On Saturday, February 4, Pope Francis, with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, heard from and responded to internally displaced persons and representatives of humanitarian organizations. In his address, the Holy Father said that “We hope and believe that now, even in the camps for displaced persons, where sadly ...read more

Pope Francis began his Apostolic Visit to South Sudan on February 3. The Holy Father, with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, met with the President, Vice-Presidents, authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps of the young country. He said that this “ecumenical pilgrimage of peace represents a change ...read more

Pope Francis continued meeting at the Apostolic Nunciature in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on February 1. In his address to representatives of charitable organizations, he spoke about how the representatives embrace and encourage the poor.  Read the full text of the pope’s address below:  Meeting with representatives from charities Address of His Holiness ...read more

At the Apostolic Nunciature in Kinshasa on February 1, Pope Francis heard and responded to the stories of victims of violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He encouraged listeners to “say no to violence” and “no to resignation,” to “demilitarize their hearts,” and “say yes to peace” and “yes ...read more

On January 31, the first day of his apostolic visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Pope Francis gave an address to the president, members of government, diplomatic corps, and religious and civil authorities.  Read the full text of his address below:   Meeting with Authorities and Diplomatic Corps Address of His Holiness ...read more

At the Mosque of Sakhir Royal Palace in Alawi, Bahrain on November 4, Pope Francis addressed a meeting with the members of the Muslim Council of Elders. He said that religious leaders have “a unique and inescapable duty: to help humanity to rediscover the forgotten sources of life, to lead men and women to drink from ...read more

At the Al-Fida’ Square of Sakhir Royal Palace on November 4, Pope Francis addressed the “Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence.” He said that Forum participants “are here together because we all intend to set sail on the same waters, choosing the route of encounter rather than that of confrontation.” He ...read more

At the Sakhir Palace in Awali on November 3, Pope Francis addressed the civil authorities and diplomatic corps of Bahrain. He thought of the country’s “Tree of Life,” a national symbol and “emblem of vitality,” which inspired his reflections on “the themes of respect, tolerance and religious freedom,” on the global labour crisis, the environment ...read more

At the Colosseum in Rome on October 25, Pope Francis addressed an interreligious prayer meeting for peace. At a time when “the use of atomic weapons is threatened outright,” even in Europe, the Holy Father’s prayer for peace was “a heartfelt plea” and an appeal to the progress in “fraternal relations between religions.”   Prayer ...read more

The eyes of the world are fixed on Ukraine, and our hearts turn to our fellow human beings. Terrible tragedies like this beg the question: Where is God? ...read more