Papal Events

Address to the Roman Curia for the Exchange of Christmas Greetings

21 December 2024

“Bless and do not curse”

In his annual address to the Roman Curia for the exchange of Christmas Greetings, Pope Francis decries the killing of more children in Gaza, and highlights the virtue of humility to foster an harmonious working community. The following is the English text of the Holy Father’s address given in Italian on Saturday, 21 December, in the Vatican.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

My deep thanks go to Cardinal Re for his greeting and good wishes. How good to see that he does not age! Thank you, Your Eminence, for your example of readiness to serve and your love for the Church.

Cardinal Re spoke about the war. Yesterday the [Latin] Patriarch [of Jerusalem] was not allowed into Gaza, as had been promised; and yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty. This is not war. I wanted to tell you this because it touches my heart. Thank you for having referred to this, Your Eminence, thank you!

The title of this address is “Bless and do not curse”.

The Roman Curia is made up of many working communities, more or less complex or numerous. This year, in thinking about a reflection that could benefit community life in the Curia and its various offices, I chose an aspect that fits in well with the mystery of the Incarnation, and you will immediately see why.

I thought about speaking well of others and not speaking ill of them. This is something that concerns all of us, including the Pope — bishops, priests, consecrated persons and the laity. In this regard, we are all equal. Why? Because it is part of our being human.

Speaking well and not speaking ill is an expression of humility, and humility is the hallmark of the Incarnation and particularly the mystery of the Lord’s Birth which we are about to celebrate. An ecclesial community lives in joyful and fraternal harmony to the extent that its members walk in the way of humility, refusing to think and speak ill of one another.

Saint Paul, writing to the community in Rome, says, “Bless and do not curse” (Rom 12:14). We can also understand his words as meaning: “Speak well and do not speak ill” of others, in our case, our co-workers, our superiors and colleagues, everyone. Speak well and do not speak ill.

The path to humility: self-accusation

I would suggest today, as I did some twenty years ago at a diocesan assembly in Buenos Aires, that all of us, as a way of exercising humility, learn the practice of self-accusation, as taught by the ancient spiritual masters, particularly Dorotheus of Gaza. Yes, Gaza, the very place that is presently synonymous with death and destruction, is a quite ancient city, where monasteries and outstanding saints and teachers flourished in the first centuries of Christianity. Dorotheus was one of them. In the footsteps of great Fathers like Basil and Evagrius, he built up the Church by his writings and his letters, which abound in evangelical wisdom. Today too, by reflecting on his teachings, we can learn humility through self-accusation, so as not to speak ill of our neighbour. Sometimes, in everyday speech, when someone makes a critical comment, another will think: “Look who’s talking!”. That is in everyday speech.

In one of his “Instructions”, Dorotheus says, “When some evil befalls a humble man, he immediately looks inward and judges that he has deserved it. Nor does he allow himself to reproach or blame others. He simply puts up with this hardship, without making a fuss, without anguish, and in all tranquility. Humility troubles neither him nor anyone else” (Dorotheus of Gaza, Oeuvres spirituelles, Paris 1963, No. 30).

And again: “Do not try to know the faults of your neighbour or harbour suspicions against him. If our own malice gives rise to such suspicions, try to turn them into good thoughts” (ibid., No. 187).

Self-accusation is only a means, yet one that is essential. It is the basis for our being able to say “no”’ to individualism and “yes” to the ecclesial spirit of community. Those who practise the virtue of self-accusation and do so consistently are gradually liberated from suspicion and distrust, and make room for God, who alone can bond hearts. If everyone makes progress along this path, a community can be born and grow, one in which all are guardians of one another and walk together in humility and charity. When we see a defect in someone, we should only talk about it with three others: with God, with the person in question, or, if that is not possible, with the person in the community who can take care of the situation. No one else.

What is the basis of this spiritual “style” of self-accusation? It is inner abasement, in imitation of the synkatábasis or “condescension” of the Word of God. A humble heart abases itself, like the heart of Jesus, whom in these days we contemplate lying in a manger.

Faced with the tragedy of a world so often in the grip of evil, what does God do? Does he rise up in all his righteousness and hurl condemnations from on high? In some sense, that is what the prophets expected, even to the time of John the Baptist. Yet God is God; his thoughts are not our thoughts, and his ways are not our ways (cf. Is 55:8). God’s holiness, as divine, is paradoxical in our eyes. The Most High chooses to abase himself, to become little, like a mustard seed, like a man’s seed in a woman’s womb. Invisible. In this way, he begins to take upon himself the enormous, unbearable burden of the world’s sin.

God’s condescension is mirrored by our practice of self-accusation, which is not primarily a moral act of our own, but a theological reality – as is always the case in the Christian life. It is a gift from God, the work of the Holy Spirit, which it is up to us to accept, to “condescend” and be willing to welcome this gift into our hearts. That is what the Virgin Mary did. She had no cause for self-accusation, yet she freely chose to cooperate fully in God’s condescension, in the abasement of the Son and in the descent of the Holy Spirit. In this sense, humility could well be called a theological virtue.

To help us abase ourselves, we can to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This will help us. Each of us can ask: when was the last time I went to confession?

En passant, I would like to mention something further. A few times I have spoken about gossip. This is an evil that destroys social life, makes people’s hearts sick and leads to nothing. People say it very well: “Gossip is pointless”. Be careful about this.

Blessed ourselves, let us bless others in turn

Dear brothers and sisters, the Incarnation of the Word shows us that God has not condemned us but blessed us. What is more, it reveals to us that in God there is no condemnation, but only and always blessing.

Here we can think of certain passages of the Letters of Saint Catherine of Siena, such as this: “It seems that [God] desires not to remember our offences, or to condemn us to eternal damnation, but to show us constant mercy” (Letters, No. 15). And we need to talk about mercy!

Yet above all we can think of Saint Paul and the magnificent first words of the hymn found at the beginning of the Letter to the Ephesians:

“Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (1:3).

Here we find the origin of our ability to “bless” others: precisely because we ourselves have been blessed, we can bless others in turn. We have been blessed, so we can bless others.

All of us need to plunge into the depths of this mystery; otherwise we risk drying up and becoming like those empty, desiccated canals that no longer contain even a drop of water. Here in the Curia, office work is itself often arid and, in the long run, can make us dry unless we refresh ourselves through pastoral work, moments of encounter, friendships, in a spirit of openness and generosity. With regard to pastoral experiences, I ask young people especially if they have any pastoral experience, this is very important. For this to happen, we need, more than anything else, to make the Spiritual Exercises each year: to immerse ourselves in God’s grace, to be totally immersed in and drenched by the Holy Spirit in those floods of life-giving water whereby each of us has been willed and loved “from the beginning”. If our hearts are embraced by that primordial blessing, then we will be able to bless everyone, even those for whom we do not care or those who have treated us badly. This is the case: we are to bless even those who are unfriendly.

