Author: jeffmiller

Jeff Miller is a former atheist who after spending forty years in the wilderness finds himself with both astonishment and joy a member of the Catholic Church.

The Weekly Francis – 05 May 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 26 April 2021 to 5 May 2021.

General Audiences

Letters

Messages

Motu Proprio

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “The Christian journey begins from the grace of receiving mercy. If we trust in our own abilities, in the efficiency of our structures and projects, we will not go far. Only if we accept the love of God, will we be able to offer something new to the world.” @Pontifex 29 April 2021
  • “In life, the worst anxiety, arises from the sensation of not being able to cope. We need Jesus’ help. And so we can say to Him: “Jesus, I believe you are beside me and that you are listening to me. I bring to you my troubles. I have faith in you and I entrust myself to you”.” @Pontifex 30 April 2021
  • “Saint Joseph’s work reminds us that God himself, in becoming man, did not disdain work. Let us implore #SaintJosephTheWorker to help us find ways to express our firm conviction to say: no young person, no person at all, no family should be without work!” @Pontifex 1 May 2021
  • “During the month of May, let us lift our eyes toward the Mother of God, our consolation and sure hope, and #LetUsPrayTogether the Rosary to face the trials of this moment together and to be ever more united as a spiritual family. Rosary” @Pontifex 1 May 2021
  • “In the #GospelOfTheDay (Jn 15:1–8), the Lord wants to say to us that before the observance of his commandments, before the beatitudes, before the works of mercy, it is necessary to be united to Him, to remain in Him.” @Pontifex 2 May 2021
  • “To remain in Him is to abide actively and also reciprocally. The branches without the vine can do nothing, they need the sap to grow and to bear fruit; but the vine, too, needs the branches, since fruit does not grow on the tree trunk.” @Pontifex 2 May 2021
  • “Let us ask our Mother of Heaven to speak to the hearts of all leaders in Myanmar, so that they may find the courage to walk the path of encounter, of reconciliation, and of peace.” @Pontifex 2 May 2021
  • “Let us use everything we can, especially the powerful instrument of the media, to build and strengthen the common good. Let’s use the #MediaforPeace. #Signis” @Pontifex 3 May 2021
  • “The saints show us that we can praise God always, in good times and in bad, because He is the faithful friend, and his love never fails.” @Pontifex 3 May 2021
  • “Let us #PrayTogether that those in charge of finance will work with governments to regulate financial markets and protect citizens from its dangers. #PrayerIntention” @Pontifex 4 May 2021
  • “Loving contemplation, typical of the most intimate #prayer, does not need many words. A gaze is enough. It is enough to be convinced that our life is surrounded by an immense and faithful love that nothing can ever separate us from. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 5 May 2021

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The Weekly Francis – 28 April 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 15 April 2021 to 28 April 2021.

