Pope Francis urges Albanian youth to say yes to acceptance and solidarity during his Angelus address. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Before concluding this celebration, I wish to greet each of you who have come from all over Albania and from nearby countries. I thank you for your presence and for the witness of your faith. ...read more

  Below you will find the full text of Pope Francis’ homily during his first trip to Albania. Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Holy Mass in Mother Teresa Square (Tirana, 21 September 2014) Today’s Gospel tells us that, as well as the Twelve Apostles, Jesus calls another seventy-two disciples and that he sends them ...read more

Pope Francis’ visit to Albania marks the first time a pontiff has visited the ‘Land of the Eagles’ since Pope John Paul II’s trip in 1993. His opening address, full text found below, focuses on a fruitful co-existence between people of different beliefs. “I am very happy to be here with you, in this noble land of Albania, a ...read more

The following is Pope Francis’ original speech during the celebration of Vespers in Albania.  Dear brothers and sisters, It is a great joy for me to meet with you in your beloved homeland; I thank God for the opportunity and I thank you for your hospitality! Here in your midst, I can better express my ...read more

“Today we have touched the martyrs.” – Pope Francis On Sunday, September 21, 2014, during his visit to Albania, Pope Francis met with priests, seminarians, religious men & women & lay leaders in Tirana Cathedral to celebrate Vespers. Upon hearing the very moving testimonies of a priest and sister who were imprisoned for many years under ...read more

With the World Meeting of Families to take place in Philadelphia in September of 2015, it is possible the Holy Father may visit the US for this first time in his pontificate. To make matters easier, the people of Philadelphia extend an invitation to Pope Francis in hopes of confirming his presence in 2015. See ...read more

Sebastian Gomes, Salt + Light writer/producer/director of The Francis Effect, gives us a glimpse into filming the documentary: In the immediate aftermath of the whirlwind 2013 papal transition, everyone was comparing Pope Francis to Pope Benedict, pointing out the many differences and similarities between them. Naturally, nearly all of this commentary was coming from indirect sources, ...read more

  On Sept. 9, 2014, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia unveiled the official icon and prayer of the World Meeting of Families, to take place in Philadelphia in September of 2015. The unveiling took place at the heart of the Archdiocese, the Cathedral Basilica of SS Peter and Paul, during the Sunday mass, celebrated and blessed ...read more

Regardless of background, ethnicity or faith tradition, almost everyone in our society today would argue that education is important.  We all acknowledge that becoming an “educated” person is worthwhile.  We spend a huge portion of our earnings and savings (or all of them and more!) on achieving that goal.  But, what does it mean to ...read more

Address by His Eminence Cardinal Andrea Yeum Soo-jung Mass for Peace and Reconciliation Myeong-dong Cathedral in Seoul August 18, 2014 Holy Father, I wanted to thank you very much for visiting our country split in two, north and south and for praying for his peace by celebrating the Eucharist. Today is the last day of ...read more