ask God that peace may spring forth in the heart of every person, in every people and nation, in every corner of the earth, protected from the winds of war and nourished by those who daily strive to live in fraternity.

May we not stop dreaming of peace, which gives us the unexpected joy of feeling part of the one human family. Several days ago, in Verona, I saw this joy on the faces of those two fathers, an Israeli and a Palestinian, who embraced each other in front of everyone. This is what Israel and Palestine need: an embrace of peace!

Let us ask the Lord that the leaders of nations and the parties in conflict may find the way to peace and unity. May we all recognize each other as brothers and sisters. Let us ask the Lord for this, and through the intercession of Mary, the young woman of Nazareth and Queen of Peace, let us repeat the prayer we made ten years ago:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer! We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Amen.

Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman.

Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, “sister”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

I wish to greet you with affection, and I would like first and foremost to thank all the members of the Dicastery for the Clergy: you have come to Rome from the four corners of the earth to offer your important contribution. Thank you for your presence. I thank the Cardinal Prefect — that Korean soul that helps us so much! — and I thank the Secretary, Monsignor Andrés Gabriel Ferrada Moreira, who carries all the work forward. Thank you.

On this occasion, I would like first of all to convey my gratitude, my affection and my closeness to the priests and deacons of the whole world. Many times, I have warned against the dangers of clericalism and spiritual worldliness, but I am well aware that the vast majority of priests work with great generosity and spirit of faith for the good of the holy faithful People of God, bearing the weight of many hardships and facing pastoral and spiritual challenges that are sometimes not easy.

Your Plenary Assembly focuses in particular on three main aspects: the ongoing formation of priests, the promotion of vocations and the permanent diaconate. I would like to dwell briefly on each of these topics.

Ongoing formation. It is a topic that is spoken of a great deal, especially in recent years, and which had already been referred to in Ratio fundamentalis in 2016. The priest, too, is a disciple following the Lord and, therefore, his formation must be an ongoing journey; this is even more true if we consider that today we live in a world marked by rapid changes, in which new questions and complex challenges to which to respond are always emerging. Therefore, we cannot delude ourselves that formation in the seminary is enough, laying sure foundations once and for all: no. Rather, we are required to consolidate, strengthen and develop what we have in the seminary, in a process that may help us mature in the human dimension, which is always journeying; growing spiritually; finding suitable languages for evangelization; exploring what we need to adequately address the new questions of our time.

I like to recall here that the Scripture says: “Vae soli — woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up” (Ec 4:10). How important this is for the priest: the journey cannot be taken alone! And yet, unfortunately, many priests are too lonely, without the grace of accompaniment, without that sense of belonging that is like a lifebuoy in the often-stormy sea of personal and pastoral life. Weaving a strong network of fraternal relations is a priority task in ongoing formation: the bishop, priests among themselves, communities in relation to their pastors, religious and consecrated brothers and sisters, associations, movements. It is indispensable for priests to feel “at home” in this great ecclesial family. You, as a Dicastery, have already begun to weave a global network: I urge you, do everything — please, do everything — to ensure that this wave continues and bears fruit throughout the world. Work creatively so that this network is strengthened and offers support to priests. You have a key role in this!

Care for vocations. One of the great challenges for the People of God is the fact that, in an ever increasing number of areas of the world, vocations to the priestly ministry and to consecrated life are declining sharply, and in some countries they are almost dying out. I am thinking for example of northern Italy. But the vocation to marriage, with that sense of commitment and mission it requires, is also in crisis. That is why, in the last Messages for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, I wanted to extend the view to the whole range of Christian vocations, and I addressed it in particular to that fundamental vocation that is discipleship, as a consequence of baptism. We cannot resign ourselves to the fact that for many young people the prospect of a radical offering of life has disappeared from the horizon. We must instead reflect together and remain attentive to the signs of the Spirit, and you can carry this task forward too, thanks to the Pontifical Work for Priestly Vocations. I invite you to revitalize this Work, in a manner suited to our times, perhaps by networking with local Churches and identifying good practices to implement. This is an important task — let us not forget it!