The model to which we should look is, as always, the Virgin Mary, our Mother. Mary is, par excellence, the one who is Blessed. That is how Elizabeth greets her at the Visitation: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Lk 1:42). That is how we too address her in the “Hail Mary”. Our Lady brought us the “spiritual blessing in Christ” (cf. Eph 1:3) that was certainly present “in the heavens” before all time, but also, “in the fullness of time”, present on earth, in human history, when the Incarnate Word became man (cf. Gal 4:4). Christ is that blessing. He is the fruit that blesses the womb; the Son who blesses the Mother. The Virgin Mary can rightly be addressed, in Dante’s words, as “the daughter of your Son… humble and lofty more than a creature”. Mary, as Blessed, brought to the world the Blessing that is Jesus. There is a painting, which I have in my study, of the synkatábasis. There is Our Lady with her hands like a small ladder, and the Child is descending the ladder. The Child has the Law in one hand and with the other he is holding onto his mother so as not to fall. That is Our Lady’s role: to carry the Child. And this is what she does in our hearts.

Artisans of blessing

Sisters and brothers, as we look to Mary, image and model of the Church, we are led to reflect on the ecclesial dimension of this blessing. Here I would summarize it in this way: in the Church, sign and instrument of God’s blessing for humanity, all of us are called to become artisans of blessing. Not just those who give blessings, but artisans who teach, living as artisans to bless others.

We can think of the Church as a great river that branches off into a thousand and one streams, torrents, rivulets – a bit like the Amazon basin – to water the entire earth with God’s blessing, flowing from the Paschal Mystery of Christ.

The Church thus appears to us as the fulfilment of the plan that God revealed to Abraham from the moment he first called him to leave the land of his fathers. The Lord said to him, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you... and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:2-3). This plan dominates the entire economy of God’s covenant with his people, a people “chosen” not in an exclusive sense, but in the sense that we, as Catholics, would call “sacramental”. In a word, by bringing the gift of that blessing to everyone through our example, our witness, our generosity and our forbearance.

In the mystery of the Incarnation, then, God has blessed every man and woman who comes into this world, not with a decree that rains down from heaven, but through the flesh of Jesus, the blessed Lamb born of blessed Mary (cf. Saint Anselm, Or. 52).

I like to think of the Roman Curia as a great workshop in which there are any number of different jobs, but where everyone works for the same purpose: to bless others, and to spread the blessing of God and Mother Church in the world.

Here I think in particular of the hidden work carried out by the office staff – the minutanti, some of whom I see here, they are very good, thank you! – who prepare letters assuring someone who is ill or imprisoned, a mother, father or child, an elderly person, and so many others, that the Pope is praying for them and that he sends his blessing. Thank you for this, because I sign these letters. Is that not to serve as an artisan of blessing? Minutanti are real artisans of blessing. They tell me that a saintly priest who worked years ago in the Secretariat of State had attached to the back of the door of his office a piece of paper that read: “My work is humble, humbled and humiliating”. Perhaps this was a negative way of seeing things, but not without a grain of truth and healthy realism. To me, it can be read in a positive way, as conveying the typical style of the “artisans” of the Curia: humility as a means of spreading “blessings”. It is the way of God himself, who in Jesus condescends to share in our human condition, and thus gives us his blessing. And I can testify to this: on my recent Encyclical, on the Sacred Heart, which Cardinal Re mentioned, how many people worked! Very many! The drafts went back and forth... Many of them, with small things.

Dear friends, it is reassuring to think that through our daily work, especially that which is hidden, each of us can help bring God’s blessing into the world. Yet in this, we must be consistent: we cannot write blessings and then go on to ruin them by speaking ill of our brother or sister. So this is my wish: may the Lord, born for us in humility, help us always to be women and men of blessing.

A happy Christmas to all!

Pope’s homily at Christmas Eve Mass

24 December 2024

Sowing seeds of hope

After opening the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday evening, 24 December, officially inaugurating the 2025 Jubilee of Hope, Pope Francis presided at Christmas Eve Mass. The Holy Father called on the People of God to recover lost hope and renew it, sowing its seeds throughout the world. “We are called to bring hope to the weary who have no strength to carry on, the lonely oppressed by the bitterness of failure, and all those who are broken-hearted”, he told the faithful. The following is the English text of the Pope’s homily.

An angel of the Lord, bathed in light, illumines the night and brings glad tidings to the shepherds: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk 2:10-11). Heaven breaks forth upon earth amid the wonder of the poor and the singing of angels. God has become one of us to make us like himself; he has come down to us to lift us up and restore us to the embrace of the Father.

Sisters and brothers, this is our hope. God is Emmanuel, God-with-us. The infinitely great has made himself tiny; divine light has shone amid the darkness of our world; the glory of heaven has appeared on earth. And how? As a little child. If God can visit us, even when our hearts seem like a lowly manger, we can truly say: Hope is not dead; hope is alive and it embraces our lives forever. Hope does not disappoint!

Brothers and sisters, with the opening of the Holy Door we have inaugurated a new Jubilee, and each of us can enter into the mystery of this extraordinary event. Tonight, the door of hope has opened wide to the world. Tonight, God speaks to each of us and says: there is hope also for you! There is hope for each of us. And do not forget, sisters and brothers, that God forgives everything, God always forgives. Do not forget this, which is a way of understanding hope in the Lord.

To receive this gift, we are called to set out with the marvel of the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem. The Gospel tells us that, having heard the message of the angel, they “went with haste” (Lk 2:16). In this same way, “with haste”, we too are called to recover lost hope, to renew that hope in our hearts, and to sow seeds of hope amid the bleakness of our time and our world. And there is so much desolation at this time. We think of wars, of children being shot at, bombs on schools and hospitals. Do not delay, do not hesitate, but allow yourselves to be drawn along by the Good News.

With haste, then, let us set out to behold the Lord who is born for us, our hearts joyful and attentive, ready to meet him and then to bring hope to the way we live our daily lives. And this is our task: to bring hope into the different situations of life. For Christian hope is not a cinematic “happy ending” which we passively await, but rather, a promise, the Lord’s promise, to be welcomed here and now in our world of suffering and sighs. It is a summons not to tarry, to be kept back by our old habits, or to wallow in mediocrity or laziness. Hope calls us — as Saint Augustine would say — to be upset with things that are wrong and to find the courage to change them. Hope calls us to become pilgrims in search of truth, dreamers who never tire, women and men open to being challenged by God’s dream, which is of a new world where peace and justice reign.

Let us learn a lesson from the shepherds. The hope born this night does not tolerate the indifference of the complacent or the lethargy of those content with their own comforts – and so many of us are in danger of becoming too comfortable; hope does not accept the faux prudence of those who refuse to get involved for fear of making mistakes, or of those who think only of themselves. Hope is incompatible with the detachment of those who refuse to speak out against evil and the injustices perpetrated at the expense of the poor. Christian hope, on the other hand, while inviting us to wait patiently for the Kingdom to grow and spread, also requires of us, even now, to be bold, responsible, and not only that but also compassionate, in our anticipation of the fulfilment of the Lord’s promise. And here perhaps it will do us good to ask ourselves about compassion: do I have compassion? Am I able to suffer-with? Let us reflect on this.

On reflecting on how often we accommodate ourselves to the world and conform to its way of thinking, a fine priest and writer prayed for a Blessed Christmas in these words: “Lord, I ask you for a little annoyance, a touch of restlessness, a twinge of regret. At Christmas, I would like to find myself dissatisfied. Happy, but not satisfied. Happy because of what you do, dissatisfied by my lack of response. Please, take away our complacency and hide a few thorns beneath the hay of our all-too-full ‘manger’. Fill us with the desire for something greater” ( A. Pronzato , La novena di Natale). The desire for something greater. Do not stand still. Let us not forget that still water is the first to become stagnant.

