In today’s catechesis, Pope Francis reflects on the mystery of Christmas and the thoughts of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Read the full text below: Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and again, Merry Christmas! The liturgical season invites us to pause and reflect on the mystery of Christmas. And ...read more

I remember once, a Cuban friend who grew up in Cuba with no Christmas, telling me that she had never seen or heard of a Christmas tree before she left Cuba. But had Christ never been born, the implications would be much worse than not having Christmas trees. Just think of the music we’d be ...read more

Read the full text of Pope Francis' Christmas message "to the city and to the world" given on December 25, 2021, at the Vatican. ...read more

On Saturday, 24 December, Pope Francis gave the homily at Midnight Mass. He said that “the manger tells us of closeness, poverty, and concreteness.” Read the full text of his homily below:   Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Midnight Mass St. Peter’s Basilica Saturday, 24 December 2022 What does this night still have to ...read more

In the Benediction Hall on 22 December, 2022, Pope Francis exhorted the Roman Curia to practice “vigilance…in the service of the Holy See, at the heart of the Church.” Reflecting on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, he told them that “kindliness, mercy and forgiveness are our medicine for building peace.”   Address of His Holiness Pope Francis ...read more

  Pope Francis concludes his series on discernment by looking at various aids to help us “read” our lives: “evaluating with the Word of God and the doctrine of the Church,” experiencing an “affective relationship with the Lord Jesus,” and remembering “the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Read the full text below: Dear brothers and sisters, good morning, and ...read more

But it's hard to escape the baggage of Christmas. It’s usually about this time that I start thinking about all the people who get lonely at Christmas. It’s true. This holiday reminds us of family, of our childhood and many people don’t have that, or have issues to reconcile or a past that they would rather not remember. Secular Christmas brings all that to the forefront. ...read more

In today’s catechesis on discernment, Pope Francis reflects on the importance of vigilance and “keeping watch to safeguard our heart.” Read the full text below: Dear brothers and sisters, good morning! We are now entering the final phase of this journey of catechesis on discernment. We started out from the example of Saint Ignatius of Loyola; ...read more

On Monday, December 12, Pope Francis celebrated Mass and gave a homily on the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. Pope Francis spoke about celebrating Guadalupe at a difficult time for humanity. Read the full text of his homily below:   Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Holy Mass Blessed Virgin Mary of ...read more

Pope Francis continues his catechesis on discernment and decision-making by discussing “some important aspects that help us read the time after the decision as a possible confirmation of its goodness.” He says that a decision is good if it “is seen as a possible sign of response to the Lord’s love and generosity,” it gives ...read more