Lastly, the permanent diaconate. This was reintroduced by Vatican Council II and, over these decades, it has had a very mixed reception. Even today, however, questions are often asked about the specific identity of the permanent diaconate. As you know, the Synthesis Report of the First Session of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, last October, recommended “an assessment of how the diaconal ministry has been implemented since Vatican II” (Synthesis Report 11 g), and also calls for a more decisive focus, among the various tasks of deacons, on the diakonia of charity and the service of the poor (4 p and 11 a). Accompanying these reflections and developments is a task that is rather important for your Dicastery. I encourage you to work for this and to deploy all the necessary forces. And beware, because often one thinks of a deacon as a second-rate priest. We see it when some of them are at the altar and they appear to want to concelebrate. May the service of deacons be in favour of orphans, widows, social work, in Caritas, helping parish priests administer the sacraments. Do what you can so that deacons do not feel like second-rate priests. That would be a risk, at this moment.

Thank you very much for all that you have done and for all you will do in these days. Always work so that the people of God may have pastors according to the heart of Christ and may grow in the joy of discipleship. The Ratio fundamentalis has been made; there is no need to make another one. Let us move forward with this one. May the Virgin Mary, Mother and model of every vocation, accompany you. I too accompany you with my prayer. And please, do not forget to pray for me. Thank you.

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L'Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, Fifty-seventh year, number 24, Friday, 14 June 2024, p. 9.

Dear Sisters, good morning!

I welcome all of you, Sisters of Saint Felix of Cantalice, and Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy. Extending a special welcome to your Superiors General, I thank you for coming. You are gathered to celebrate your General Chapters, and it is heartening that, on this occasion, you have come to meet the Successor of Peter, in order to reaffirm your dedication to the service of God and the Church. Service is indeed a common element in your foundations, which took place in the same historical period of the nineteenth century, albeit in different circumstances.

During that time, Sofia Camilla Truszkowska, later known as Sister Angela Maria, founded the Sisters of Saint Felix of Cantalice in Warsaw, in a Poland troubled by war, to serve children, disabled persons, and young people at risk. What strikes us about these beginnings is the episode in which, faced with the escalation of armed conflicts, she and her sisters decided to care for all the wounded, regardless of their allegiance. This led to accusations of treason and the suppression of their work by the civil authorities. Providence, however, later intervened to revive and, perhaps thanks to their courageous sacrifice, to spread their apostolate even further, across the ocean to America, always driven by the impulse of service, this time for the assistance of Polish migrants. Since then, these efforts have extended to many other parts of the world. This is an important sign for you, especially as you celebrate the Chapter: a sign that invites you not to fear losing the security of structures and institutions, in order to remain faithful to charity! It will be good for you to keep this in mind during your meetings, to remind yourselves that structures are not the essence, they are only a means. What is essential is the love of God and neighbour, exercised with generosity and in freedom, according to the words of Saint Paul that you have chosen as a guide for your work: “For the love of Christ urges us on” (2 Cor 5:14).

During the same period, in Savona, Italy, another young woman, Benedetta Rossello, later known as Sister Maria Giuseppa, began, under the guidance of her bishop, another work also in service of the poor, children, and young women: the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy. Benedetta too was a determined young woman. Despite her impoverished background, she renounced the possibility of inheriting wealth in order to answer the call to a life of consecration, choosing the motto “Heart to God, hands to work!” She threw herself into this new adventure of love with humble but powerful resources: “a crucifix, a little statue of Our Lady Mother of Mercy, and five lire of capital,” always ready to serve in any capacity. Here, allow me to share with you a personal anecdote. It was in one of your schools, in Buenos Aires, in the Flores neighbourhood, that I received the Sacraments of Christian Initiation many years ago. How can I forget dear Sister Dolores, from whom I learned so much and whom I continued to visit for a long time afterwards? For this, I am deeply grateful to the Lord and to all of you, as my current service to the Church is also the fruit of the kindness I received, at a tender age, from your religious family.

Dear Sisters, see how we are all instruments in the wise hands of God! Who is able to imagine what the Lord will draw out from our small “yes”? In conclusion, then, I would like to encourage you to renew your adherence to his will, in fidelity to the vows you have professed and in docility to the action of the Spirit. Surrender yourselves to him and give everything, always, with generosity. I pray for you, and I ask you also, please, do not forget to pray for me! Thank you.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY MONSIGNOR
JACQUES HABERT
Bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux

Bayeux

I am pleased to join, in thought and prayer, with all those gathered in this Cathedral of Bayeux to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy. I welcome all the civil, religious and military authorities present.