Christian hope is precisely this “something greater”, which should spur us to set out “with haste”. As disciples of the Lord, we are called to find our greater hope in him, and then, without delay, carry that hope with us, as pilgrims of light amid the darkness of this world.

Sisters and brothers, this is the Jubilee. This is the season of hope in which we are invited to rediscover the joy of meeting the Lord. The Jubilee calls us to spiritual renewal and commits us to the transformation of our world, so that this year may truly become a time of jubilation. A jubilee for our mother Earth, disfigured by profiteering; a time of jubilee for the poorer countries burdened beneath unfair debts; a time of jubilee for all those who are in bondage to forms of slavery old and new.

All of us have received the gift and task of bringing hope wherever hope has been lost, lives broken, promises unkept, dreams shattered and hearts overwhelmed by adversity. We are called to bring hope to the weary who have no strength to carry on, the lonely oppressed by the bitterness of failure, and all those who are broken-hearted. To bring hope to the interminable, dreary days of prisoners, to the cold and dismal lodgings of the poor, and to all those places desecrated by war and violence. To bring hope there, to sow hope there.

The Jubilee has now opened so that all people may receive hope, the hope of the Gospel, the hope of love and hope of forgiveness.

As we contemplate the manger, as we gaze upon it and see God’s tender love in the face of the Child Jesus, let us ask ourselves: “Are our hearts full of expectation? Does this hope find a place there? ... As we contemplate the loving kindness of God who overcomes our doubts and fears, let us also contemplate the grandeur of the hope that awaits us. ... May this vision of hope illumine our path each day” ( C. M. Martini , Christmas Homily, 1980).

Dear sister, dear brother, on this night the “holy door” of God’s heart lies open before you. Jesus, God-with-us, is born for you, for me, for us, for every man and woman. And remember that with him, joy flourishes; with him, life changes; with him, hope does not disappoint.

“Urbi et Orbi” Christmas Day Message

25 December 2024

May the sound of arms
be silenced

Wishing everyone “a serene and blessed Christmas”, Pope Francis celebrated the joy of the birth of the Lord Jesus, “the mystery that never ceases to amaze and move us”. He underscored that “the door of God’s heart is always open”, and expressed his hope that we may “be reconciled with God” and with one another for a world marked by peace and harmony.

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Happy Christmas!

The mystery that never ceases to amaze and move us was renewed this night: the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. That is how the shepherds of Bethlehem, filled with joy, found him, as the angels sang: “Glory to God and peace to men” (cf. Lk 2:6-14). Peace to men and women.

This event, which took place over two thousand years ago, is indeed made new thanks to the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit of Love and Life who made fruitful the womb of Mary and from her human flesh formed Jesus. Today, amid the travail of our times, the eternal Word of salvation is once more truly made incarnate, and speaks to every man and woman, to the whole world. This is the message: “I love you, I forgive you; come back to me, the door of my heart is open for you!”

Brothers and sisters, the door of God’s heart is always open; let us return to him! Let us go back to the heart that loves and forgives us! Let us be forgiven by him; let us be reconciled with him! God always forgives! God forgives everything. Let us allow ourselves to be forgiven by him.

This is the meaning of the Holy Door of the Jubilee, which I opened last night here in Saint Peter’s Basilica: it represents Jesus, the Door of salvation open for all. Jesus is the Door; the Door that the Father of mercies has opened in the midst of our world, in the midst of history, so that all of us can return to him. We are all like lost sheep; we need a Shepherd and a Door to return to the house of the Father. Jesus is that Shepherd; Jesus is the Door.

Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid! The Door is open, the door is wide open! There is no need to knock on the door. It is open. Come! Let us be reconciled with God, and then we will be reconciled with ourselves and able to be reconciled with one another, even our enemies. God’s mercy can do all things. It unties every knot; it tears down every wall of division; God’s mercy dispels hatred and the spirit of revenge. Come! Jesus is the Door of Peace.

Often we halt at the threshold of that Door; we lack the courage to cross it, because it challenges us to examine our lives. Entering through that Door calls for the sacrifice involved in taking a step forward, a small sacrifice. Taking a step towards something so great calls us to leave behind our disputes and divisions, surrendering ourselves to the outstretched arms of the Child who is the Prince of Peace. This Christmas, at the beginning of the Jubilee Year, I invite every individual, and all peoples and nations, to find the courage needed to walk through that Door, to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sound of arms and overcome divisions!

May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine! May there be the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation and to gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace.

May the sound of arms be silenced in the Middle East! In contemplating the Crib of Bethlehem, I think of the Christian communities in Palestine and in Israel, particularly the dear community in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave. May there be a ceasefire, may the hostages be released and aid be given to the people worn out by hunger and by war. I express my closeness to the Christian community in Lebanon, especially in the south, and to that of Syria, at this most delicate time. May the doors of dialogue and peace be flung open throughout the region, devastated by conflict. Here I also think of the Libyan people and encourage them to seek solutions that enable national reconciliation.

May the birth of the Saviour bring a new season of hope to the families of thousands of children who are dying from an outbreak of measles in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for the people of the East of that country, and of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Mozambique. The humanitarian crisis that affects them is caused mainly by armed conflicts and the scourge of terrorism, aggravated by the devastating effects of climate change, resulting in the loss of life and the displacement of millions of people. My thoughts also turn to the peoples of the nations of the Horn of Africa, for whom I implore the gifts of peace, concord and fraternity. May the Son of the Most High sustain the efforts of the international community to facilitate access to humanitarian aid for the civilian population of Sudan and to initiate new negotiations for a ceasefire.

May the proclamation of Christmas bring comfort to the people of Myanmar, who, due to the ongoing clash of arms, suffer greatly and are forced to flee their homes.

May the Infant Jesus inspire the political authorities and all people of good will on the American continent to find as soon as possible effective solutions, in justice and truth, to promote social harmony, particularly in Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia and Nicaragua. May they work, particularly during this Jubilee Year, to advance the common good and respect the dignity of each person, surmounting political divisions.

May the Jubilee be an opportunity to tear down all walls of separation: the ideological walls that so often mark political life, and also physical walls, such as the division that has affected the island of Cyprus for fifty years now and has rent its human and social fabric. It is my hope that a mutually agreed solution will be found, a solution that can put an end to the division in full respect for the rights and dignity of all the Cypriot communities.

Jesus, the eternal Word of God made incarnate, is the wide-open Door; he is the wide-open Door that we are invited to enter, in order to rediscover the meaning of our existence and the sacredness of all life — for every life is sacred — and to recover the foundational values of the human family. He awaits us at the threshold. He awaits each one of us, especially the most vulnerable. He awaits the children, all those children who suffer from war and hunger. He awaits the elderly, so often forced to live in conditions of solitude and abandonment. He awaits those who have lost their homes or are fleeing their homelands in an effort to find a safe haven. He awaits all those who have lost their jobs or are unable to find work. He awaits prisoners who, everything notwithstanding, are still children of God, always children of God. He awaits all those — and there are many of them — who endure persecution for their faith.