General Audiences

Messages

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “We have broken the bonds of our relationship with the Creator, with our fellow human beings, and with the rest of creation. We need to heal the damaged relationships that are essential to supporting us and the entire fabric of life. #EarthDay” @Pontifex 22 April 2021
  • “The fullness of life and of joy is found by giving oneself for the Gospel and for our brothers and sisters, with openness, welcoming and goodness.” @Pontifex 22 April 2021
  • “The Lord of life wants us to be full of life, and he tells us the secret of life: we come to possess it only by giving it away.” @Pontifex 23 April 2021
  • “How do we prevent conflicts? No people, no social group, can single-handedly achieve #peace, prosperity, security and happiness. None. The lesson learned from the recent pandemic is the awareness that we are a global community, all in the same boat. #DiplomacyForPeace” @Pontifex 24 April 2021
  • “The Lord wants to shape the hearts of fathers and mothers to be open, capable of great initiatives, generous, compassionate in comforting anxieties and steadfast in strengthening hopes. The priesthood and consecrated life greatly need these qualities. #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “St Joseph is an outstanding example of accepting God’s plans. May he help everyone, especially those who are discerning, to make God’s dreams for them come true. May he grant them the courage to say “yes” to the Lord who always surprises and never disappoints. #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “Do not be afraid: these are words the Lord addresses to you, dear sister and brother, whenever you feel you can no longer delay your desire to give your life to him. It is a refrain accompanying all who say yes to God with their lives, through daily fidelity. #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “Jesus the #GoodShepherd defends, knows, and above all loves his sheep. This is why He gives His life for them. Love for his sheep, for each one of us, would lead him to die on the cross. For this is the Father’s will: that no one should be lost. #GospelOfTheDay (Jn 10:11–18)” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “As the Good Shepherd, Jesus consoles his shepherds. If you remain close to the Lord, to the bishop, among yourselves, and to the people of God; if you maintain God’s style – nearness, compassion and tenderness – you need not be afraid: everything will go well. #PriestlyOrdination” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “I am extremely sad over the tragedy that has once again taken place in the Mediterranean. 130 migrants died in the sea. They are people. They are human beings. Let us pray for these brothers and sisters, and for all those who continue to die in these tragic crossings.” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
  • “Let’s not wait for our neighbours to be good before we are good to them, for others to respect us before we serve them. Let’s begin with ourselves.” @Pontifex 26 April 2021
  • “In daily life, we can find the Risen One in the faces of our brothers and sisters above all in the poor and those on the fringes. We will be amazed how the greatness of God is revealed in littleness, how his beauty shines forth in the poor and simple.” @Pontifex 27 April 2021
  • “There is no page of the Gospel on which there is no place for us. For us Christians, meditating is a way of coming into contact with Jesus. And in this way, only in this way, can we discover ourselves. #Prayer #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 28 April 2021

Papal Instagram

The Weekly Francis – 21 April 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 14 April 2021 to 21 April 2021.

General Audiences

Messages

Regina Caeli

Papal Tweets

  • “Even death trembles when a Christian prays, because it knows that everyone who prays has an ally who is stronger than it: the Risen Lord. #Prayer #Easter” @Pontifex 15 April 2021
  • “Sadly, in this world, with all its highly developed technology, great numbers of children continue to live in inhuman situations, exploited, maltreated, enslaved, refugees. Today, in acknowledging this, we feel shame before God, before God who became a child. #EndChildSlavery” @Pontifex 16 April 2021
  • “Only the love of Jesus can transform our life, heal our deepest hurts and set us free from the vicious circles of disappointment, anger and constant complaint.” @Pontifex 17 April 2021
  • “Being Christian is not first of all a doctrine or a moral ideal; it is a living relationship with the Risen Lord. #GospelOfTheDay” @Pontifex 18 April 2021
  • “I invite you to pray for the population of eastern Ukraine. I truly hope that an escalation of the tensions might be avoided and, instead, that actions capable of promoting reciprocal trust and which foster reconciliation and peace might be undertaken.” @Pontifex 18 April 2021
  • “God does not give up. You are close to His heart, you who do not yet know the beauty of His love, you who have not yet welcomed Jesus as the center of your life, you who cannot overcome your sin.” @Pontifex 19 April 2021
  • “For God, you are that little coin that the Lord seeks without pause. He wants to tell you that you are precious and unique in His eyes. No one can take your place in the heart of God.” @Pontifex 20 April 2021
  • “Let us not abandon the simple prayers we learned in our families as children that we preserve in our memories and hearts. They are sure ways to access the Father’s heart. #Prayer #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 21 April 2021

Papal Instagram

The Weekly Francis – 14 April 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 4 April 2021 to 14 April 2021.

Homilies

Letters

Regina Caeli

Papal Tweets

  • “#Easter is the most important feast of our faith because it is the feast of our salvation, the feast of God’s love for us.” @Pontifex 8 April 2021
  • “The Lord calls us to cooperate in the construction of history, becoming, together with Him, peacemakers and witnesses of hope in a future of salvation and resurrection.” @Pontifex 9 April 2021
  • “The Lord does not want us to keep thinking about our failings. He wants us to look to Him. In our failings He sees children to help up; in our misery He sees children in need of His merciful love. #DivineMercy” @Pontifex 10 April 2021
  • “The wounds of Jesus are open channels between him and us, shedding mercy upon our misery. They are pathways that God has opened up for us to enter into his tender love and actually “touch” who he is. Let us never again doubt his mercy. #DivineMercy” @Pontifex 11 April 2021
  • “So let us be renewed by the peace, forgiveness and wounds of the merciful Jesus. Only in this way will our faith be alive. Only in this way will we proclaim the Gospel of God, which is the Gospel of mercy. Homily” @Pontifex 11 April 2021
  • “Mercy is made tangible, it becomes closeness, service, care for those in difficulty. I hope you will always feel you have been granted mercy, so as to be merciful to others in turn.” @Pontifex 11 April 2021
  • “Jesus is the Risen One, the Lord who passed through death in order to lead us to safety. Even before we begin to seek Him, He is present beside us. He lifts us back up after our falls. He helps us grow in faith. #Easter” @Pontifex 12 April 2021
  • “In the midst of the contradictions and perplexities we must confront each day, the din of so many words and opinions, there is the quiet voice of the Risen Lord who keeps saying to us: “Peace be with you!”” @Pontifex 13 April 2021
  • “The breath of faith is #prayer: we grow in faith inasmuch as we learn to pray. #GeneralAudience General Audience” @Pontifex 14 April 2021

Papal Instagram

The Weekly Francis – 07 April 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 1 April 2021 to 7 April 2021.

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Regina Caeli

Papal Tweets

  • “The cross expresses love, service, unreserved self-giving: it truly is the “tree of life”, of overabundant life. #GoodFriday” @Pontifex 2 April 2021
  • “Jesus’s cross is God’s silent throne. Let us daily contemplate his wounds. In those gashes, we recognize our emptiness, our shortcomings, the wounds of our sin. His wounds were inflicted for our sake, and by those wounds we have been healed. #GoodFriday” @Pontifex 2 April 2021
  • “From the cross God reigns with the disarmed and disarming power of love. He continues to amaze our minds and hearts. Let us allow ourselves to be filled with that amazement. Let us gaze upon the Crucified One and say: “Truly, You are the Son of God.” You are my God. #GoodFriday” @Pontifex 2 April 2021
  • “This is the first #Easter message that I would offer you: it is always possible to begin anew, because there is a new life that God can awaken in us in spite of all our failures. From the rubble of our hearts, God can create a work of art.” @Pontifex 3 April 2021
  • “This is the second message of #Easter: faith is not an album of past memories; Jesus is not outdated. He is alive here and now. He walks beside you each day, in every situation you are experiencing, in every trial you have to endure, in your deepest hopes and dreams.” @Pontifex 3 April 2021
  • “This is the third message of #Easter: Jesus, the Risen Lord, loves us without limits and is there at every moment of our lives. He invites us to overcome barriers, banish prejudices and draw near to those around us every day in order to rediscover the grace of everyday life.” @Pontifex 3 April 2021
  • “Dear brother, dear sister: if on this night you are experiencing an hour of darkness, a day that has not yet dawned, a light dimmed or a dream shattered, open your heart with amazement to the message of #Easter: “Do not be afraid, he has risen!”” @Pontifex 3 April 2021
  • “Amid the many hardships we are enduring, let us never forget that we have been healed by the wounds of Christ. In the light of the Risen Lord, our sufferings are now transfigured. Where there was death, now there is life. Where there was mourning, now there is consolation.” @Pontifex 4 April 2021
  • “There are still too many wars and too much violence in the world! May the Lord, who is our peace, help us to overcome the mindset of war. Message” @Pontifex 4 April 2021
  • “Let us never tire of seeking the risen Christ who gives life in abundance to those who meet him. To find Christ means to discover peace in our hearts. #Easter #ReginaCoeli” @Pontifex 5 April 2021
  • “In these dark months of the #pandemic, let us listen to the Risen Lord as he invites us to begin anew and never lose hope. #Easter” @Pontifex 6 April 2021
  • “Video” @Pontifex 6 April 2021
  • “Everyone needs assistance, especially the most vulnerable. Only together can we build a more just and health world. All of us are called to combat the pandemic and vaccines are an essential tool in this fight. #worldhealthday” @Pontifex 7 April 2021
  • “The first way to pray for someone is to speak to God about him or her. If we do this frequently, each day, our hearts are not closed, but open to our brothers and sisters. To pray for others is the first way to love them and it moves us toward concretely drawing near. #Prayer” @Pontifex 7 April 2021

