Pope Leo Angelus 15.02.26

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

Today we hear a part of the Gospel passage of the “Sermon on the Mount” (cf. Mt 5:17-37).  After having proclaimed the Beatitudes, Jesus invites us to enter into the newness of the Kingdom of God.  In order to guide us on this journey, he reveals the true meaning of the precepts of the Law of Moses.  They are not meant to satisfy an external religious need of feeling “righteous” before God, but to bring us into a relationship of love with God and with our brothers and sisters.  For this reason, Jesus says that he did not come to abolish the Law, but to bring it to fulfilment (cf. v. 17).

The Law is fulfilled precisely by love, which brings its profound meaning and ultimate purpose to completion.  We are called to achieve a righteousness that “exceeds” (cf. v. 20) that of the scribes and Pharisees, a righteousness that is not limited to observing the commandments, but that opens us to love and compels us to love.  Jesus examines some of the precepts of the Law that refer to concrete cases, and uses linguistic formulas called antinomies to show the difference between formal religious righteousness and the righteousness of the Kingdom of God: on the one hand, “You have heard that it was said to the men of old,” and on the other, Jesus affirms, “But I say to you” (cf. vv. 21-37).   

This approach is very important, because it shows that the Law was given to Moses and the prophets as a way to come to know God and his plan for us and for history or, to use an expression of Saint Paul, as a pedagogue who guided us to him (cf. Gal 3:23-25).  But now, God himself, in the person of Jesus, has come among us, bringing the Law to fulfilment, making us children of the Father and giving us the grace to enter into a relationship with him as children and as brothers and sisters among ourselves.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus teaches us that true righteousness consists in love and that, within every precept of the Law, we must learn to identify a call to love.  Indeed, it is not sufficient to refrain from killing a person physically if one then kills with words and undermines the dignity of the other (cf. Mt 5:21-22).  Similarly, it is not enough to be technically faithful to one’s spouse and not commit adultery if the relationship lacks mutual tenderness, listening, respect, care for the other and shared goals (cf. vv. 27-28, 31-32).  We could add other examples to the ones that Jesus himself offers us.  The Gospel offers us this valuable teaching: minimal righteousness is not enough; great love is needed.

Let us invoke together the Virgin Mary, who gave Christ to the world, the One who fulfils the Law and the plan of salvation.  May she intercede for us, help us to understand better the Kingdom of God and to live out its call for righteousness.

Dear brothers and sisters,

I express my closeness to the people of Madagascar who have been impacted by two cyclones, flooding and landslides within a short period of time.  I pray for the victims, their families and for all who have suffered serious damage.

In the coming days, millions of people in East Asia and other parts of the world will celebrate the Lunar New Year.  May this joyful celebration strengthen family ties and friendships, bring peace to homes and society and provide an opportunity to look to the future together and to build peace and prosperity for all.  With my best wishes for the New Year, I express to everyone my affection and invoke the Lord’s blessing upon each one of you.

I am pleased to greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims, especially the faithful from the parish of San Lorenzo in Cadiz, Spain, and those from Marche.

I also welcome the students and teachers from All Saints Catholic School in Sheffield and Thornleigh Salesian College in Bolton, England; the School of Vila Pouca de Aguiar in Portugal; the Colegio Altasierra in Seville and the “Edith Stein” School in Schillingfürst, Germany.

I greet the participants of the national conference of the Catholic Students Movement (FIDAE); the candidates preparing for Confirmation from Almenno San Salvatore and those from Lugo, Rosaro, Stallavena and Alcenago; the children of the “San Giuseppe” School in Bassano del Grappa and the Salesian Institute “Sant’Ambrogio” in Milan; and the young people of Petosino, Solbiate and Cagno.

I wish all of you a happy Sunday.

15.02.26 a

Pope Leo Angelus 15.02.26  

Pope Leo General Audience 11.02.26

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 General Audience 11.02.26  

Pope Leo

Message for the World Day of the Sick 11.02.26 

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click here

The compassion of the Samaritan:

loving by bearing another’s pain

Dear brothers and sisters,

The thirty-fourth World Day of the Sick will be solemnly celebrated in Chiclayo, Peru, on 11 February 2026. For this occasion, I would recommend reflecting once again on the figure of the Good Samaritan, for he is always relevant and essential for rediscovering the beauty of charity and the social dimension of compassion. This reflection further directs our attention towards the needy and all those who suffer, especially the sick.

We are all familiar with the moving account found in the Gospel of Saint Luke (cf. Lk 10:25-37). Jesus responds to a scholar of the law, who asks him to identify the neighbour he must love, with this story: a man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by robbers and left for dead. While a priest and a Levite passed him by, a Samaritan took pity on him, bandaged his wounds, took him to an inn and provided for his care. I have chosen to reflect on this biblical passage through the lens of the Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, written by my beloved predecessor Pope Francis. There, compassion and mercy towards those in need are not reduced to a merely individual effort, but are realised through relationships: with our brothers and sisters in need, with those who care for them and, ultimately, with God who gives us his love.