On this festive day, let us not fail to express our gratitude to those who spend themselves, quietly and faithfully, in doing good and in serving others. I think of parents, educators and teachers, who have the great responsibility of forming future generations. I think too of healthcare workers, the forces of order and all those men and women who carry out works of charity, especially missionaries throughout the world: they bring light and comfort to so many people in difficulty. To all of them we want to say: Thank you!

Brothers and sisters, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to forgive debts, especially those that burden the poorest countries. Each of us is called to forgive those who have trespassed against us, because the Son of God, born in the cold and darkness of the night, has forgiven our own. He came to heal us and forgive us. As pilgrims of hope, let us go out to meet him! Let us open to him the doors of our hearts. Let us open to him the doors of our hearts, as he has opened to us the door of his heart.

I wish everyone a serene and blessed Christmas.

Pope Francis opens Holy Door at Rebibbia Prison

26 December 2024

Open doors and open hearts

On Thursday, 26 December, Pope Francis became the first pope to open a Holy Door in a prison complex. “I wanted the second [door] to be yours”, he told inmates at Rome’s Rebibbia prison, adding that he wanted everyone to have the opportunity to open the doors to their hearts and understand that hope never disappoints. The following is a translation of the Holy Father’s homily during Holy Mass in the prison’s chapel, the Church of Our Father.

Dear Sisters and dear Brothers,

Good morning and Happy Christmas!

I wanted to open the Door here today. The first Door I opened was at Saint Peter’s, the second one is yours. It is a beautiful gesture to open wide, to open doors. But what this means is even more important: it means to open our hearts. Open hearts. And this is what fraternity does. Closed hearts, hardened hearts, do not help us live. This is why the grace of a Jubilee is to open wide, to open, and above all, to open our hearts to hope. Hope does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5), ever! Think about this carefully. I think about it too, because in bad times, one thinks that everything is over, that nothing can be resolved. But hope never disappoints.

I like to think of hope as an anchor on the shore. With the rope, we are safe there because our hope is like an anchor on solid ground (cf. Heb 6:17-20). Do not lose hope. This is the message I want to give you; to everyone, to all of us. Myself first. All of us. Do not lose hope. Hope never disappoints. Never. Sometimes the rope is tough and hurts our hands... but with the rope, always with the rope in hand, looking towards the shore, the anchor pulls us forward. There is always something good, always something that helps us move forward.

The rope in one’s hand and, secondly, open windows, open doors. Especially the doors of our hearts. When one’s heart is closed, it becomes as hard as stone; it forgets tenderness. Yet even in the most difficult times — each of us has our own, easier or harder, and I am thinking of you — always keep your hearts open. The heart is precisely what makes us brothers and sisters. Open wide the doors of your heart. Each one knows how to do it. Each one knows where the door is closed or half-closed. Each person knows.

I say two things to you. First: the rope in hand, with the anchor of hope. Second: open wide the doors of the heart. We have opened this Door, but this is a symbol of the doors of our hearts.

I wish you a great Jubilee. I wish you much peace, much peace. I pray for you every day. Truly. It is not just a figure of speech. I think of you and I pray for you. And you, pray for me. Thank you.

After the final blessing, the Holy Father added a few words extemporaneously.

Now let us not forget two things we must do with our hands. First: Hold on tightly to the rope of hope, hold on to the anchor, to the rope. Never let go. Second: Open wide your hearts. Open hearts. May the Lord help us in all of this. Thank you.

Spontaneous words spoken at the conclusion of Holy Mass.

Before we finish, I wish you all a happy New Year. May the coming year be better than this one. Every year must be better. And from here, I want to greet the prisoners who are still in their cells, who could not come. A greeting to all and to each one of you.

And do not forget: Hold on to the anchor. Hands firmly gripping it. Do not forget. Happy New Year to all of you. Thank you.

First Vespers of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and ‘Te Deum’

31 December 2024

The hope of fraternity

On Tuesday afternoon, 31 December, Pope Francis presided over First Vespers of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God in the Vatican Basilica, followed by the singing of the traditional Te Deum hymn of thanksgiving at the conclusion of the civil year. At the end of the celebration, Pope Francis paid a visit to the Nativity scene in Saint Peter’s Square. The following is the Holy Father’s homily delivered during the celebration.

This is the time of thanksgiving, and we have the joy of experiencing it by celebrating the Holy Mother of God. She, who keeps the mystery of Jesus in her heart, also teaches us to read the signs of the times in the light of this mystery.

The year that is coming to a close has been a demanding year for the city of Rome. The citizens, pilgrims, tourists and all those passing through have experienced the typical phase that precedes a Jubilee, with the proliferation of building sites, large and small. This evening is the moment for a reflection of wisdom, to consider that all this work, besides the value it has in itself, has had a meaning that corresponds to the vocation proper to Rome, her universal vocation. In the light of the word of God we have just heard, this vocation could be expressed thus: Rome is called to welcome everyone, so that all may recognize themselves as children of God and brothers and sisters to each other.

Therefore, at this time we wish to raise our thanks to the Lord because he has allowed us to work, and to work a lot, and above all because he has allowed us to do so with this great meaning, with this broad horizon that is the hope of fraternity.

The Jubilee motto, “Pilgrims of hope”, is rich in meanings, depending on the different possible perspectives, which are just as many as the “roads” of pilgrimage. And one of these great roads of hope on which to walk is fraternity: it is the road I proposed in the encyclical, Fratelli Tutti. Yes, the hope of the world resides in fraternity! It is good to think that our city, in recent months, has become a worksite for this purpose, with this overall meaning: preparing to welcome men and women from all over the world, Catholics and Christians of other denominations, believers of every religion, seekers of truth, freedom, justice and peace, all pilgrims of hope and fraternity.

But we must ask ourselves: does this perspective have a foundation? Is the hope of a fraternal humanity merely a rhetorical slogan, or does it have a “rock” foundation on which something stable and lasting can be built?

The answer is given to us by the Holy Mother of God, by showing Jesus to us. Hope for a fraternal world is not an ideology, it is not an economic system, it is not technological progress. The hope for a fraternal world is him, the Son incarnate, sent by the Father so that we may all become what we are, namely children of the Father in heaven, and therefore brothers and sisters among ourselves.

And so, as we gratefully admire the results of the work carried out in the city — let us give thanks for the work of the many, many men and women who have done it, and let us thank the Lord Mayor for working to lead the city forward — let us be aware of what the decisive building site, the worksite that involves every one of us, is: this worksite is the one in which, every day, I will allow God to change in me what is not worthy of a son — to change! — that which is not humane; and in which I will strive, every day, to live as a brother and sister to my neighbour.

May our Holy Mother help us walk together, as pilgrims of hope, on the path of fraternity. May the Lord bless us, all of us; may he forgive our sins and give us the strength to go on in our pilgrimage next year. Thank you.

Holy Father’s homily on the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

1 January 2025

Restoring dignity and
building a culture of peace

On Wednesday morning, 1 January, Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, and 58th World Day of Peace, Pope Francis marked the beginning of the New Year with the celebration of Holy Mass in the Basilica of Saint Peter. We “are invited to take up the summons that flows from the maternal heart of Mary”, cherishing life, caring for wounded lives and restoring dignity to all, he highlighted. Indeed, he added, “this is the basis for building a culture of peace”. The following is the English text of the Pope’s homily.