Papal Instagram

The Weekly Francis – 01 April 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 25 March 2021 to 1 April 2021.

Angelus

Apostolic Letter

General Audiences

Homilies

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “#Praytogether for the victims and those reported missing because of the terrible fire that broke out in a #Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, which generously welcomed thousands of people. Let us pray for the twenty thousand brothers and sisters, who lost the little they had.” @Pontifex 25 March 2021
  • “Mary is not only the bridge joining us to God; she is more. She is the road that God travelled to reach us, and the road that we must travel in order to reach him. #AnnunciationOfTheLord” @Pontifex 25 March 2021
  • “At this particular moment in history, characterized by many shadows, the figure of Dante, prophet of hope, can help us to advance with serenity and courage on the pilgrimage of life that each of us is called to make. Apostlic Letter” @Pontifex 25 March 2021
  • “I would like once more to invite everyone to witness to the “Gospel of Life”, to promote and defend life in all its dimensions and at every stage. The Christian is the person who says “yes” to life, who says “yes” to God, the Living One. #EvangeliumVitae” @Pontifex 25 March 2021
  • “Those who fast make themselves poor with the poor and ”accumulate“ the treasure of a love received and shared. Understood and practiced thus, fasting helps us love God and our neighbour, because love focuses our attention on others and considers them as one with ourselves. #Lent” @Pontifex 26 March 2021
  • ““Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” (Mk 4:35–41). We have realized we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together. #PrayTogether #Covid–19 Statio Orbis” @Pontifex 27 March 2021
  • “We are called to recognize that other living beings have a value of their own in God’s eyes: by their mere existence they bless him and give him glory, and indeed, the Lord rejoices in all his works (Ps 104:31). #EarthHour #LaudatoSi’” @Pontifex 27 March 2021
  • “God is at our side in every affliction, in every fear; no evil, no sin will ever have the final word. God triumphs, but the palm of victory passes through the wood of the cross. For the palm and the cross are inseparable. #PalmSunday Homily” @Pontifex 28 March 2021
  • “What is most amazing about the Lord and his Passover? It is the fact that he achieves glory through humiliation. He triumphs by accepting suffering and death, things that we, in our quest for admiration and success, would rather avoid. #PalmSunday” @Pontifex 28 March 2021
  • “During these days, the Church enters into the great meditation of the Lord’s Passion. The suffering Christ is present in the person of the poor, the excluded, the sick, the hungry, those who bear the mystery of the cross with Him. #HolyWeek” @Pontifex 29 March 2021
  • “Jesus was lifted up on the cross to descend into our suffering, to plumb the depths of our human experience, to draw near to us and not abandon us in our suffering and our death. To redeem us, to save us. #HolyWeek” @Pontifex 30 March 2021
  • “Along the daily way of the cross, we meet the faces of so many brothers and sisters in difficulty: let us not pass by, let us allow our hearts to be moved with compassion, and let us draw near.” @Pontifex 30 March 2021
  • “Christ’s Cross is like a beacon that indicates the port to ships that are still afloat on stormy seas. It is the sign of the hope that does not disappoint. And it tells us that not even one tear, not one sigh is lost in God’s saving plan. #Holy Week” @Pontifex 31 March 2021
  • “The process of conversion always entails the cross. There is no holiness without sacrifice and without a spiritual battle. #HolyWeek” @Pontifex 31 March 2021
  • “The preaching of the Gospel is effective not because of our eloquent words but because of the power of the cross (cf. 1 Cor 1:17). #ChrismMass Homily” @Pontifex 1 April 2021

Papal Instagram

The Weekly Francis – 24 March 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 18 March 2021 to 24 March 2021.

