Pope Francis December 2019The future of the very young Let us pray that every country takes necessary measures to make the future of children a priority, especially the future of children who are suffering today. Every child who is marginalized, abused, abandoned, without schooling or without medical care, is a cry that rises up to God. In each of them is Christ who came to our world as a defenceless child; it is Christ who looks at us through the eyes of these children. Pope Francis Angelus 08.12.19 Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is placed in the context of Advent, a time of waiting. Works of mercy are done in silence, secretly, without boasting of doing them. May the feast of our Mother helps us to make our whole life a "yes" to God, a "yes" made of adoration to Him and of daily gestures of love and service. Pope Francis The meaning and Importance of the Nativity Scene 01.12.19The enchanting image of the Christmas crèche, so dear to the Christian people, never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder. The depiction of Jesus’ birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. The nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture. As we contemplate the Christmas story, we are invited to set out on a spiritual journey, drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman. We come to realize that so great is his love for us that he became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with him. With this Letter, I wish to encourage the beautiful family tradition of preparing the nativity scene in the days before Christmas, but also the custom of setting it up in the workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares. Great imagination and creativity is always shown in employing the most diverse materials to create small masterpieces of beauty. As children, we learn from our parents and grandparents to carry on this joyful tradition, which encapsulates a wealth of popular piety. It is my hope that this custom will never be lost and that, wherever it has fallen into disuse, it can be rediscovered and revived. Pope Francis Message to United Nations Climate Change Conference COP25 01.12.19  The recent Special Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show that the current commitments made by States to mitigate and adapt to climate change are far from those actually needed to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement. They demonstrate how far words are from concrete actions! We must seriously ask ourselves if there is the political will to allocate with honesty, responsibility and courage, more human, financial and technological resources to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, as well as to help the poorest and most vulnerable populations who suffer from them the most. Numerous studies tell us that it is still possible to limit global warming. To do this we need a clear, far-sighted and strong political will, set on pursuing a new course that aims at refocusing financial and economic investments toward those areas that truly safeguard the conditions of a life worthy of humanity on a "healthy" planet for today and tomorrow. There remains a window of opportunity, but we must not allow it to close. Young people today show a heightened sensitivity to the complex problems that arise from this "emergency". We must not place the burden on the next generations to take on the problems caused by the previous ones. Instead, we should give them the opportunity to remember our generation as the one that renewed and acted on - with honest, responsible and courageous awareness - the fundamental need to collaborate in order to preserve and cultivate our common home. May we offer the next generation concrete reasons to hope and work for a good and dignified future! I hope that this spirit will animate the work of COP25, for which I wish every success. |  100 inspiring Quotes from Pope Francis listed in Subject order with the date and occasion when the quote was made Pope Francis General Audience 11.12.19 Through the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, we continue to follow a journey: the journey of the Gospel in the world.  Paul a prisoner - Acts 21: 1 to Acts 26: 32 Pope Francis Mass for the Congolese Community 01.12.19  Advent reminds us of this certainty already from its name, since the word Advent means coming. The Lord is coming: this is the root of our hope, the certainty that among the tribulations of the world, God’s consolation comes to us; a consolation that is made not of words, but of presence, of His presence that comes among us. The Lord is coming; today, the first day of the liturgical year, this announcement marks our starting point: we know that, despite any favourable or contrary event, the Lord will not leave us alone. He came two thousand years ago and will come again at the end of time, but He comes also today in my life, in your life. Yes, this life of ours, with all its problems, anxieties and uncertainties, is visited by the Lord. Here is the source of our joy: the Lord has not grown tired and will never tire of us, He wishes to come, to visit us. |