At the beginning of this new year which the Lord has granted us, we do well to lift our eyes and hearts to Mary. For, like a Mother, she points us to her Son. She brings us back to Jesus; she speaks to us of Jesus; she leads us to Jesus. The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, immerses us once more in the mystery of Christmas. In Mary’s womb, God became one of us, and we, who have opened the Holy Door to inaugurate the Jubilee, are reminded today that “Mary is the door through which Christ entered this world” ( Saint Ambrose , Ep. 42, 4: pl, vii ).

The Apostle Paul sums up this mystery by telling us that “God sent forth his Son, born of a woman” (Gal 4:4). Those words — “born of a woman” — echo in our hearts today; they remind us that Jesus, our Saviour, became flesh and is revealed in the frailty of the flesh.

Born of a woman. Those words bring us back to Christmas, for the Word became flesh. The Apostle Paul, in saying that Christ was born of a woman, almost senses the need to remind us that God became truly man through a human womb. There is a temptation, which many people today find attractive, but can also mislead many Christians, to imagine or invent a God “in the abstract”, associated with some vague religious feeling or fleeting emotion. No. God is tangible, he is human, he was born of a woman; he has a face and a name, and calls us to have a relationship with him. Christ Jesus, our Saviour, born of woman, has flesh and blood. Coming from the bosom of the Father, he takes flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. From the highest heaven, he comes down to earth. Son of God, he becomes the Son of man. The image of the Almighty God, Christ came among us in weakness; though he was without blemish, “for our sake, God made him to be sin” (2 Cor 5:21). He was born of woman; he is one of us. For this reason, he is able to save us.

Born of a woman. Those words also speak to us of the humanity of Christ, to tell us that he is revealed in the frailty of flesh. Born of woman, he comes to us as a tiny infant. That is why the shepherds who went to see what the Angel had proclaimed find not extraordinary signs or great displays, but “Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger” (Lk 2:16). They found a tiny, helpless child in need of his mother’s care, clothing and milk, caresses and love. Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort tells us that divine Wisdom “while certainly able to, did not want to give himself directly to men, but chose to do so through the Blessed Virgin. Nor did he want to come into the world as a full-grown man, with no need of others, but as a small child, in need of a Mother’s care and nourishment” (Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, 139). In the life of Jesus, we see that this is how God chooses to act: through littleness and hiddenness. Jesus never yielded to the temptation of performing great signs and imposing himself on others, as the devil had suggested. Instead, he revealed God’s love in the beauty of his humanity, dwelling in our midst, sharing our daily life, our efforts and our dreams, being merciful to those suffering in body and spirit, giving sight to the blind and strength to the disheartened. The three attitudes of God are mercy, closeness and compassion. God comes near to us and is merciful and compassionate. Let us not forget this. By the frailty of his humanity and his concern for the weak and vulnerable, Jesus shows us the face of God.

Sisters and brothers, it is indeed good for us to reflect on how Mary, the young woman of Nazareth, constantly brings us back to the mystery of Jesus, her Son. She reminds us that Jesus came in the flesh, and that we encounter him above all in our daily life, in our own frail humanity and that of all those whom we encounter each day. In praying to Our Lady as the Mother of God, we proclaim that Christ was begotten of the Father, yet also truly born of a woman. We proclaim that he is the Lord of time, yet dwells in our time, indeed this new year, with his loving presence. We proclaim that he is the Saviour of the world, yet we are able to encounter him and are called to seek him in the face of every human being. If he, who is the Son, became so small as to be held in a mother’s arms, cared for and nursed, this means that today too he comes among us in all those who need similar care: in every sister and brother we meet, in everyone who needs our attention and tender care.

Let us entrust this new year to Mary, Mother of God. May we learn, like her, to discover God’s greatness in the little things of life. May we learn to care for every child born of a woman, above all by protecting, like Mary, the precious gift of life: life in the womb, the lives of children, the lives of the suffering, the poor, the elderly, the lonely and the dying. Today, on this World Day of Peace, all of us are invited to take up the summons that flows from the maternal heart of Mary: to cherish life, to care for wounded lives — there are so many wounded lives —, to restore dignity to the lives of everyone “born of woman”, for this is the basis for building a culture of peace. For this reason, “I ask for a firm commitment to respect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death, so that each person may cherish his or her own life and all may look with hope to the future” (Message for the lviii World Day of Peace, 1 January 2025).

Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother, awaits us there, at the crib. She points out to us, as she did to the shepherds, the presence of the God who always surprises us, who does not come in the majesty of the heavens, but in the littleness of a manger. Let us entrust to her this new Jubilee Year. Let us entrust to her our questions, our worries, our sufferings, our joys and all the concerns that we bear in our hearts. She is our mom, our mother! Let us entrust to her the whole world, so that hope may be reborn and peace may finally spring up for all the peoples of the earth.

History tells us that in Ephesus, when the bishops entered the church, the faithful who were present, with clubs in their hands, cried out: “Mother of God!”. Surely the clubs were a promise of what would happen if the bishops did not declare the dogma of the “Mother of God”. Today we do not have clubs, but we have the hearts and voices of children. Therefore, all together, let us acclaim the Holy Mother of God. Let us say all together, emphatically: “Holy Mother of God!”, three times. Together: “Holy Mother of God! Holy Mother of God! Holy Mother of God”!

Pope’s homily on the
Solemnity of the Epiphany

6 January 2025

Replacing fear and denunciation with a culture of welcome

On Monday morning, 6 January, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord, the Holy Father celebrated Holy Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica. As Christians, we are called to promote “a strong culture of welcome, in which the narrow places of fear and denunciation are replaced by open spaces of encounter, integration and sharing of life”, the Pope reminded the faithful. The star that points to Jesus is visible to everyone, he explained, inviting us to seek him in all things. The following is the English text of the Holy Father’s homily.

“We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage” (Mt 2:2). This is the testimony that the Magi gave to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, announcing to them that the king of the Jews was born.

The Magi testified that they had set out in a different direction in their lives because they had seen a new light in the sky. Let us pause to reflect on this image as we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord during this Jubilee of hope. I would like to highlight three characteristics of the star about which Matthew the Evangelist speaks: it is bright, it is visible to all and it points the way.

First of all, the star is bright. Many rulers at the time of Jesus called themselves “stars” because they felt important, powerful and famous. Yet the light that revealed the miracle of Christmas to the Magi was not any of these “lights”. Their artificial and cold splendour, arising from their scheming and power games, could not satisfy the needs of the Magi who were searching for newness and hope. Instead, they were satisfied by a different kind of light, symbolized by the star, which illumines and warms others by allowing itself to burn brightly and be consumed. The star speaks to us of that unique light that can show to all people the way to salvation and happiness, namely that of love. This is the only light that can make us happy.

Above all, this light is the love of God, who became man and gave himself to us by sacrificing his life. As we reflect, then, we can see that this light likewise calls us to give ourselves for one another, becoming, with his help, a mutual sign of hope, even in the darkest nights of our lives. Let us think about this: are we radiant with hope? Are we able to give hope to others with the light of our faith?