Angelus

Apostolic Letter

General Audiences

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “To experience #Lent in hope means receiving the hope of Christ, who gave his life on the cross and was raised by God on the third day, and always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls us to account for our hope (1 Pt 3,15).” @Pontifex 18 March 2021
  • “To experience #Lent in hope means receiving the hope of Christ, who gave his life on the cross and was raised by God on the third day, and always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls us to account for our hope (1 Pt 3,15).” @Pontifex 19 March 2021
  • “Saint Joseph is an outstanding example of acceptance of God’s plans. May he help everyone, especially young people who are discerning, to make God’s dreams for them come true. #Vocations Message” @Pontifex 19 March 2021
  • “To be a good father means to offer everything, holding nothing back; to protect without suffocating; to pardon without asking anything in return; to wait patiently and trustingly. It means following the example of the ”Good Father“ who is in heaven. May God bless all fathers!” @Pontifex 19 March 2021
  • “Each day that begins, if welcomed in #prayer, is accompanied by courage, so that the problems we have to face no longer seem to be obstacles to our #happiness, but rather appeals from God, opportunities for our encounter with him. #WorldHappinessDay” @Pontifex 20 March 2021
  • “Racism is a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding, and lurks in waiting. Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think. #FightRacism #FratelliTutti” @Pontifex 21 March 2021
  • “Every child who a woman expects in her womb is a gift that changes a family’s history: the life of fathers and mothers, grandparents and of brothers and sisters. That child needs to be welcomed, loved and nurtured. Always! #WorldDownSyndromeDay” @Pontifex 21 March 2021
  • ““Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12:23–24). Precisely then, in trials and in solitude while the seed is dying, that is the moment in which life blossoms, to bear ripe fruit in due time” @Pontifex 21 March 2021
  • “For us believers, “sister water” is not merchandise: it is a universal symbol and is the source of life and health. Many brothers and sisters have access to too little and perhaps polluted water. It is necessary to assure potable water and hygienic services to all. #WorldWaterDay” @Pontifex 22 March 2021
  • “How many times have we told the Lord: “Lord, I will come to you later… I can’t come today. Tomorrow I will begin to pray and do something for others”. In this life, we will always have things to do and excuses to offer, but right now is the time to return to God. #Lent” @Pontifex 23 March 2021
  • “May we not let this time of grace pass in vain, in the foolish illusion that we can control the times and means of our conversion to the Lord! #Lent” @Pontifex 23 March 2021
  • “Today is World #Tuberculosis Day. May this annual event foster a renewed interest in the treatment of this disease and increased solidarity toward those who suffer from it.” @Pontifex 24 March 2021
  • “I am near the people and the families affected by the major floods that have caused serious damage in New South Wales in Australia, especially those who saw their houses destroyed. #PrayTogether” @Pontifex 24 March 2021
  • “I learned with sorrow the news of the recent terrorist attacks in #Niger, which caused the deaths of 137 people. Let us #PrayTogether for the victims, for their families and for the entire population.” @Pontifex 24 March 2021
  • “Mary was and is present in these days of the pandemic, near to the people who, unfortunately, have concluded their earthly journey all alone, without the comfort of or the closeness of their loved ones. Mary is always there next to us, with her maternal tenderness.” @Pontifex 24 March 2021

Papal Instagram

The Weekly Francis – 17 March 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 20 February 2021 to 17 March 2021.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Letters

