Tag Archives: Pope Francis

Pope Francis’s encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, published in 2020, set the universal context as to how our response should be to migrants and refugees. It expresses the need to “acknowledge, appreciate and love each person, regardless of physical proximity, regardless of where he or she was born or lives.”  In today’s context, this concept is increasingly under threat from nationalist or ...

The International Day of Peace (IDP) is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. Never has our world needed peace more.  This year’s theme is Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals. It is a call ...

The Church has been celebrating the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) since 1914 as an opportunity to express concern for different vulnerable people on the move; to pray for them as they face many challenges; and to increase awareness about the opportunities that migration offers.  Every year the WDMR is the last Sunday of September; in 2023 it will ...

An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil will take place on Saturday, 30 September – immediately preceding the General Assembly of the Synod.  This service will emphasise the centrality of prayer in the synodal process and highlight the relationship between synodality and ecumenism. Presenting the event at a press conference at the Holy See Press Office, Sr. Nathalie Becquart, Undersecretary of the General Secretariat ...

In his beautiful Apostolic Exhortation ‘Gaudete et Exsultate’, Pope Francis spoke at some length about the call to holiness in today’s world. He reminded us that holiness exists not only in those whom the Church has beatified or canonised, but in those “saints next door”, who don’t appear in any book and whose names are known only to God. Such people are ...

“ … we are called to join the river of justice and peace, to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity. As the people of God, we must work together on behalf of all Creation, as part of that mighty river of peace ...

The World Youth Day from the 1-6 August 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal was truly a moment of God for all of us who could connect with it in any way – there was no distance! When a lamp is put on the lampstand there is no limit to where the light can reach.  At his weekly General Audience in Rome on ...

The momentum is building as we are on Day 5 of the count down to the start of the #WYD2023 in Lisbon Portugal from 1-6 August 2023.  The energy and excitement is almost palpable on all media platforms with a very real sense of a global and local network of joy-filled young people making this pilgrimage. Let us go in ...

As the Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly approaches on Sunday, 23 July the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life renews its invitation for Christians to celebrate the event by attending Mass or visiting those who are alone. Sunday, 23 July, marks the Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. The theme chosen for this year is  ...

In 2016, Pope Francis raised the celebration of Mary Magdalene from Memorial to Feast in the liturgical calendar.  Her Feast Day is 22nd July.  There is also a special preface to the Eucharistic Prayer included for this Feast Day Mass which is entitled “Apostle to the Apostles,” which is the honorary title bestowed upon Mary Magdalene. “Recalling that “apostle” means ...