Pope Francis

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http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/6209/0/pope-makes-under-the-radar-visit-to-earthquake-red-zone-in-amatrice

Pope makes under the radar visit to earthquake 'red zone' in Amatrice
04 October 2016

Francis travelled to area without Vatican press corps to be 'close to the people'

Pope Francis this morning (Tuesday) paid a visit to the earthquake-hit town of Amatrice where he went to a school and into the “red zone”, an area cordoned off for safety reasons.

Francis explained at the weekend he wanted to go to the town “privately, alone, as a priest, bishop and Pope” in order to be close to the people, many of whom lost their homes and loved ones after the earthquake which took place on 24 August.

He travelled to the region today without any reporters present and while in Amatrice was accompanied by the Bishop of Rieti, Domenico Pompili. Almost 300 people as a result of the 6.2 magnitude tremors which destroyed numerous buildings including a school complex and flattened entire villages in the nearby region. 
 

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https://zenit.org/articles/pope-praying-in-october-for-journalists/

Pope Praying in October for Journalists 
And also praying that Christian communities will be renewed in efforts to evangelize
September 30, 2016

 
The Pope’s intentions for October were announced by the Apostleship of Prayer.

The Holy Father’s universal prayer intention for October is: “That journalists, in carrying out their work, may always be motivated by respect for truth and a strong sense of ethics”.

His intention for evangelisation is: “That World Mission Day may renew within all Christian communities the joy of the Gospel and the responsibility to announce it”.

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/05/pope_on_ecumenism_and_dialogue_in_the_caucasus__/1263018

Pope on ecumenism and dialogue in the Caucasus
05/10/2016 14:53

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday reflected on his just ended Apostolic Visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan and spoke about the importance of Christian Unity and dialogue.

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the General Audience, the Pope expressed his gratitude for having been able visit the neighboring Caucasian countries, both of which are celebrating 25 years of independence having been part of the Soviet Union for much of the 20th century.
 
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/05/general_audience_english_language_summary/1262944
General Audience: English language summary
05/10/2016 11:33

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-greets-auschwitz-survivors-at-general

Pope Francis greets Auschwitz survivors at General Audience
2016-10-05 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday greeted former prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp during his remarks to Polish-speaking pilgrims during the General Audience.

“Today we celebrate the memory of St. Faustina Kowalska,” – Pope Francis said – “She reminded the world that God is rich in mercy and that His love is more powerful than death, sin and every evil. May this message of the Merciful Jesus, entrusted to her, bear fruit in your life with a deeper union with God and the works of mercy.”
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXUABis2BrY
General Audience - 2016.10.05 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/05/ban_ki-moon_vatican_radio_after_pope_francis_meeti/1263159

Ban Ki-Moon speaks to Vatican Radio after Pope Francis meeting
05/10/2016 19:12

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday before the Sport at the Service of Humanity's First Global Conference on Sport and Faith, which is being held in the Vatican this week.

The event has been organized by the Pontifical Council for Culture, the United Nations, and the International Olympic Committee.

After his meeting with Pope Francis, the Secretary General spoke to Vatican Radio’s Alessandro Gisotti.
 
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/05/pope_francis_sport_has_great_value,_must_be_honest/1263027
Pope Francis: Sport has great value, must be honest
05/10/2016 17:30

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/05/pope_tells_vodafone_to_‘promote_development/1262935

Pope tells Vodafone to ‘promote development'
05/10/2016 10:00

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis met with the directors of the ‘Gruppo Vodafone’ in a private audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Wednesday, telling them to ‘be constructive’ and make religious text available to more people.

The Fondazione Vodafone is promoting an initiative called ‘Instant Schools for Africa’, which aims to provide online educative resources to young people on the African continent.

Pope Francis expressed his appreciation of the initiative and said it promotes “a more inclusive and familial world capable of offering development opportunities to people in social groups at risk of exclusion”.

He suggested such initiatives should take care “to supply young people also with some notions of method, so that they learn not only to use instruments but to use them as instruments, becoming capable of using them more freely and critically”.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/05/anglican-catholic_symposium_celebrates_50_years_of_progress/1263095

Anglican-Catholic Symposium celebrates 50 years of progress
05/10/2016 17:15

(Vatican Radio) The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby joined the head of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch and other ecumenical experts on Wednesday for a Symposium at Rome’s Gregorian University marking half a century of progress in Anglican-Catholic relations.

The Symposium, entitled ‘50 Years of Walking Together in Faith’ explored not only the theological progress made through the documents of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), but also the ways in which communities are working to incorporate those developments into the life of the local churches. Taking part in the Symposium were pairs of Anglican and Catholic bishops from countries around the world who are spending a week together in Canterbury and Rome, sharing pastoral challenges and best practices for closer practical collaboration.

Later on Wednesday evening, Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby were scheduled to preside together at Vespers in the Rome church of St Gregory on the Caelian Hill, signing a common declaration and symbolically sending out the Anglican and Catholic bishops together on a renewed mission of evangalisation.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/05/pope_and_archbishop_welby_send_out_bishops_to_promote_unity/1263150

Pope and Archbishop Welby send out bishops to promote unity
05/10/2016 18:19

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday urged Anglicans and Catholics to work together to promote the unity of Christians and the unity of the human family. His words came as he presided at Vespers, together with the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in the church of St Gregory on the Caelian Hill.

The ecumenical prayer service took place, symbolically, on the site from where Pope Gregory the Great sent Augustine out on mission to evanglise the English at the end of the 6th century. During the liturgy Pope Francis presented the Anglican leader with a replica of the pastoral staff of St Gregory, while the Archbishop gave the Holy Father a silver Cross of Nails as a symbol of their partnership in the urgent work of reconciliation.

Leading the singing of the psalms, anthems and well known hymns was the choir from Canterbury Cathedral, alongside the Sistine Chapel choir. Among the packed congregation were pairs of Anglican and Catholic bishops from around the world who are in Rome this week to celebrate 50 years of ecumenical dialogue and to recommit themselves to partnership in mission.

In his words to them, Pope Francis said “We recognize ourselves as brothers who belong to different traditions, but are driven by the same Gospel to undertake the same mission in the world.” Therefore he said, “it would be always good, before embarking on any activity, for you to put these questions to yourselves: Why ought not we do this together with our Anglican brothers?; Can we bear witness to Jesus by acting together with our Catholic brothers?”

Referring to the pastoral staff of St Gregory which contains a carved ivory lamb, the Pope urged the bishops of both traditions to follow the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, telling them that “It is in sharing the difficulties and joys of ministry that we once again grow close to each other.”

He urged them to be “promoters of a bold and real ecumenism, always on a journey in search of opening new paths.” This is always and above all, he said, a matter of following the example of Our Lord, his pastoral methodology, of which the prophet Ezekiel reminds us: to seek out the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded, heal the sick. Only thus, the Pope said, “shall the scattered people be brought together”

Please find below Vatican Radio’s unofficial translation of the Pope’s words at Vespers, followed by those of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby
 
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/05/pope_francis_and_archbishop_welby_sign_common_declaration/1263136
Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby sign Common Declaration
05/10/2016 17:55

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SZBFwA1IGQ
Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Meeting of Paul VI and the Archbishop of Canterbury 
Streamed live 10 hours ago
Pope Francis presides at the celebration of Vespers with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the meeting between Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey, and the institution of the Anglican Center in Rome.

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-mass-be-open-to-the-spirit-who-carries-us

Pope at Mass: Be open to the Spirit, Who carries us forward
2016-10-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) True doctrine is not a rigid attachment to the Law, which bewitches as ideologies do. Rather, it is the revelation of God, which allows itself to be discovered more and more fully each day by those who are open to the Holy Spirit. That was the message of Pope Francis at the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta.

The readings of the day speak of the Holy Spirit, the “great gift of the Father,” the power that allows the Church to go forth courageously even to the ends of the earth. The Spirit, Pope Francis said, “is the protagonist of this ‘going forward’ of the Church.” Without the Spirit, the Church would be shut up within itself, fearful.

The Pope pointed out three “attitudes” that we can have with regard to the Spirit. The first is that which Saint Paul rebuked in the Galatians: the belief that one can be justified through the Law, and not by Jesus, “who makes sense of the Law.” And so they were “too rigid.” They are the same kind of people who attack Jesus and who the Lord called hypocrites:

“And this attachment to the Law ignores the Holy Spirit. It does not grant that the redemption of Christ goes forward with the Holy Spirit. It ignores that: there is only the Law. It is true that there are the Commandments and we have to follow the Commandments; but always through the grace of this great gift that the Father has given us, His Son, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. And so the Law is understood. But don’t reduce the Spirit and the Son to the Law. This was the problem of these people: they ignored the Holy Spirit, and they did not know to go forward. Closed, closed in precepts: we have to do this, we have to do that. At times, it can happen that we fall into this temptation.”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-anglicans-prayer-witness-mission-for-commo

Pope to Anglicans: ‘Prayer, witness, mission for common journey’
2016-10-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis spoke to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Primates of the Anglican Communion in a Vatican audience on Thursday.

The Holy Father recalled the historic meeting between Blessed Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey 50 years ago, which has led to a gradual rapprochement based on theological dialogue.

He then reflected with them on the three themes of ‘prayer, witness, and mission’ as a basis for ‘our continuing common journey’.

Below is the official English text of Pope Francis’ address:
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/youth-discernment-popes-choice-for-next-synod-theme-43668/

Youth, discernment Pope's pick for next synod theme

Vatican City, Oct 6, 2016 / 09:00 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The theme for the 2018 Synod of Bishops has been released, and will focus on how to best teach the faith to young people and help them to discern God's will for their lives.

Set to take place in October 2018, the 50th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will discuss “Young People, the Faith and the Discernment of Vocation,” an Oct. 6 Vatican communique said.

The theme, it explained, is in continuity with topics that emerged from the 2014-2015 Synod on the Family, as well as with the contents of Francis’ Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation “Amoris Laetitia,” which was written largely on the basis of the synod’s concluding document.

According to the communique, the theme “aims to accompany young people on their way of life towards maturity so that, through a process of discernment, they can discover their life's plan and realize it with joy.”
 
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2016/10/06/next-synod-bishops-focus-youth-vocations/
Next Synod of Bishops to focus on youth and vocations
Inés San Martín   October 6, 2016

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-omi-chapter-embrace-the-poor-with-new-miss

Pope to OMI Chapter: ‘Embrace the poor with new missionary drive’
2016-10-07 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis told the participants in the General Chapter of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) to ‘love Jesus with passion and the Church without conditions’.

His exhortation came in a private audience in the Vatican’ Clementine Hall on Friday, as the Oblates celebrate the 200th anniversary since their founding.

The Chapter re-elected Fr. Louis Lougen on 30 Sept as Superior General for a second six-year term.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/popes-message-for-haiti-devastated-by-hurricane-ma

Pope’s message for Haiti, devastated by Hurricane Matthew


 
“His Holiness Pope Francis wishes to express his sorrow and to join in prayer in the suffering of all those who have lost loved ones. He conveys to them his sincerest condolences and assures them of his deep sympathy in these painful circumstances. He entrusts the departed to the mercy of God, that He welcome them in His light. He assures them of his spiritual closeness and his affection for the injured, and for all those who have lost their homes and possessions in the disaster. Welcoming and encouraging solidarity in this new hardship the country must face, the Holy Father entrusts all Haitians to the maternal protection of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and imparts to them, as a sign of consolation and hope, a special apostolic blessing”.

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http://www.news.va/en/news/popes-georgia-visit-can-help-promote-inter-church

Pope's Georgia visit can help promote inter-Church relations
2016-10-07 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Georgia’s ambassador to the Holy See says she believes the Pope’s recent visit to her country can help promote better relations with other Christian Churches.

Ambassador Tamara Grdzelidze, an Orthodox theologian and former official at the World Council of Churches,  told Vatican Radio she was saddened by some of the negative media coverage of the two day papal visit.

Pope Francis spent September 30th and October 1st visiting the capital Tbilisi and the nearby ancient city of Mtskheta, where he and Georgia’s Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II prayed together in the 11th century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.

Speaking on her return to Rome with Philippa Hitchen, the ambassador highlighted some of the most positive points of the trip.....

Firstly, Ambassador Grdzelidze mentions the gestures and speeches of the patriarch and the pope in the Patriarchal cathedral which she says “spoke this language of fraternal love” as they described themselves as the successors of St Peter and St Andrew.

She also points to the fact that the elderly Patriarch, who is “not in good physical form”,  came to the airport to greet the Pope. She says she was particularly struck by the sight of the two leaders entering the cathedral “hand in hand” before stopping to pray in silence at the holy place where the seamless tunic of Christ is buried with St Sidonia.

Breakthrough visit
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-leads-vigil-of-marian-jubilee
Pope Francis leads Vigil of Marian Jubilee
2016-10-08 Vatican Radio


http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/mary-imitated-god-through-service-pope-says-90395/
Mary imitated God through service, Pope says
Rome, Italy, Oct 8, 2016 / 10:49 am (CNA/EWTN News).- During a special Jubilee weekend dedicated to Mary, Pope Francis said Mary was not only Christ’s mother, but also his obedient disciple and a model of concrete service to others.

“Throughout her life, Mary did everything that the Church is asked to do in perennial memory of Christ,” the Pope said Oct. 8.

With her faith, “we learn to open our hearts to obey God; in her self-denial, we see the importance of tending to the needs of others; in her tears, we find the strength to console those experiencing pain.”

In each of these moments, Mary “expresses the wealth of divine mercy that reaches out to all in their daily need.”

Pope Francis spoke to thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square to celebrate a special Oct. 7-9 Marian Jubilee, which is part of the Pope’s larger Jubilee of Mercy.

The Marian Jubilee opened Oct. 7 with Mass in the Roman Basilica of Saint Mary Major. The Mass was followed by the recitation of the rosary in Saint Peter’s Square and the Prayer to the Queen of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii.

Adoration and confessions were then available until midnight in the parishes of Santa Maria in Valicella, also called "Chiesa Nuova," and San Salvatore in Lauro.

Jubilee activities continued Saturday morning with a pilgrimage to the Holy Doors of the four Major Basilicas in Rome: St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Wall, St. John Lateran and St. Peter's.

Groups of various Marian delegations from national communities and shrines then participated in a special procession to St. Peter's Square, where Pope Francis led pilgrims in praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary before delivering his address.
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yxo4ApRAtc
Marian Vigil in the Jubilee of Mercy 
Streamed live 10 hours ago
Pope Francis presides at the Marian Vigil in the Jubilee of Mercy, after the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary.

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-look-to-the-model-of-mary

Pope Francis: Look to the model of Mary
2016-10-09 Vatican Radio

Pope Francis celebrated Mass for the Marian Jubilee on Sunday as part of the celebrations for the Year of Mercy. In his homily he told the faithful present in St Peter's Square that, "we are given a model, indeed the model, to whom we can look: Mary, our Mother." The Pope also stressed the importance of gratitude saying, "to be able to offer thanks, to be able to praise the Lord for what he has done for us: this is important!"

Below find the the English translation of the Pope's Homily
 
http://www.news.va/en/news/angelus-pope-prays-for-the-victims-of-hurricane-ma
Angelus: Pope prays for the victims of Hurricane Matthew
2016-10-09 Vatican Radio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00toP9iOlQA
Holy Mass for the Marian Jubilee
Streamed live 14 hours ago
Pope Francis celebrates Holy Mass on the occasion of the Marian Jubilee, followed by the recitation of the Angelus prayer.

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https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2016/10/09/330128/

Pope to create 13 new cardinals, including 3 Americans
Crux Staff   October 9, 2016

After not having named any new American cardinals during his first two consistories in 2014 and 2015, Pope Francis has more than made up for it this time around, announcing a consistory for Nov. 19 and including Archbishops Blase Cupich of Chicago and Joseph Tobin of Indianapolis, as well as former Dallas Bishop Kevin Farrell.

Farrell was recently named by Francis as the first-ever head of his department for Family, Laity and Life.

The choices will be seen in the United States as significantly strengthening the moderate wing of the country’s hierarchy, as all three figures have at times been at odds with more conservative elements of the Church.

Cupich, 67, was appointed by Francis to Chicago in September 2014, in what many saw as a surprise move by the pontiff. He was also appointed by the pope to be a special delegate at his Synod of Bishops on the family, where Cupich appeared to align himself with the more progressive camp on issues such as pastoral care of the LGBT community and also divorced and remarried Catholics.

Tobin, 64, would be the surprise of this consistory crop.

A former superior of the world Redemptorist religious order, Tobin is also the former number two official at the Vatican’s Congregation for Religious, where he distinguished himself with a far more sympathetic line for U.S. women religious at a time when they were facing two separate Vatican investigations.

That irritated some other U.S. prelates who felt the reviews were justified, while Tobin continued to call for dialogue and understanding rather than a disciplinary approach.

Farrell, 69, was born in Ireland but has spent most of his life and career in the United States, most recently the last decade as the bishop of Dallas.

His appointment to his new Vatican post was also something of a surprise, but he appears to fit the mold of a pastoral, non-ideological figure desired by Pope Francis in senior leadership positions. Among other things, Farrell has said he wants to focus on the promotion of lay leadership in the Vatican in his new role.

Overall, Francis announced the creation of 17 new cardinals on Sunday, of whom 13 are under 80 and therefore eligible to vote for the next pope. The consistory itself is set for Sunday, Nov. 19, to coincide with the end of the jubilee Holy Year of Mercy.

Beyond Cupich, Tobin and Farrell, the other new cardinals are:
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-mass-no-to-a-cosmetics-religion-thats-all

Pope at Mass: No to a “cosmetics” religion that’s all show
2016-10-11 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis said Jesus asks us to perform good deeds with humility and reject a "cosmetics" (maquillage) religion that is merely concerned with its outward appearance and pretending to be what it’s not. The Pope was speaking at his morning Mass on Tuesday celebrated in the Santa Marta residence.

The inspiration for the Pope’s homily was taken from the day’s readings of St Paul’s letter to the Galatians and the Gospel account of where Jesus rebukes a Pharisee for being totally concentrated on the outward appearance of cleanliness rather than on the inner substance of his faith.

Pope Francis noted that Jesus’s answer to that same Pharisee who criticized him for not observing the prescribed washing before the meal was unequivocal.

“'Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.'” And Jesus repeats this many times in the Gospel to these people: Your interior is wicked, is not good and is not free. 'You are slaves because you have not accepted the justice that comes from God, the justice that Jesus has given us.'"

Mentioning another passage from the Gospel, the Pope noted that Jesus urges us to pray without being seen, without being show-offs or like those cheeky and shameless people who pray and give alms so they can be admired. Our Lord, he stressed, instead shows us the path of humility.

Pope Francis went on to explain that, as Jesus said, what is important is the freedom given to us by redemption.

No to a “cosmetics” religion, avoid outward show
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-persecuted-christians-are-united-by-blood-ecu

Pope: Persecuted Christians are united by “blood” ecumenism
2016-10-12 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Christians are already united when they are persecuted by terrorists or world powers in what he called an ecumenism of the “blood.” He was speaking in an off-the-cuff address on Wednesday to participants at the Conference for Secretaries of the Christian World Communions, an international ecumenical organization.

The Pope began his remarks by noting that ecumenism is about journeying alongside others with Christ: it can be a simple journey together, done with prayers and helping others or it can be "a working ecumenism for the many men and women who nowadays suffer injustices, wars." He urged his listeners to show charity towards their neighbours, saying this is ecumenism, being united on our journey with Jesus.

Pope Francis also spoke about how it is necessary to recognize a particular type of ecumenism that especially applies to our present world, a so-called ecumenism of the "blood" whereby all Christians regardless of their denomination are viewed and treated in the same way by those who persecute them.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-begins-new-catechesis-on-works-of-mer

Pope Francis begins new catechesis on works of mercy
2016-10-12 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) After reflecting on the mystery of God’s mercy, from the actions of the Father in the Old Testament to those of Jesus, Who in the Gospels demonstrates by His words and gestures that He is the very incarnation of mercy, the Pope announced in this Wednesday’s general audience that he will dedicate a new cycle of catechesis to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

“It is not enough to experience God’s mercy in our lives”, the Pope observed. “It is necessary for those who receive it also to be a sign and instrument for others. … It is not a question of making great efforts or superhuman gestures. The Lord shows us a far easier path, made up of little gestures but which, in His eyes, have great value, to the point of saying that it is on these that we will be judged. … Jesus says that every time we give something to eat to a hungry person and give something to drink to one who thirsts, we dress the naked and welcome the stranger, or we visit the sick or imprisoned, we do this also to Him. The Church calls these gestures ‘corporal works of mercy’, as they assist people in their material needs”.