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “All of us have spiritual infirmities that we cannot heal on our own. We need Jesus’ healing, we need to present our wounds to him and say: “Jesus, I am in your presence, with my sin, with my sorrows. You can set me free. Heal my heart”. #Lent” @Pontifex 11 March 2021
  • “The beginning of the return to God is the recognition of our need for him and his mercy. This is the right path, the path of humility. #Lent #24hoursfortheLord” @Pontifex 12 March 2021
  • “I encourage you to dedicate time to the Word of God, to the Sacraments, and to fasting and prayer, in order to renew our relationship with God, ourselves, and our neighbor. #Lent #24hoursfortheLord” @Pontifex 12 March 2021
  • “By receiving forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, that is the heart of our process of conversion, we spread forgiveness. Having received forgiveness, we can offer it through attentive dialogue and giving comfort to those experiencing sorrow and pain. #Lent” @Pontifex 12 March 2021
  • “#Lent is about discerning where our hearts are directed. Let us ask: Where is my life’s navigation system taking me – towards God or towards myself?” @Pontifex 13 March 2021
  • “In Jesus, God went in search of us where we were lost. In Jesus, he came to raise us up when we fell. In Jesus, he wept with us and healed our wounds. In Jesus, he blessed our life forever. #Laetare” @Pontifex 14 March 2021
  • “If God so loves us that he gives himself to us, the Church too has this mission. She is not sent to judge but to welcome; not to impose, but to sow; not to condemn, but to bring Christ who is our salvation. [Homily[(http://vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2021/documents/papa-francesco_20210314_omelia-cristianesimo-filippine.html)” @Pontifex 14 March 2021
  • “Dear brothers and sisters from the #Philippines, five hundred years have passed since the Christian message first arrived in your land and you received the joy of the Gospel. And this joy is evident in your people. Thank you for the joy you bring to the whole world!” @Pontifex 14 March 2021
  • “Ten years ago, the bloody conflict in Syria began that has caused one of the most serious humanitarian catastrophes. Let us #PrayTogether so that all the suffering experienced by beloved and tortured Syria might not be forgotten and so that our solidarity might revive their hope.” @Pontifex 14 March 2021
  • “To experience #Lent with love means caring for those who suffer or feel abandoned and fearful because of the #Covid–19 pandemic.” @Pontifex 15 March 2021
  • “In these days of uncertainty about our future, in our charity may we speak works of reassurance and help others to realise that God loves them as sons and daughters. #Lent” @Pontifex 16 March 2021
  • “The Holy Spirit writes the history of the Church and of the world. We are open books, willing to receive his handwriting. And in each of us the Spirit composes original works, because there is never one Christian who is completely identical to another. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 17 March 2021
  • “With great sorrow, I must recall the dramatic situation in #Myanmar, where many people, especially young people, are losing their lives to offer hope to their country. I too kneel in the streets of Myanmar and say: End the violence! May dialogue prevail!” @Pontifex 17 March 2021

Papal Instagram

The Weekly Francis – 10 March 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 8 February 2021 to 10 March 2021.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Motu Proprio