1. The gift of encounter: the joy of offering closeness and presence

We live immersed in a culture of speed, immediacy and haste – a culture of “discard” and indifference that prevents us from pausing along the way and drawing near to acknowledge the needs and suffering that surround us. In the parable, when the Samaritan saw the wounded man, he did not “pass by.” Instead, he looked upon him with an open and attentive gaze – the very gaze of Jesus – which led him to act with human and compassionate closeness. The Samaritan “stopped, approached the man and cared for him personally, even spending his own money to provide for his needs… [Above all] he gave him his time.” [1] Jesus does not merely teach us who our neighbour is, but rather how to become a neighbour; in other words, how we can draw close to others. [2]  In this respect, we can affirm with Saint Augustine that the Lord did not intend to show us who that man’s neighbour was, but rather to whom he should become a neighbour. Indeed, no one is truly a neighbour until they freely draw near to another. Thus, the one who became a neighbour was the one who showed mercy. 

Love is not passive; it goes out to meet the other. Being a neighbour is not determined by physical or social proximity, but by the decision to love. This is why Christians become neighbours to those who suffer, following the example of Christ, the true divine Samaritan who drew near to a wounded humanity. These are not mere gestures of philanthropy, but signs through which we perceive that personal participation in another’s suffering involves the gift of oneself. It means going beyond the simple satisfaction of needs, so that our very person becomes part of the gift. [4]  This kind of charity is necessarily nourished by an encounter with Christ, who gave himself for us out of love. Saint Francis expressed this beautifully when, speaking of his encounter with lepers, he said: “The Lord himself led me among them,” [5] because through them he had discovered the sweet joy of loving.

The gift of encounter flows from our union with Jesus Christ. We recognise him as the Good Samaritan who has brought us eternal salvation, and we make him present whenever we reach out to a wounded brother or sister. Saint Ambrose said: “Since no one is more truly our neighbour than he who has healed our wounds, let us love him as Lord and also as neighbour; for nothing is so close as the head to its members. Let us also love those who imitate Christ; let us love those who suffer due to the poverty of others, for the sake of the unity of the Body.” [6] “To be one in the One” – through closeness, presence, and love received and shared – is to rejoice, like Saint Francis, in the sweetness of having encountered the Lord.

2. The shared mission of caring for the sick

Saint Luke continues, noting that the Samaritan “was moved with pity.” Compassion, in this sense, implies a profound emotion that compels us to act. It is a feeling that springs from within and leads to a committed response to another’s suffering. In this parable, compassion is the defining characteristic of active love; it is neither theoretical nor merely sentimental, but manifests itself through concrete gestures. The Samaritan drew near, tended the wounds, took charge and provided care. Notably, he does not act in isolation: “The Samaritan discovered an innkeeper who would care for the man; we too are called to unite as a family that is stronger than the sum of small individual members.” [7]  In my experience as a missionary and bishop in Peru, I have personally witnessed many who show mercy and compassion in the spirit of the Samaritan and the innkeeper. Family members, neighbours, healthcare workers, those engaged in pastoral care for the sick, and many others stop along the way to draw near, heal, support and accompany those in need. By offering what they have, they give compassion a social dimension. This experience, occurring within a network of relationships, transcends mere individual commitment. For this reason, in the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te , I referred to the care of the sick not only as an “important part” of the Church’s mission, but as an authentic “ecclesial action” (n. 49). I quoted Saint Cyprian to illustrate how this dimension serves as a measure of a society’s health: “This pestilence and plague, which seems so horrible and deadly, searches out the righteousness of each one, and examines the minds of the human race, to see whether the healthy serve the sick; whether relatives love each other with sincerity; whether masters have pity on their sick servants; whether doctors do not abandon the sick who beg for help.” 

“To be one in the One” means truly recognising that we are members of a single Body that brings the Lord’s compassion to the suffering of all people, each according to our own vocation. [9]  Moreover, the pain that moves us to compassion is not the pain of a stranger; it is the pain of a member of our own Body, to whom Christ our Head commands us attend, for the good of all. In this sense, our service is identified with Christ’s own suffering and, when offered in a Christian spirit, hastens the fulfilment of the Saviour’s prayer for the unity of all. 

11.02.26

Pope Francis Message for the 58th World Day of Peace 01.01.25

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

Daily Readings - read the entire New Testament over a 2 year period (reading plan courtesy of Gideon International)

The Bible Online

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

for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Pope Francis

Care for Our Common Home - Laudato Si'

Pope Francis 

Refugees and Migrants

Pope Francis

 Marriage

Pope Francis - The ‘foreverness’ and beauty of Love 

Pope Francis - The Family in the Light of the Word of God

Pope Francis 

Fraternity

Pope Francis

Compassion

Pope Francis

Happiness

Pope Leo Holy Mass 11.01.26 

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord