Pope Francis Homilies

Books of the Bible Index of Homilies

Matthew Mark Luke John The Acts Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Tobit Judith Esther 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs The Book of Wisdom Sirach Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

Pope Leo Regina Caeli 03.05.26

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

During the Easter season, like the early Church, we return to the words of Jesus, which reveal their full meaning in the light of his passion, death and resurrection. What once eluded the disciples or caused them distress now comes back to their minds, warms their hearts and fills them with hope.

The Gospel proclaimed this Sunday presents the Master’s dialogue with his disciples during the Last Supper. In particular, we hear a promise that involves us from this moment onwards in the mystery of his Resurrection. Jesus says: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn 14:3). The Apostles thus discover that God has a place for everyone. Two of them had already experienced this during their first encounter with Jesus by the river Jordan. Jesus noticed them following him and invited them that afternoon to visit where he was staying (cf. Jn 1:39). Even now, faced with death, Jesus speaks of a home, but this time a very large one. It is the house of his Father and our Father, where there is room for all. The Son describes himself as the servant who prepares the rooms, so that every brother or sister, upon arriving, may find their own room ready and feel as though they have always been longed for and are at last found.

Dear friends, in the old world in which we are still journeying, what attracts attention are exclusive places, experiences accessible only to a few and the privilege of entering where others cannot. In the new world into which the risen One leads us, however, what is most valuable is within everyone’s reach. Yet this does not make it any less attractive. On the contrary, what is open to all now brings joy. Gratitude takes the place of competition; welcome overcomes exclusion; and abundance no longer entails inequality. Above all, no one is mistaken for someone else, and no one is lost. Death threatens to erase one’s name and memory, but in God everyone is fully themselves. Truly, this is what we spend our whole lives searching for, sometimes willing to do anything just to get a little attention and recognition.

“Have faith,” Jesus tells us. That is the secret! “Have faith in God; have faith also in me” (Jn 14:1). It is precisely this faith that frees our hearts from the anxiety of possessing and acquiring, and from the illusion that we must pursue a position of prestige to have worth. Each person already has infinite worth in the mystery of God, which is the true reality. By loving one another as Jesus has loved us, we impart this awareness to one another. This is the new commandment; in this way, we anticipate heaven on earth and reveal to all that fraternity and peace are our calling. Indeed, through love, amidst a multitude of brothers and sisters, each one discovers that they are uniquely made.

Let us pray, then, to Mary Most Holy, Mother of the Church, that every Christian community may be a home open to all and attentive to each person.

Dear brothers and sisters,

The month of May has begun: throughout the Church, the joy of gathering in the name of Mary, our Mother, is renewed, especially by praying the Rosary together. We relive the experience of those days between Jesus’ Ascension and Pentecost, when the disciples gathered in the upper room to invoke the Holy Spirit. Mary Most Holy remained in their midst, her heart keeping watch over the fire that animated the prayer of all. I entrust my intentions to you, particularly for communion within the Church and for peace in the world.

Today marks World Press Freedom Day, promoted by UNESCO. Unfortunately, this right is often violated — sometimes blatantly, sometimes in more subtle ways. Let us remember the many journalists and reporters who have fallen victim to wars and violence.

I warmly greet all of you — the faithful of Rome and the pilgrims who have come from many countries!

I welcome the teachers — religious and lay — from the schools of the Hermanas Franciscanas de los Sagrados Corazones, as well as the faithful from Madrid, Granada, Minneapolis and Malaysia; and the Peruvians who form the Virgen de Chapi de Arequipa Association in Rome.

I greet the Meter Association, which for thirty years has been committed to defending minors from the scourge of abuse, while engaging both ecclesial and civil communities and promoting education aimed at supporting victims and fostering prevention. Thank you for your service!

I am pleased to welcome the faithful from Padua, the Gruppo Giovani Valdaso and the Punto Giovani of the Camillian Community of Piossasco, the Catholic Action of the Vicariate of Noale, the young people from Verolanuova and Cadignano, the youth choir of Coredo-Predaia and the students from the Liceo Fardella – Ximenes of Trapani.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday!

03.05.26

Pope Leo Regina Caeli 03.05.26

Pope Leo General Audience 29.04.26

Excerpt below for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

Today I would like to talk about the Apostolic Journey I made from 13 to 23 April, visiting four African countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

Since the very beginning of my Pontificate, I have thought about a journey in Africa. I thank the Lord for granting me the opportunity to undertake it, as Shepherd, to meet and encourage the people of God; and also to experience it as a message of peace at a moment in history marked by conflicts and serious and frequent violations of international law. And I express my heartfelt thanks to the Bishops and Civil Authorities who welcomed me, and to all those who helped organize the visit.

Providence would have it that the first stop should be the very country where the sites of Saint Augustine are found, namely Algeria. Thus, I found myself, on the one hand, revisiting the roots of my spiritual identity and, on the other, crossing and strengthening bridges that are very important for the world and the Church today: the bridge with the very fruitful age of the Fathers of the Church; the bridge with the Islamic world; and the bridge with the African continent.

In Algeria I received a welcome that was not only respectful but warm, and we were able to experience first-hand and show the world that it is possible to live together as brothers and sisters, even of different religions, when we recognise ourselves as children of the same merciful Father. Furthermore, it was a timely opportunity to learn from the example of Saint Augustine: through his life experience, his writings and his spirituality, he is a teacher in the search for God and for truth. A testimony that is more important than ever today for Christians and for every person.

In the next three countries I visited, the population is instead predominantly Christian, and I therefore found myself immersed in an atmosphere of celebration of the faith and warm welcome, enhanced also by the characteristic traits of the African people. Like my Predecessors, I too experienced something of what happened to Jesus with the crowds in Galilee: He saw them thirsting and hungry for justice, and proclaimed to them: “Blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers”, and, reconsigning their faith, said, “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world” (cf. Mt 5:1-16).

The visit to Cameroon allowed me to reinforce the call to work together for reconciliation and peace, for that country too is, unfortunately, marked by tensions and violence. I am glad to have travelled to Bamenda, in the Anglophone region, where I encouraged people to work together for peace. Cameroon is known as “Africa in miniature”, because of the variety and richness of its natural environment and its resources, but we can also interpret this expression to mean that the great needs of the entire continent are found in Cameroon: the need for a fair distribution of wealth; the need to provide space for the young, overcoming endemic corruption, that of promoting integral and sustainable development, countering the various forms of neo-colonialism with far-sighted international cooperation. I thank the Church in Cameroon and all the Cameroonian people, who welcomed me with such love, and I pray that the spirit of unity which was evident during my visit may be kept alive and guide future choices and actions.

The third leg of the trip was in Angola, a large country south of the equator, with a centuries-long Christian tradition, linked to Portuguese colonization. Like many African countries, after achieving independence, Angola went through a troubled period, which in its case was marked by a long and bloody civil war.

29.04.26

Pope Leo General Audience 29.04.26

FAMINE

Pope Francis

Hunger

Hunger is an injustice that destroys men and women because they have nothing to eat, even if there is a lot food available in the world. Human exploitation; different forms of slavery; recently I saw a film shot inside a prison where migrants are locked up and tortured to turn them into slaves. This is still happening 70 years after the Declaration of Human Rights. Cultural colonization. This is exactly what the Devil wants, to destroy human dignity – and that is why the Devil is behind all forms of persecution.

01.06.18

Pope Leo Regina Caeli 26.04.26

Excerpt below for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Brothers and sisters, good afternoon and happy Sunday!

As we continue our journey through the Easter season, today’s Gospel presents us with Jesus’ comparison of himself to a shepherd and also to the gate of the sheepfold (cf. Jn 10:1–10).

Jesus draws a contrast between the shepherd and the thief. Indeed, he says that “anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit” (v. 1). He goes on to make this even clearer: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (v. 10). The difference is clear: the shepherd has a special bond with his sheep and can therefore enter by the gate of the sheepfold. On the other hand, if someone has to climb over the fence to get in, then he is certainly a thief who wants to steal the sheep.

Jesus is telling us that he is bound to us by a relationship of friendship, for he knows us, calls us by name, guides us, and — just as the shepherd does with his sheep — searches for us when we are lost and binds up our wounds when we are sick (cf. Ezek 34:16). Jesus does not come as a thief to take away our life and our freedom, but to lead us along the paths of righteousness. He does not come to ensnare or deceive our conscience, but to illuminate it with the light of his wisdom. He does not come to taint our earthly joys, but to open them to a fuller and more lasting happiness. Those who entrust themselves to him have nothing to fear, for he does not deprive us of life, but comes to give it to us in abundance (cf. v. 10).

Brothers and sisters, we are invited to reflect on, and especially to be vigilant over, the gate to our heart and our life, because whoever enters may either increase our joy, or steal it from us like a thief.

26.04.26 rc

Pope Leo Holy Mass 26.04.26

Excerpt below for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Dear brothers and sisters,

My greetings go in particular to those who were just presented for ordination to the priesthood, your families, the priests of Rome, many of whom were ordained on this fourth Sunday of Easter, and to all present.

This Sunday is full of life! Although death surrounds us, Jesus’ promise is already coming true: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10). We see great generosity and enthusiasm in the willingness of these young men whom the Church calls today to be ordained as priests. As a numerous and diverse community gathered around the one Master, we feel a presence that renews us. It is the Holy Spirit, who unites people and vocations in freedom, so that no one lives for themselves any longer. Every Sunday calls us out of the “tomb” of isolation and seclusion, so that we can meet in the garden of communion where the Risen One is our guardian.

The vocation of these our brothers invites us to reflect upon the priest’s service, which is a ministry of communion. “Life in abundance,” in fact, comes to us in a deeply personal encounter with the person of the Son, but it immediately opens our eyes to our brothers and sisters who are already experiencing, or who are still seeking, the “power to become children of God” (Jn 1:12). This is one secret for the life of the priest. Dear ordinands, the deeper your bond with Christ, the more radical your belonging to all of humanity. There is no opposition, nor competition, between heaven and earth; in Jesus they are united forever. This living and dynamic mystery binds the heart to an indissoluble love: it binds and fills it. Certainly, like the love of spouses, the love that inspires celibacy for the Kingdom of God must also be guarded and constantly renewed, for every true affection matures and becomes fruitful over time. You are called to a specific, delicate and difficult way of loving and, even more so, of allowing yourselves to be loved in freedom. This will make you not only good priests but also honest, helpful citizens, builders of peace and social friendship.

In this regard, it is striking that in the Gospel that was proclaimed (Jn 10:1–10), Jesus refers to aggressive figures and actions: strangers, thieves, and robbers who disregard boundaries and intrude between him and those he loves. They come, Jesus says, “only to steal and kill and destroy” (v. 10). Their voices are different from his own, and are unrecognisable (cf. v. 5). The Lord’s words are full of realism. He knows the cruelty of the world, where he walks with us. With his words, he evokes not only forms of physical aggression, but above all of spiritual aggression. This does not, however, deter him from giving up his life. Denunciation does not become renunciation; danger does not lead to flight. This is another secret for the life of the priest: we must not be frightened by reality. It is the Lord of life who calls us. May the ministry entrusted to you, dear brothers, convey the peace of those who know that they are safe, even amid dangers.

Today the need for security makes people aggressive, causes communities to close in on themselves and leads people to seek out enemies and scapegoats. Fear is often present around us and perhaps within us. May your security not lie in the role you hold, but in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as well as in your participation, along with your people, in the story of salvation. This salvation is already at work in the many good deeds that are quietly carried out by people of goodwill in the parishes and settings where you will join them as fellow travellers. What you proclaim and celebrate will protect you, even in difficult times.

In the communities where you will be sent, the risen One is already present, and many have already followed him commendably. You will recognise his wounds and distinguish his voice. You will encounter people who will direct you towards him. These communities will also help you to become saints! For your part, help them to walk together, following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, so that they may become places — gardens — of life that rise anew and share themselves with others. People are often lacking a place where they can understand that it is better and beautiful to be together, and that it is possible to get along. Facilitating encounters, helping to bring together those who would otherwise never meet, and conciliating division is one and the same as celebrating the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Coming together always means planting the Church anew.

At one point in today’s Gospel, Jesus begins to speak about himself using an important image. He was describing himself as the “shepherd,” but those listening seemed not to understand. So he changes the metaphor: “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep” (Jn 10:7). In Jerusalem, there was a gate called exactly that, “the gate of the sheep,” near the pool of Bethesda. Sheep and lambs entered the temple through it, first being immersed in water, and then being destined for sacrifice. This image immediately reminds us of Baptism.

“I am the gate,” Jesus said. The Jubilee showed us that this image continues to speak to the hearts of millions of people. For centuries, doors — often true portals — have invited people to cross the threshold of the Church. In some cases, the baptismal font was built outside, like the ancient Pool of Bethesda, beneath whose porticoes “lay many invalids — blind, lame, and paralyzed” (Jn 5:3). Dear ordinands, consider yourselves to be part of this suffering humanity, which awaits abundant life. By introducing others to the faith, you will rekindle your own. Together with the baptised faithful, you will cross the threshold of the mystery every day — the threshold bearing the face and name of Jesus. Never hide this holy door. Do not block it; do not be an obstacle to those who wish to enter. “You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering” (Lk 11:52): this is Jesus’ bitter rebuke to those who have hidden the key to a passage that was meant to be open to all.

26.04.26 m

The Gospel in your pocket

How do we receive the Word of God? The response is clear: As one receives Jesus Christ. The Church tells us that Jesus is present in the Scripture, in His Word.

Always carry a small Gospel with you in your purse, in your pocket, and read a passage from the Gospel during the day. Not so much to learn something, but mostly to find Jesus, because Jesus actually is in His Word, in His Gospel. Every time I read the Gospel, I find Jesus. - Pope Francis 01.09.14

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Thank you, Francis

Every month, you have invited us to pray with you for the challenges of humanity and the mission of the Church, teaching us to learn compassion for others from the heart of Christ. Thank you, Francis, for your life and your witness.

Your Worldwide Prayer Network.

Pope Francis Easter Message and Urbi et Orbi Blessing 20.04.25

Easter Sunday