We remember the colossal and impressive collective and military effort made to restore freedom. And we also think of the cost of this effort: these immense cemeteries with rows of thousands of soldiers’ graves — most of them very young, and many of them from far away — who heroically gave their lives, thus bringing the Second World War to an end and restoring peace, a peace that — at least in Europe — lasted almost 80 years. The landings also cause dismay, as they call to mind images of the towns and cities of Normandy that were completely devastated: Caen, Le Havre, Saint-Lô, Cherbourg, Flers, Rouen, Lisieux, Falaise, Argentan... and so many others; and we would also like to remember the countless innocent civilian victims and all those who suffered those terrible bombardments.

But the landings evoke, more generally, the disaster represented by that atrocious world conflict in which so many men, women and children suffered, so many families were torn apart, and so much destruction was wrought. It would be pointless and hypocritical to commemorate it without condemning and rejecting it definitively; without renewing Saint Paul VI’s cry to the United Nations on 4 October 1965: never again war! Although, for several decades, the memory of the errors of the past supported the steadfast determination to do everything possible to avoid a new open global conflict, I note with sadness that this is no longer the case today and that mankind has a short memory. May this commemoration help us to recover it!

It is worrying, in fact, that the possibility of widespread conflict is sometimes once again being seriously considered, that people are gradually becoming accustomed to this unacceptable possibility. People want peace! They want conditions of stability, security and prosperity in which everyone can fulfil their duties and destinies in peace. Destroying this noble order of things for ideological, nationalistic or economic ambitions is a serious fault before mankind and before history, a sin before God.

So, Your Excellency, I wish to join your prayers and those of all those gathered in your Cathedral:

Let us pray for the men who want wars, those who start them, stir them up senselessly, maintain and prolong them uselessly, or cynically profit from them. May God enlighten their hearts, may he set before their eyes the trail of misfortune they cause!

Let us pray for peacemakers. To want peace is not cowardly. On the contrary, it requires great courage, the courage to know how to give up something. Even if mankind’s judgement is sometimes harsh and unjust towards them, “the peacemakers … shall be called sons of God” (Mt 5:9). May they oppose the implacable and obstinate logic of confrontation and be able to open up peaceful paths of encounter and dialogue. May they persevere tirelessly in their endeavours, and may their efforts be crowned with success.

Lastly, let us pray for the victims of wars, both past and present. May God welcome to him all those who died in those terrible conflicts, and may he come to the aid of all those who suffer them today; the poor and the weak, the elderly, women and children are always the first victims of these tragedies.

May God have mercy on us! Invoking the protection of Saint Michael, patron saint of Normandy, and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, I wholeheartedly impart my Blessing to each and every one of you.

Francis

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L'Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, Fifty-seventh year, number 23, Friday, 7 June 2024, p. 1,12.

The following text includes parts that were not read out loud, but should be considered as such.

Cycle of Catechesis. The Spirit and the Bride. The Holy Spirit guides. the people of God towards Jesus our hope. 2. “The wind blows where it wishes”. Where there is the Spirit of God, there is freedom

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In today’s catechesis, I would like to reflect with you on the name by which the Holy Spirit is called in the Bible.

The first thing we know of a person is their name. It is by their name that we address them, that we distinguish and remember them. The third Person of the Trinity also has a name: he is called the Holy Spirit. But “Spirit” is the Latinised version. The name of the Spirit, the one by which the first recipients of revelation knew him, by which the prophets, the psalmists, Mary, Jesus, and the Apostles invoked him, is Ruach, which means breath, wind, air.

In the Bible, a name is so important that it is almost identified with the person himself. To sanctify the name of God is to sanctify and honour God himself. It is never a merely conventional designation: it always says something about the person, their origin, or their mission. This is also the case with the name Ruach. It contains the first fundamental revelation about the Person and function of the Holy Spirit.

It was precisely by observing the wind and its manifestations that the biblical writers were led by God to discover a “wind” of a different nature. It is not by accident that at Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles accompanied by the “rush of a mighty wind” (cf. Acts 2:2). It was as if the Holy Spirit wanted to put his signature on what was happening.

What, then, does his name, Ruach, tell us about the Holy Spirit? The image of the wind serves first of all to express the Holy Spirit’s power. “Spirit and power”, or “power of the Spirit” is a recurring combination throughout the Bible. For the wind is an overwhelming force, an indomitable force, capable even of moving oceans.

Again, however, to discover the full meaning of the realities of the Bible, one must not stop at the Old Testament, but come to Jesus. Alongside power, Jesus will highlight another characteristic of the wind: its freedom. To Nicodemus, who visits him at night, Jesus solemnly says: “The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit” (Jn 3:8).