The star led the Magi to Bethlehem by its brightness. We too, by our love, can bring to Jesus the people that we meet, enabling them to see in the Son of God made man the beauty of the Father’s face (cf. Is 60:2) and his way of loving, which is through closeness, compassion and tenderness. Let us never forget this: God is close, compassionate and tender. This is love: closeness, compassion and tenderness. Moreover, we can do this without the need for extraordinary means or sophisticated methods, but simply by making our hearts bright with faith, our gazes generous in welcome, our gestures and words full of gentleness and kindness.

Thus, as we reflect on the Magi, who fixed their eyes on heaven in searching for the star, let us ask the Lord that we might be bright lights that can lead one another to an encounter with him (cf. Mt 5:14-16). How sad it is when someone is not a light for others.

Now we come to the second of the star’s characteristics: it is visible to all. The Magi were not following the clues of a secret code, but a star that they saw shining in the sky. While they observed it, others — such as Herod and the scribes — were not even aware of its presence. Yet the star is always there, accessible to those who raise their glance to heaven in search of a sign of hope. Are we a sign of hope for others?

This too holds an important message. God does not reveal himself to exclusive groups or to a privileged few. God offers his companionship and guidance to those who seek him with a sincere heart (cf. Ps 145:18). Indeed, he often anticipates our own questions, coming to seek us even before we ask (cf. Rom 10:20; Is 65:1). For this reason, in Nativity scenes, we portray the Magi with the features of all ages and races: a young person, an adult, an elderly person, reflecting the different peoples of the earth. We do this in order to remind ourselves that God seeks everyone, always. God seeks everyone, everyone.

We do well to meditate on this today, at a time when individuals and nations are equipped with ever more powerful means of communication, and yet seem to have become less willing to understand, accept and encounter others in their diversity!

The star, which shines in the sky and offers its light to all, reminds us that the Son of God came into the world to encounter every man and woman on earth, whatever ethnic group, language or people to which they belong (cf. Acts 10:34-35; Rev 5:9), and that he entrusts to us that same universal mission (cf. Is 60:3). In other words, God calls us to reject anything that discriminates, excludes or discards people, and instead to promote, in our communities and neighbourhoods, a strong culture of welcome, in which the narrow places of fear and denunciation are replaced by open spaces of encounter, integration and sharing of life; safe spaces where everyone can find warmth and shelter.

The star is in the sky, then, not in order to remain distant and inaccessible, but so that its light may be visible to all, that it may reach every home and overcome every barrier, bringing hope to the most remote and forgotten corners of the planet. It is in the sky so that it can tell everyone, by its generous light, that God does not refuse or forget anyone (cf. Is 49:15). Why? Because he is a Father whose greatest joy is to see his children returning home, gathered together from all parts of the world (cf. Is 60:4). He delights to see his children building bridges, clearing paths, searching for those who are lost and carrying on their shoulders those who struggle to walk, so that no one is left behind and all may share in the joy of the Father’s house.

The star speaks to us of God’s dream that men and women everywhere, in all their rich variety, will together form one family that can live harmoniously in prosperity and peace (cf. Is 2:2-5).

This brings us to the third of the star’s characteristics: it points the way. This too is a helpful insight, especially in the context of the Holy Year that we are celebrating, in which one of the main features is pilgrimage.

The light of the star invites us to undertake an interior journey that, as Saint John Paul ii wrote, frees our hearts from all that is not charity, in order to “encounter Christ fully, professing our faith in him and receiving the abundance of his mercy” (Letter concerning Pilgrimage to the Places linked to the History of Salvation, 29 June 1999, 12).

Walking together is “traditionally associated with our human quest for meaning in life” (cf. Spes Non Confundit, 5). By looking at the star, we can also renew our commitment to be women and men of “the Way”, as Christians were referred to in the first years of the Church (cf. Acts 9:2).

Thus may the Lord make us lights leading others to himself; may he make us generous, like Mary, in giving of ourselves, welcoming and humble in walking together, so that we may meet him, recognize him and do him homage. Renewed by him, may we go out to bring the light of his love into the world.

Angelus on the Solemnity of the Epiphany

6 January 2025

Peace and serenity to all

During the Angelus on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, 6 January, Pope Francis invited the faithful to look at how they welcome Jesus in their own lives. He exhorted those gathered in Saint Peter’s Square to pray so that “imitating the shepherds and the Magi, we are able to recognize Jesus close by, in the poor, in the Eucharist, in the abandoned, in our brother, in our sister”. The following is a translation of the Holy Father’s words.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Happy Feast of the Epiphany!

Today the Church celebrates Jesus’ manifestation, and the Gospel concentrates on the Magi, who at the end of a long journey, reach Jerusalem to adore Jesus.

If we look closely, we will discover something somewhat strange. While these wise men from far away travelled to find Jesus, those who were close by did not take one step towards the grotto in Bethlehem. Drawn and guided by the star, the Magi faced enormous expenses, made themselves available and accepted the many risks and uncertainties of which there was no shortage in those times. And yet they overcame every difficulty to get to see the King Messiah, because they knew that something unique was happening in the history of humanity, and they did not want to miss the event. They had inspiration within, and they followed it.

Instead, those who lived in Jerusalem, who should have been the happiest and the most prompt to rush, stayed still. The priests and theologians correctly interpreted the Sacred Scriptures and provided directions to the Magi about where to find the Messiah, but they did not move from their “desks”. They were satisfied with what they had, and they did not go seeking; they did not think it was worth the effort to leave Jerusalem.

This fact, sisters and brothers, makes us reflect and in a certain sense provokes us, because it raises a question: to what category do we, I, belong today? Are we more similar to the shepherds, who on the very night itself went in haste to the grotto, and the Magi from the east, who set out confidently in search of the Son of God made man; or are we more similar to those who, despite being physically very close to him, did not open the doors of their heart and their life, remaining closed and insensitive to Jesus’ presence? Let us ask ourselves this question. To which group of people do I belong?

According to a story, a fourth Magus arrived late in Jerusalem, precisely during Jesus’ crucifixion — this is a beautiful story; it is not historical, but it is a beautiful story — because he had stopped along the way to help those in need, giving them the precious gifts he had brought for Jesus. Finally, an old man, he arrived, and from the cross, Jesus said to him: “In truth I say to you, all that you have done for the least of your brothers, you have done it for me”. The Lord knows everything that we have done for others.

Let us ask the Virgin Mary to help us so that, by imitating the shepherds and the Magi, we may be able to recognize Jesus close by, in the poor, in the Eucharist, in the abandoned, in our brother, in our sister.

After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:

Dear sisters and brothers, the Epiphany is World Mission Day for Children, which this year has the theme: “Go and invite everyone to the Banquet!”. I greet missionary children and young people all over the world, and I encourage them in their commitment to prayer and solidarity towards their peers in other continents.

I am pleased to convey my warmest wishes to the ecclesial communities of the East, who celebrate Holy Christmas tomorrow. In particular, I assure my prayers for communities that are suffering as a result of ongoing conflicts. May Jesus, Prince of Peace, bring peace and serenity to all of them!

I joyfully welcome the participants in the historical-folkloric pageant, which this year is dedicated to the town of Amelia and its neighbouring villages, to their human values, and to their religious values. Thank you!

And let us not forget to pray for peace in martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, all countries at war, and in Myanmar.

