By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christian hope isn’t about believing in something that may or may not come true, like hoping tomorrow’s weather will be pleasant, Pope Francis said. “Christian hope is the expectation of something that already has been fulfilled and that certainly will be attained for each one
By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Martyrs and Christians who endure persecution for their faith are the church’s great glory, strength and hope, and they humble those who have so much yet still complain, Pope Francis said. The heart of the church is made up of “those who suffered and gave
By Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Jesus did not come into the world seeking popularity, but rather to be close to those in need, Pope Francis said. The large crowds that would gather around Jesus wherever he went “had their eyes fixed on him and he had his eyes fixed
By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With “post-truth” being crowned “Word of the Year” by Oxford Dictionaries, Pope Francis’ urgent call to communicate trust and hope could not have come at a better time. Helping people see the world with “realism and trust” must be encouraged as well as fostering encounter,
By Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians who do not remember the graces they received by God in the past can lose hope, turning into cowards who buckle in difficult times, Pope Francis said. A Christian who doesn’t remember the past and hope for the future is a person who
By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis prayed for an end to the daily violence and brutality waged by fundamentalist extremists in the Middle East. “Your sufferings are our sufferings. I join you in praying for an end to the conflict and for God’s closeness to those who have endured
By Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis sent his condolences to the victims and survivors of one of the worst wildfires in Chile’s history. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, expressed the pope’s sentiments in a message dated Jan. 23 to Bishop Santiago Silva Retamales of the Military
By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Divided Christians need to recognize the gifts God has given to other communities and learn from them “without waiting for the others to learn first,” Pope Francis said. Leading an ecumenical evening prayer service Jan. 25 for the close of the Week of Prayer for
By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service ATICAN CITY (CNS) — While there is a need to evangelize a culture that tells young people money equals success and commitments aren’t forever, stopping the “hemorrhage” of people leaving religious orders also requires changes from the orders themselves, Pope Francis said. “Alongside much holiness — there is much
By Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The humble counsel of courageous women should never be disregarded but rather embraced as advice full of God’s divine wisdom, Pope Francis said. Women like the biblical heroine Judith are an example of trusting God amid sufferings and difficulties when it is easy to