The wind is the only thing that absolutely cannot be bridled, cannot be “bottled up” or put in a box. We seek to “bottle up” the wind or put it in a box: it’s not possible. It is free. To presume to enclose the Holy Spirit in concepts, definitions, theses or treatises, as modern rationalism has sometimes attempted to do, is to lose it, nullify it, or reduce it to the purely human spirit, to a simple spirit. There is, however, a similar temptation in the ecclesiastical field, and it is that of wanting to enclose the Holy Spirit in canons, institutions, definitions. The Spirit creates and inspires institutions, but he himself cannot be “institutionalised,” “objectified”. The wind blows “where it wills”; in the same way the Spirit distributes his gifts “as he wills” (1 Cor 12:11).

Saint Paul made all of this the fundamental law of Christian action: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:17), he said. A free person, a free Christian, is one who has the Spirit of the Lord. This is a very special freedom, quite different from what is commonly understood. It is not freedom to do what one wants, but the freedom to freely do what God wants! Not freedom to do good or evil, but freedom to do good and do it freely, that is, by attraction, not compulsion. In other words, the freedom of children, not of slaves.

Saint Paul was well aware of the abuse or misunderstanding that can arise from this freedom. In fact, he wrote to the Galatians: “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another” (Gal 5:13). This is a freedom that expresses itself in what appears to be its opposite; it is expressed in service, and in service is true freedom.

We know when this freedom becomes a “pretext for the flesh”. Paul gives an ever relevant list: “fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like” (Gal 5:19-21). But so too is the freedom that allows the rich to exploit the poor, an ugly freedom that allows the strong to exploit the weak, and everyone to exploit the environment with impunity. And this is an ugly freedom, it is not the freedom of the Spirit.

Brothers and sisters, where do we obtain this freedom of the Spirit, so contrary to the freedom of selfishness? The answer is in the words Jesus addressed one day to his listeners: “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). The freedom that Jesus gives us. Let us ask Jesus to make us, through his Holy Spirit, truly free men and women. Free to serve, in love and joy. Thank you!

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Special Greetings

I extend a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from England, Scotland, the Netherlands, Cameroon, Australia, Malaysia, Canada and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and upon your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!

Lastly, my thoughts turn to young people, to the sick, to the elderly and to newlyweds. The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the memory of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which the Church is getting ready to celebrate in the next few days, remind us of the need to correspond to Christ’s redemptive love, and they invite us to entrust ourselves confidently to the intercession of the Mother of the Lord.

Let us ask the Lord, through his mother’s intercession, for peace. Peace in martyred Ukraine, peace in Palestine, in Israel, peace in Myanmar. Let us pray that the Lord may grant us the gift of peace and that the world will not suffer so much because of wars. May the Lord bless us all! Amen.

I give you all my blessing!

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APPEALS

We are passing through this month dedicated to the Sacred Heart. December 27 of last year marked the 350th anniversary of the first manifestation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. That occasion marked the beginning of a period of celebrations that will end on 27 June next year. This is why I am pleased to prepare a document that brings together the precious reflections of previous Magisterial texts and a long history that goes back to the Sacred Scriptures, in order to re-propose today, to the whole Church, this devotion imbued with spiritual beauty. I believe it will do us great good to meditate on various aspects of the Lord’s love, which can illuminate the path of ecclesial renewal, and say something meaningful to a world that seems to have lost its heart. I ask you to accompany me with prayer, during this time of preparation, with the intention of making this document public next September.

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Summary of the Holy Father's words

Dear brothers and sisters: In our ongoing catechesis on the Spirit and the Bride, we now centre our attention on the Biblical name of Holy Spirit, which in Hebrew is Ruach, meaning breath, wind, or spirit. This name highlights the Spirit’s profound power and freedom. Jesus likens the Spirit to the wind that blows where it wills, thus emphasizing the freedom of the Holy Spirit, who not only creates and inspires but always remains free, bestowing his gifts “as he wills” (1 Cor 12:11). Saint Paul affirms this, stating: “Now the Lord is Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:17). This freedom is given to us as a gift so that we can do God’s will, rather than merely following our personal desires. Where do we attain this freedom of the Spirit, so contrary to the spirit of selfishness? The answer is in the words that Jesus spoke to his followers: “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn 8:36). Let us ask Jesus, through his Holy Spirit, to make us truly free. Free to serve with love and joy.

Dear brothers, sisters,

I am pleased to receive you and to welcome you, managers and players of the National Football Team of Croatia.

In the last World Cup Championship you took third place: well done! That event, which also received much criticism for certain aspects, in any case confirmed that football is a global phenomenon capable of involving an enormous number of people, of stirring emotions, collective feelings. I can testify to this, since I come from a country where all of this is lived to the maximum.