I greet the faithful from Massafra, the young people of the “Tra Noi” (“Among Us”) Movement, the “Friends of history and tradition” from Carovilli and the Choir of Soriano nel Cimino. And I extend my greeting to participants in the great “Procession of the Magi” in Poland, who with this initiative, bear witness to faith in the churches and streets of Warsaw and many Polish cities, but also abroad, even here in Rome! A greeting to all the Polish people.

And I wish everyone a happy Feast of the Epiphany. Continue to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!

Wednesday General Audience

8 January 2025

The ‘scourge’ of child labour

On Wednesday morning, 8 January, Pope Francis resumed his weekly General Audiences, following the pause for the Christmas season, with a catechesis dedicated to children. Highlighting that Jesus considered children to be an example for all those hoping to enter the Kingdom of God, the Holy Father pointed out that “Christians have the duty to earnestly prevent and firmly condemn violence or abuse against minors”. The following is a translation of the Pope’s words which he delivered in Italian in the Paul vi Hall.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Good morning!

I would like to dedicate this catechesis and the following few ones to children, and to reflect in particular on the scourge of child labour.

Nowadays we are capable of turning our gaze to Mars, or even towards virtual worlds, yet we struggle to look into the eyes of children who have been left on the margins and are exploited or abused. The century that is generating artificial intelligence and planning multi-planetary existences, has not yet reckoned with the scourge of the humiliation, exploitation and mortal wounding of children. Let us think about this.

First of all, let us ask ourselves: what is the message in Sacred Scripture with regards to children? It is interesting to note that the word that appears most often in the Old Testament, after the divine name of Yahweh, is the word ben, that is, “son”: almost 5,000 times. “Lo, sons are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Ps 127:3). Children are a gift from God. Unfortunately, this gift is not always treated with respect. The Bible itself leads us through the streets of history where songs of joy resound, as do the cries of victims. For example, in the book of Lamentations we read: “The tongue of the nursling cleaves to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives to them” (4:4); and the prophet Nahum, recalling what had happened in the ancient cities of Thebes and Nineveh, writes: “her little ones were dashed in pieces at the head of every street” (3:10). Let us think of how many children are dying of hunger and destitution, today, or being torn apart by bombs.

The storm of violence unleashed by Herod, who slaughtered Bethlehem’s infants, immediately affected the newborn Jesus. A dismal tragedy that was repeated in other forms throughout history. Jesus and his parents faced the nightmare of becoming refugees in a foreign country, as still happens to many people today and to many children (cf. Mt 2:13-18). Once the storm had passed, Jesus grew up in a village which had not been mentioned in the Old Testament: Nazareth. He learned the trade of carpentry from his legal father, Joseph (cf. Mk 6:3; Mt 13:55), and in this way, “the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him” (Lk 2:40).

During his public life, Jesus preached from village to village, along with his disciples. Some mothers approached him one day, and presented him with their children to be blessed, but the disciples rebuked them. Breaking with tradition, which considered children to be simply passive objects, Jesus called the disciples to him and said: “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God”. He thus indicated the little ones as models for adults. And he solemnly added: “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Lk 18:16-17).

In a similar passage, Jesus called to a child, placed him among the disciples, and said: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3). And then he cautions: “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Mt 18:6).

Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ’s disciples must never allow children to be neglected or mistreated, to be deprived of their rights, to not be loved or protected. Christians have the duty to earnestly prevent and firmly condemn violence or abuse against minors.

Today too, there are too many children forced to work. But a child who does not smile, a child who does not dream cannot know or nurture his or her talents. In every part of the world there are children who are exploited by an economy that does not respect life; an economy that, in so doing, consumes our greatest stock of hope and love. But children occupy a special place in God’s heart, and whoever harms a child will have to account to him.

Dear brothers and sisters, those who recognize themselves as children of God, and especially those who are sent to bring the Good News of the Gospel to others, cannot remain indifferent. They cannot accept that, instead of being loved and protected, our little sisters and brothers are robbed of their childhood, and of their dreams, victims of exploitation and marginalization.

Let us ask the Lord to open our minds and hearts to care and tenderness, and that every boy and every girl will be able to grow in age, wisdom and grace (cf. Lk 2:52), receiving and giving love. Thank you.

Special Greetings

I extend a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims, especially those coming from the United States of America and the Philippines. I pray that each of you, and your families, may cherish the joy of Christmas and draw near in prayer to the Saviour who has come to dwell among us. God bless you!

Lastly my thoughts turn to young people, to the sick, to the elderly and to newlyweds. During these days that follow the Epiphany, let us continue to meditate on the manifestation of Jesus, the Christ, to all peoples. After adoration of God’s glory in the Word made flesh, the Church invites all the baptized people to reflect its light in their own lives.

And let us not forget to pray for peace. Let us not forget martyred Ukraine. Let us not forget Nazareth, Israel. Let us not forget all the countries at war. Let us ask for peace. And let us not forget that war is always a defeat.

May the Lord bless all.

Address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See

9 January 2025

The increasing threat
of a world war

At his annual audience with members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, on Thursday, 9 January, Pope Francis outlined his vision for a “diplomacy of hope” based on truth, forgiveness, freedom and justice. The following is the English text of the Pope’s address.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have come together this morning for a meeting that, apart from its institutional character, seeks above all to be a family event: a moment in which the family of peoples symbolically gathers, through your presence, to exchange fraternal good wishes, to leave behind the disputes that divide us and instead to find what unites us. At the beginning of this year, which is particularly meaningful for the Catholic Church, our coming together has a symbolism all of its own. For the Jubilee is meant to help us step back from the increasingly frenzied pace of daily life in order to be refreshed and nourished by what is truly essential. In a word, to rediscover ourselves, in him, as children of God and as brothers and sisters, to pardon offences, to support the weak and the poor in our midst, to give rest and relief to the earth, to practise justice and to recover hope. This is a summons to all those who serve the common good and who exercise that lofty expression of charity — perhaps the highest form of charity — that is politics.

In this spirit, I offer you a warm welcome. First, I thank His Excellency Ambassador George Poulides, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, for his kind words conveying your shared sentiments. To all of you, I express my gratitude for the affection and esteem for the Apostolic See shown by your peoples and governments, whom you capably represent. This is seen by the visits of more than thirty Heads of State or Government whom I had the joy of receiving in the Vatican in 2024, as well as the signing of the Second Additional Protocol to the Agreement between the Holy See and Burkina Faso on the legal status of the Catholic Church in Burkina Faso and the Agreement between the Holy See and the Czech Republic on some legal questions, signed during the course of the past year. Then, last October, the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China regarding the Appointment of Bishops was renewed for a further four years, a sign of the desire to continue a respectful and constructive dialogue in view of the good of the Catholic Church in the country and of all the Chinese people.

For my part, I have sought to reciprocate this affection by my recent Apostolic Journeys, which have taken me to such distant lands as Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore, as well as to nearer countries such as Belgium and Luxembourg and, most recently, Corsica. Although they are obviously very different destinations, each trip represents an opportunity for me to meet and engage in dialogue with different peoples, cultures and religious traditions, and to bring a word of encouragement and comfort, especially to those in greatest need. Added to these trips are the three visits I have made to Verona, Venice and Trieste here in Italy.