Prayers

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “Through recollection and silent prayer, hope is given to us as interior light, illuminating the challenges and choices we face in our mission. Hence the need to pray and, in secret, to encounter the Father of tender love (Mt 6:6). #Lent” @Pontifex 27 February 2021
  • “A year ago today the #RomeCall for Artificial Intelligence was signed and I hope that more and more people of goodwill will cooperate to promote the common good, protect the lasts and develop a shared algorethics.” @Pontifex 28 February 2021
  • “The #GospelOfTheDay (Mk 9:2–10) calls us to contemplate Jesus’s transfiguration. It is an invitation to remember, especially when we pass through a difficult trial, that the Lord is Risen and does not permit darkness to have the last word.” @Pontifex 28 February 2021
  • “I join my voice to that of the Bishops of Nigeria to condemn the vile kidnapping of the 317 girls, taken away from their school in Jangebe. I am praying for these girls so they might return home soon. I am near to their families.” @Pontifex 28 February 2021
  • “In the case of rare diseases, a support network among family members is more important than ever. I encourage those initiatives that support research and cures and I express my closeness to those who ill, especially the children, and their families.” @Pontifex 28 February 2021
  • “I ask government leaders, businesses, international organizations to cooperate and to seek a solution for everyone regarding #Covid: vaccines for everyone, especially for the world’s most vulnerable and needy people. #ZeroDiscriminationDay” @Pontifex 1 March 2021
  • “All of us are specialists in crucifying others to save ourselves. Jesus, instead, allowed himself to be crucified, to teach us not to shift evil onto others. #Lent” @Pontifex 1 March 2021
  • “The center of confession is Jesus who waits for us, who listens to us and forgives us.” @Pontifex 2 March 2021
  • “Let us #PrayTogether that we may experience the sacrament of reconciliation with renewed depth, to taste the forgiveness and infinite mercy of God. #PrayerIntentions” @Pontifex 2 March 2021
  • “We would not have had the courage to believe in a God who loves humanity, if we had not known Jesus. What kind of God is prepared to die for people? What kind of God loves always and patiently, without demanding to be loved in return? #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 3 March 2021
  • “Sad news of bloody clashes and loss of life reach us from Myanmar. I appeal to the authorities involved that dialogue may prevail over repression, and ask the international community to ensure that the aspirations of the people of Myanmar are not stifled.” @Pontifex 3 March 2021
  • “#Lent is a time to believe, or rather to receive God into our life so that we may “make our home with Him” (Jn 14: 23)” @Pontifex 4 March 2021
  • “Tomorrow I will go to #Iraq for a three-day pilgrimage. I have long wanted to meet those people who have suffered so much. I ask you to accompany this apostolic journey with your prayers, so it may unfold in the best possible way and bear hoped-for fruits.” @Pontifex 4 March 2021
  • “My dear Christian brothers and sisters from #Iraq, who have testified to your faith in Jesus amid harsh sufferings: I cannot wait to see you. I am honoured to encounter a Church of martyrs: thank you for your witness! Video Message” @Pontifex 4 March 2021
  • “I come as a penitent, asking forgiveness from Heaven and our brothers for so much destruction and cruelty; a pilgrim of peace, in the name of Christ, Prince of Peace. How we have prayed, in these years, for peace in #Iraq! God always listens. It is up to us to walk His paths.” @Pontifex 5 March 2021
  • “Only if we succeed in regarding each other, with our differences, as members of the same human family, can we begin an effective process of reconstruction and leave a better, more just and more human world to the future generations. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
    ” @Pontifex 5 March 2021
  • “Let us remember our brothers and sisters who have paid the extreme price for their fidelity to the Lord. May their sacrifice inspire us to renew our trust in the strength of the Cross and its saving message of forgiveness, reconciliation and rebirth #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 5 March 2021
  • “#Peace does not demand winners or losers, but brothers and sisters who, despite past hurts, journey from conflict to unity. Let us ask for this in praying for the whole Middle East, especially for war-torn Syria. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
  • “Where does the journey of peace begin? From the decision not to have enemies. Anyone who believes in God, has no enemies to fight. He or she has only one enemy to face, one that stands at the door of the heart and knocks to enter: it is hatred. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
  • “It is up to us, today’s humanity, especially believers, to turn instruments of hatred into instruments of #peace, to appeal firmly to the leaders of nations to make the increasing proliferation of arms give way to the distribution of food for all. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
  • “Almighty God, our Creator, you love our human family, we, children of Abraham, ask you to welcome into your abode of peace and light all victims of violence and war. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq Speech” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
  • “To be blessed, we do not need to become occasional heroes, but witnesses day after day. Witness is the way to embody the wisdom of Jesus. That is how the world is changed: not by power and might, but by the Beatitudes. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
  • “Love is our strength, strength of so many brothers and sisters who here too have suffered prejudice and indignities, mistreatment and persecutions for the name of Jesus. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq Video” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
  • “Lord, to you we entrust all those whose span of earthly life was cut short by the violent hand of their brothers and sisters; we also pray to you for those who caused such harm. May they repent, touched by the power of your mercy. Video” @Pontifex 7 March 2021
  • “Fraternity is more durable than fratricide, hope is more powerful than hatred, peace more powerful than war. This conviction can never be silenced by the blood spilled by those who pervert the name of God to pursue paths of destruction. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 7 March 2021
  • “God can bring peace to this land. We trust in him and, together with all people of good will, we say “no” to terrorism and the manipulation of religion. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 7 March 2021
  • ““Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19). Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body, and about the Church as well. By the power of his Resurrection he can raise our communities from the ruins left by hatred. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
    ” @Pontifex 7 March 2021
  • “I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the women, especially the women of #Iraq, courageous women who continue to give life, in spite of wrongs and hurts. May women be respected and protected! May they be shown respect and provided with opportunities! #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex 8 March 2021
  • “Iraq will always remain in my heart. I ask all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to work together, united for a future of peace and prosperity that leaves no one behind and discriminates against no one. I assure you of my prayers for this beloved country. #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex 8 March 2021
  • “#Lent is a journey that involves our whole life, our entire being. It is a time to reconsider the path we are taking, to find the route that leads us home and to rediscover our profound relationship with God, on whom everything depends.” @Pontifex 9 March 2021
  • “The response to war is not another war. The response to weapons is not other weapons. The response is fraternity. This is the challenge not only for Iraq. It is the challenge for many regions in conflict and, ultimately, for the entire world. #Peace #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 10 March 2021
  • “Let us continue to pray for Iraq and for the Middle East. Despite the destruction, in #Iraq, the palm, the country’s symbol, has continued to grow and bear fruit. So it is for fraternity: it does not make noise, but is fruitful and grows. #GeneralAudience #PrayTogether” @Pontifex 10 March 2021
  • “Thinking of the many Iraqis who have emigrated, I would like to say to them: you have left everything, like Abraham; like him, keep the faith and hope and be weavers of friendship and of fraternity wherever you are. And if you can, return. #Iraq #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 10 March 2021
  • “After my Visit in #Iraq, I am filled with gratitude to God and to all those who made it possible: the President of the Republic,
    @BarhamSalih
    , and the Government, the Patriarchs and Bishops.” @Pontifex 10 March 2021
  • “I am grateful to the religious Authorities as well, beginning with the Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani, with whom I had an unforgettable meeting. May God, who is peace, grant a future of fraternity to Iraq, the Middle East and the entire world!” @Pontifex 10 March 2021
  • “A message of fraternity came from Erbil as well, the city in which I was received by the President of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan,
    @IKRPresident
    , and its Prime Minister, by the Authorities and by the people. I thank the dear Kurdish population for their warm welcome.” @Pontifex 10 March 2021

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The Weekly Francis – 24 February 2021

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 18 February 2021 to 21 February 2021.

Angelus

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “#Lent is precisely the season of hope when we turn our gaze back to the God who is patient. Saint Paul passionately urges us to place our hope in reconciliation: “Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20).” @Pontifex 18 February 2021
  • “Fasting, prayer and almsgiving, as preached by Jesus (cf. Mt 6:1–18), enable and express our conversion. #Lent” @Pontifex 19 February 2021
  • “Lord, Our God, grant that we Christians may live the Gospel, and recognize Christ in each human being, so as to see him crucified in the sufferings of the abandoned and forgotten of our world, and risen in each brother or sister who makes a new start. #WorldDayOfSocialJustice” @Pontifex 20 February 2021
  • “In this #LentenSeason, accepting and living the truth revealed in Christ means, first of all, opening our hearts to God’s word, which the Church passes on from generation to generation.” @Pontifex 20 February 2021
  • “May the example of so many doctors and healthcare workers who have risked their life to the point of losing it due to the #pandemic move us to feeling truly grateful for how generously, and sometimes heroically, they carry out their profession.” @Pontifex 20 February 2021
  • “During the Season of #Lent, the Holy Spirit drives us too, like Jesus, into the desert (Mk 1:12–15). It is not a physical place, but rather an existential dimension in which we can be silent and listen to the word of God, so that a true conversion might be effected in us.” @Pontifex 21 February 2021

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