But you play football, you form a team, and you have the honour of representing your nation. This being a team is an aspect of sport I like to emphasize, because it is a metaphor for social life, in the various environments in which one lives and works together with others. Individual actions are important, imagination, creativity… But if individualism prevails, then the entire dynamic is ruined and the aim is not reached. Thank you for giving us an example of how to be a team!

And there are many other values “at play”: think of the sense of honour, friendship between you and fraternity, loyalty and self-control. In this regard, never forget that fans, especially the young, mirror themselves in you: your role goes beyond the sporting sphere and becomes a model of a successful life and success. It is therefore important for you to cultivate spiritual and human qualities, so that you can set a good example.

Dear friends, I thank you for your visit and wish you every success in your sporting and social activities. I bless you and ask you to please pray for me. Thank you.

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 5 June 2024

Dear friends, good morning and welcome!

I am pleased to meet with you today. I greet Cardinal Turkson, the Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, together with all of you who are taking part in the meeting on “Addressing the Debt Crisis in the Global South”. Your gathering aims to engage in a dialogue on the implementation of policies to help solve the debt problem that afflicts many countries in the global South and likewise afflicts millions of families and individuals around the world.

It is not just any kind of financing that is useful to people, but one that implies a shared responsibility between those who receive it and those who provide it. The benefit such financing can bring to society depends on its conditions, on how it is used and on the frameworks in which the debt crises that may arise are resolved.

In the wake of mismanaged globalization, and in wake of the pandemic and wars, we find ourselves faced with a debt crisis that mainly affects the countries of the global South, causing misery and distress, and depriving millions of people of the possibility of a dignified future. Consequently, no government can morally require that its people suffer deprivations incompatible with human dignity.

In order to try to break the debt-financing cycle, it is necessary to create a multinational mechanism, based on the solidarity and harmony of peoples, that takes into account the global nature of the problem and its economic, financial and social implications. The absence of such a mechanism favours the mentality of “every person for himself or herself”, where the weakest always lose.

In line with the teachings of my predecessors, I want to reiterate that it is the principles of justice and solidarity that will lead to finding solutions.  On this path, it is essential to act in good faith and with truth, following an international code of conduct with ethical standards that can guide dialogue between parties. So let us think of a new international financial architecture that is bold and creative.

During the Jubilee of the Year 2000, Saint John Paul II said that the issue of foreign debt “is not only economic but involves fundamental ethical principles and should have a place in international law”. He also recognized that “the Jubilee can be an appropriate occasion for gestures of good will [...], to reducing substantially, if not cancelling outright, the international debt [...] for the common good” (General Audience, 3 November 1999). The Jubilee Year was a tradition among the Jewish people, a year in which debts were forgiven. I would like to echo this prophetic appeal, which is more urgent now than ever, bearing in mind that ecological debt and external debt are two sides of the same coin that mortgages the future. Therefore, dear friends, the forthcoming Holy Year of 2025 calls us to open our minds and hearts to be able to untie the knots of those bonds that strangle the present, without forgetting that we are only custodians and stewards, not masters.

I invite you to dream and act together in the responsible building up of our common home; we cannot inhabit it with a clear conscience when we know that around us is a multitude of brothers and sisters who are hungry and mired in social exclusion and in vulnerability. To let this pass is a sin, a human sin.  Even if one does not have faith, it is a social sin. What you are doing here is important and I pray for you. May God bless you. And I also ask you, please do not forget to pray for me. I ask the Lord to bless all of you. Amen.

Dear brother
Bishop Baldassare REINA
Vicegerent for the diocese of Rome

I am spiritually joined with the entire diocesan community, which is celebrating for the first time the liturgical memorial of Saint Mary Salus Populi Romani, likewise recalling the Vow the people of Rome, together with their pastor, Pope Pius XII, made to Our Lady on 4 June 1944 to implore the salvation of the city, when the head-on clash between the German army and the Anglo-American allies was about to take place there.

Devotion to the ancient icon preserved in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major has been alive for centuries in the hearts of the Romans, who turned to it to make supplications and invocations, especially during plagues, natural disasters and wars. The salient events of Rome's religious and civil life were echoed in front of this image. It is therefore unsurprising that the Roman people wished to entrust themselves once again to Mary Salus Populi Romani when the city was living through the nightmare of Nazi devastation.

Eighty years on, the memory of that event, so loaded with meaning, can be an opportunity for prayer for those who lost their lives in the second world war, and for renewed reflection on the tremendous scourge of war. Too many conflicts are still ongoing in several parts of the world. I think in particular of tormented Ukraine, of Palestine and Israel, of Sudan, of Myanmar, where weapons are still raging and more human blood continues to be shed. They are dramas that affect countless innocent victims, whose cries of terror and suffering call into question the consciences of all: we cannot and must not yield to the logic of weapons!

Twenty years after the end of the second world war, in 1965, Pope Saint Paul VI, speaking to the United Nations, asked: “Will the world ever come to change the selfish and bellicose outlook that has spun out such a great part of its history up to now?” (4 October 1965, AAS 57 [1965], 882). This question, which still awaits an answer, urges us all to work in a concrete way in favour of peace in Europe and all over the world. Peace is a gift from God, which today too must find hearts willing to receive it and to work to be agents of reconciliation and witnesses of hope.

I hope that the initiatives organized to commemorate the popular Vow to the Mother of God, in the four places that were the backdrop to that event, may revive in Romans the resolve to be builders of true peace everywhere, relaunching fraternity as an essential condition for resolving conflicts and hostilities. Those who possess peace within themselves and, courageously and meekly, undertake to create bonds, to establish relationships between people, to smooth out tensions in families, at work, at school, among friends, can be peacebuilders. They thus realize the Gospel beatitude “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Mt 5:9).

May Mary, Mediator of grace, always watchful and caring towards all her children, obtain for all humanity the gift of concord and peace. I entrust all the inhabitants of Rome, especially the elderly, the sick, those who are alone and in difficulty, to the maternal intercession of Mary Salus Populi Romani. May She, the Virgin of tenderness and consolation, strengthen faith, hope and charity to radiate God’s love and mercy in the world. With these sentiments, I assure you of my prayer, and I impart my heartfelt Blessing.

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 4 June 2024

FRANCIS

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 4 June 2024

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

I greet the President of the Focolare Movement, to whom I say that I am praying very much for your country which is suffering at this time. I also warmly welcome all the participants in this Interreligious Conference. I express my gratitude for the perseverance with which the Work of Mary continues the journey begun by Chiara Lubich, fostering unity with people of non-Christian religions who share the spirituality of unity. This was a revolutionary journey that did much good for the Church. It is an experience animated by the Holy Spirit, rooted, we can say, in the heart of Christ, in his thirst for love, communion and fraternity.

Indeed, it is the Spirit who opens paths of dialogue and encounter, at times surprising ones. This happened more than fifty years ago in Algeria, when an all-Muslim community adhering to the Movement was born. It also happened with Chiara Lubich’s meetings with leaders of various religions: Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs, and others. This dialogue has flourished over time, as evidenced by your presence today.

The foundation of this experience is the love of God expressed through mutual love, listening, trust, hospitality and getting to know one another, all the while fully respecting each other’s identities. Over time, friendship and cooperation have grown in seeking to respond together to the cry of the poor, in caring for creation and in working for peace. Through this journey, some non-Christian brothers and sisters have shared in the spirituality of the Work of Mary, or in some of its characteristic traits, and live according to them amongst their own people. With these men and women, we transcend dialogue, we feel like brothers and sisters, sharing the dream of a more united world, in the harmony of diversity.

Dear friends, your witness is a source of joy and a source of consolation, especially in this time of conflict, when religion is often misused in order to fuel division. Indeed, interreligious dialogue “is a necessary condition for peace in the world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities” (Evangelii Gaudium, 250). I encourage you, then, to move forward and always be open.

May the Lord bless all of you. May he grant his blessing to each one of you, for the Lord is close to us all. May the Lord bless you. Amen.

Dear friends, good morning!

I greet the president, the members of the Centesimus Annus Foundation, and those who are participating in the “Dialogues” it has organized in collaboration with Prospera-Progetto Speranza.

I read with interest the results of the work you have been carrying out in these two years, in order to launch a dialogue between finance, humanism and religion: it is not easy. You have chosen to begin these “Dialogues” with exponents of the Italian financial system. An economist told me once: dialogue between economics and philosophy, religion and humanism is possible. Dialogue between finance, theology and humanism, on the other hand, is very difficult. This is curious! This Italian finance system has an ancient history behind it, in which, for example, the “Monti di Pietà” were a great boost to help the poorest without falling into the logic of welfarism, and provided loans to enable people to be able to work and, through their activity, regain their dignity. Indeed, “helping the poor financially must always be a provisional solution in the face of pressing needs. The broader objective should always be to allow them a dignified life through work” (Encyclical Letter Laudato si’, 128).

I was struck by the primary aim you have set yourselves: namely, to reason together with the upper echelons of the world of finance on the possibility that the commitment to do well and the commitment to do good can go hand in hand. In other words, you have set yourselves a noble task: to combine effectiveness and efficiency with integral sustainability, inclusion and ethics. You rightly say that your belief is that the Church's social magisterium can be a compass. For this to actually happen, it is necessary not to stop at the exhortatory moment, but to be able to look at the functioning of finance, to expose weaknesses and imagine concrete corrective measures.

Let me give an example. In the so-called siglo de oro – the sixteenth century – the wool trade in Spain was a flourishing market that moved large amounts of economic capital. The Spanish theologians of that time debated on that trade and gave ethical evaluations that changed as the historical context changed. In fact, the war in Flanders meant that those who worked directly in cattle breeding and shearing no longer received adequate payment for their work, and so they denounced that financial system, showing its weaknesses and demanding greater fairness. The Spanish theologians were able to intervene because they knew that labour process, and so they did not just say, “We must seek the common good, but explained what was wrong and demanded specific actions for change, for the common good, one understands.

You know financial procedures, and this is your great asset, but at the same time it is also a great responsibility. It is up to you to figure out how to make injustice decrease: I repeat, to make injustice decrease. Because “a financial reform open to such ethical considerations would require a vigorous change of approach on the part of political leaders… Money must serve, not rule!” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 58). I once heard a political critic say: “In this country you rule from your pockets”: it is bad!

You have worked on three levels: thought, concreteness and valuing the good. I agree that you must never lose sight of concreteness, because at stake is the fate of the poorest, of people who struggle to find the means for a dignified life.

The work you have done in Milan is encouraging, and perhaps it might be a good thing to extend it to other financial centres, promoting a model of Dialogue that spreads and engenders a paradigm shift. Indeed, the technocratic paradigm remains dominant; there is a need for a new culture, capable of making room for a suitably solid ethics, culture and spirituality (cf. Encyclical Letter Laudato si’, 105).

Thank you for the work you have done and are doing. Thank you to Centesimus Annus for its initiative! I encourage you to continue and to spread this method and this style. Dialogue is always the best way, also to improve the common home. I bless you and I ask you to pray for me. Thank you.

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 3 June 2024

“He took bread and blessed it” (Mk 14:22). In this way, Saint Mark’s Gospel begins the account of the institution of the Eucharist. Starting, then, from this gesture of Jesus blessing bread, we can reflect on three aspects of the mystery we are celebrating: thanksgiving, remembrance and presence.

First, thanksgiving. Indeed, the word “Eucharist” means “thanks”: “giving thanks” to God for his gifts. Thus, the sign of bread is important, for it is the food of daily life, and with it we bring to the altar all that we are and all that we have: our lives, work, successes, and failures too. This is symbolized in some cultures by the beautiful custom of picking up and kissing bread if it falls to the ground, in order to remind us that it is too precious to be thrown away, even after it has fallen. The Eucharist, then, teaches us always to bless, welcome and cherish God’s gifts as an act of thanksgiving; not only in celebration, but also in daily life.

An example would be not squandering the possessions and talents the Lord has given us. Likewise, we should forgive and support those who make mistakes and fall because of weakness or lapses, acknowledging that everything is a gift and nothing should be lost, that no one should be left behind, and that everyone deserves a chance to get back on their feet. We can do this in daily life, performing our work with love, precision, and care, recognizing it as a gift and mission. And always helping those who have fallen: the only time we can look down on someone is when we help him or her to rise again. This is our mission.

To be sure, we could add many other things for which to give thanks. These are important “Eucharistic” attitudes since they teach us to appreciate the value of what we are doing and offering.

First, then, thanksgiving. Second, “to bless bread” means to remember. What do we remember? For ancient Israel, this meant recalling the liberation from slavery in Egypt and the beginning of the exodus to the Promised Land. For us, it means remembering Christ’s Passover, his Passion and Resurrection, by which he freed us from sin and death. It means remembering our lives, successes, mistakes, the outstretched hand of the Lord who always helps us get back on our feet, the Lord’s presence in our lives.

There are some who say that true freedom means thinking only about ourselves, enjoying life doing whatever we want without regard for others. This is not freedom, but a hidden form of slavery, a slavery that enslaves us still more.

Yet freedom is not found in the security vaults of those who hoard wealth for themselves, nor on the couches of those who lazily indulge in disengagement and individualism. Freedom is found in the Upper Room where, motivated solely by love, we bend down to serve others, offering our lives as “saved” people.

Finally, the Eucharistic bread is the real presence. This speaks to us of a God who is not distant, who is not jealous, but close and in solidarity with humanity; a God who does not abandon us but always seeks, waits for, and accompanies us, even to the point of placing himself, helpless, into our hands. And his real presence also invites us to be close to our brothers and sisters wherever love calls us.

Brothers and sisters, our world desperately needs this bread, with its fragrance and aroma, which knows about gratitude, freedom and closeness! Every day we see too many streets that were once filled with the smell of freshly baked bread, but are now reduced to rubble by war, selfishness and indifference! We urgently need to bring back to our world the good, fresh aroma of the bread of love, to continue tirelessly to hope and rebuild what hatred destroys.

This is also the meaning of the gesture we will soon make with the Eucharistic Procession. Beginning from the altar, we will carry the Lord among the homes of our city. We are not doing this to show off, or to flaunt our faith but to invite everyone to participate, in the Bread of the Eucharist, in the new life that Jesus has given us. Let us process in this spirit. Thank you.

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

Today, Italy and other countries are celebrating the Solemnity of Corpus Domini. The Gospel of today’s liturgy speaks about the Last Supper (Mk 14:12-26), when the Lord performs a gesture of handing over: in fact, in the broken bread and in the chalice offered to the disciples, it is he who gives himself for all humanity, and offers himself for the life of the world.

In that gesture in which Jesus breaks the bread, there is an important aspect that the Gospel emphasizes with the words, “he gave it to them” (cf. v. 22). Let us fix these words in our heart: he gave it to them. Indeed, the Eucharist recalls first and foremost the dimension of the gift. Jesus takes the bread not to consume it by himself, but to break it and give it to the disciples, thus revealing his identity and his mission. He did not keep life for himself, but gave it to us. He did not consider his being as God a jealously held treasure, but stripped himself of his glory to share our humanity and let us enter eternal life (cf. Phil 2:1-11). Jesus made a gift of his entire life. Let us remember this: Jesus made a gift of his entire life.

We can see, then, that celebrating the Eucharist and eating this Bread, as we do especially on Sundays, is not an act of worship detached from life or a mere moment of personal consolation; we must always remember that Jesus took the bread, broke it and gave it to them and, therefore, communion with him makes us capable of also becoming bread broken for others, capable of sharing what we are and what we have. Saint Leo the Great said: ‘Our participation in the body and blood of Christ tends to make us become what we eat’ (Sermon  XII  on the Passion, 7).

This, brothers and sisters, is what we are called to: to become what we eat, to become “Eucharistic”, that is, people who no longer live for themselves (cf. Rm 14:7), no, in the logic of possession, of consumerism, but rather people who know how to make their own life a gift for others. In this way, thanks to the Eucharist, we become prophets and builders of a new world: when we overcome selfishness and open ourselves up to love, when we cultivate bonds of fraternity, when we participate in the suffering of our brothers and sisters and share bread and resources with those in need, when we make our talents available to everyone, then we are breaking the bread of our life like Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, let us ask ourselves, then: do I keep my life only for myself, or do I give it like Jesus? Do I devote myself to others or am I closed within my own little self? And, in everyday situations, do I know how to share, or do I always seek my own interest?

May the Virgin Mary, who welcomed Jesus, bread descended from Heaven, and gave herself entirely together with him, help us too to become a gift of love, united with Jesus in the Eucharist.

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After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:

Dear brothers and sisters, I invite you to pray for Sudan, where the war that has been going on for over a year has still not found a peaceful solution. May weapons be silenced and, with the commitment of the local authorities and the international community, help be brought to the population and the many displaced people; may the Sudanese refugees find welcome and protection in neighbouring countries.

And let us not forget martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar... I appeal to the wisdom of leaders, to cease the escalation and put every effort into dialogue and negotiation.

I greet pilgrims from Rome and various parts of Italy and the world, especially those from Croatia and Madrid. I greet the faithful of Bellizzi and Iglesias, the “Luigi Padovese” Cultural Centre of Cucciago, the postulants of the Daughters of the Oratory, and the “Pedal for those who cannot” group, who came by bicycle, from Faenza to Rome.

I greet the young people of the Immacolata. I wish you all a happy Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!