It is to the Italian authorities, national and local, that I would like, at the beginning of this Jubilee year, to express my particular gratitude for the efforts made to prepare Rome for the Jubilee. The unremitting work of these months, which has caused not a few inconveniences, is now being compensated for by the improvement of certain services and public spaces, so that everyone, citizens, pilgrims and tourists, can enjoy even more the beauty of the Eternal City. To the people of Rome, known for their hospitality, I address a special word of thanks for the patience they have shown in recent months, but also for that which they will show in welcoming the many visitors who arrive this year. I would also like to offer my heartfelt thanks to the police forces, the civil protection and healthcare authorities, and all those volunteers who are doing their utmost each day to guarantee security and a peaceful Jubilee.

Dear Ambassadors,

In the words of the prophet Isaiah, which the Lord Jesus read in the synagogue of Nazareth at the start of his public life, as we learn from the evangelist Luke (4:16-21), we find epitomized not only the mystery of Christmas that we have just celebrated, but also of the present Jubilee. Christ came “to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Is 61:1-2a).

Sadly, we begin this year as the world finds itself rent by numerous conflicts, large and small, more or less known, but also by the resumption of heinous acts of terror, such as those that recently occurred in Magdeburg in Germany and in New Orleans in the United States.

We also observe in many countries growing conflictual social and political tensions. We see increasingly polarized societies marked by a general sense of fear and distrust of others and of the future, which is aggravated by the continuous creation and spread of fake news, which not only distorts facts but also perceptions. This phenomenon generates false images of reality, a climate of suspicion that foments hate, undermines people’s sense of security and compromises civil coexistence and the stability of entire nations. Tragic examples of this are the attacks on the Chairman of the Government of the Slovak Republic and the President-elect of the United States of America.

This climate of insecurity leads to the erection of new barriers and the drawing of new borders, whereas others, such as the one that has divided the island of Cyprus for over fifty years and the one that has cut in two the Korean peninsula for over seventy, remain firmly in place, separating families and splitting up homes and cities. These modern borders presume to be lines of identity demarcation, where diversity becomes a reason for mistrust, distrust and fear: “Whatever comes from there cannot be trusted, for it is unknown, unfamiliar, not part of the village... As a result, new walls are erected for self-preservation, the outside world ceases to exist and leaves only ‘my’ world, to the point that others, no longer considered human beings possessed of an inalienable dignity, become only ‘them’.”1 Ironically, the word “border” (“confine”) does not mean a place that separates, but one that unites, (cum-finis), where one can meet others, get to know them and enter into dialogue with them.

My prayerful hope for this new year is that the Jubilee may represent for everyone, Christians and non-Christians alike, an opportunity also to rethink the relationships that bind us to one another, as human beings and political communities. But also to overcome the logic of confrontation and embrace instead the logic of encounter; so that the future does not find us hopelessly adrift, but pressing forward as pilgrims of hope, individuals and communities on the move, committed to building a future of peace.

Furthermore, in the face of the increasingly concrete threat of a world war, the vocation of diplomacy is to foster dialogue with all parties, including those interlocutors considered less “convenient” or not considered legitimized to negotiate. Only in this way is it possible to break the chains of hatred and vengeance that bind and to defuse the explosive power of human selfishness, pride and arrogance, which are the root of every destructive determination to wage war.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the light of these brief considerations, I would like to trace with you this morning, starting from the words of the prophet Isaiah, some features of a diplomacy of hope, of which all of us are called to be heralds, so that the dense clouds of war may be swept away by renewed winds of peace. More generally, I would like to highlight some responsibilities that every political leader should bear in mind in fulfilling his or her responsibilities, which ought to be directed towards pursuing the common good and the integral development of the human person.

Bringing good news to the oppressed

In every time and place, human beings have always been attracted by the idea that they can be sufficient unto themselves and the architects of their own destiny. Whenever we let ourselves be dominated by such presumption, we find ourselves forced by external events and circumstances to realize that we are frail and powerless, poor and needy, subject to spiritual and material adversity. In a word, we discover our misery and our need for someone to save us from it.

Great is the misery of our time. More than ever before, humanity has come to know progress, development and wealth, yet perhaps never before has it found itself so lonely and lost, even at times preferring pets to children. There is an urgent need to hear glad tidings. Glad tidings that, from the Christian perspective, God offers us on Christmas night! Even so, everyone — even those who are not believers — can become the bearer of a message of hope and truth.

Human beings, for that matter, are endowed with an innate thirst for truth. That is a fundamental aspect of our human condition, as every person carries deep within a longing for objective truth and an irrepressible desire for knowledge. While this has always been the case, in our time the denial of self-evident truths seems to have gained the upper hand. Some distrust rational argumentation, believing it to be a tool in the hands of some unseen power, while others believe that they unequivocally possess a truth of their own making, and are thus exempt from discussion and dialogue with those who think differently. Others tend to invent their own “truth”, disregarding the objectivity of reality. These tendencies can be amplified by the modern communications media and by artificial intelligence; they can be misused to manipulate minds for economic, political and ideological ends.

Modern scientific progress, especially in the area of information and communications technology, has brought undoubted benefits for mankind. It has allowed us to simplify many aspects of daily life, to stay in touch with loved ones even if they are physically far away, to remain informed and to increase our knowledge. At the same time, its limitations and dangers cannot be overlooked, since it often contributes to polarization, a narrowing of intellectual perspectives, a simplification of reality, misuse, anxiety and, ironically, isolation, particularly as a result of the use of social media and online games.

The growth of artificial intelligence raises broader concerns about intellectual property rights, the job security of millions of people, the need to respect privacy and to protect the environment from e-waste. Hardly any corner of our world has been left untouched by the broad cultural transformation brought about by the rapid advances in technology, whose alignment to commercial interests is increasingly evident, generating a culture rooted in consumerism.

This imbalance threatens to subvert the order of values inherent in the creation of relationships, education and the transmission of social mores, whereas parents, close relatives and educators must remain the main channels for the transmission of culture, for the sake of which governments should limit themselves to providing support for them in their educational responsibilities. Here we see the importance of media literacy education, which aims to provide the essential tools needed to promote critical thinking skills, to equip young people with the necessary means for their personal growth and their active participation in the future of their societies.

A diplomacy of hope is consequently, above all, a diplomacy of truth. If the link between reality, truth and knowledge is missing, human beings will no longer be able to speak and understand one another, because the foundations of a common language, anchored in the reality of things and therefore universally comprehensible, are lacking. The purpose of language is communication, which is only successful if words are precise and the meaning of terms is generally accepted. The biblical account of the Tower of Babel shows what happens when everyone speaks only in his or her “own” language.

Communication, dialogue, and commitment to the common good thus require good faith and adherence to a common language. This is particularly the case in the diplomatic sphere, especially in multilateral contexts. The impact and success of any statements, declarations, resolutions, and, more generally, negotiated texts depend on this. It is a proven fact that multilateralism is only strong and effective when it focuses on the issues at hand and uses simple, clear and agreed language.

As a result, the attempt to manipulate multilateral documents — by changing the meaning of terms or unilaterally reinterpreting the content of human rights treaties — in order to advance divisive ideologies that trample on the values and beliefs of peoples is particularly worrying. It represents a form of genuine ideological colonization that attempts, in accordance with carefully planned agendas, to uproot the traditions, history and religious bonds of peoples. This is a mentality that, by claiming to leave behind what are considered to be “the dark pages of history”, opens the door to the “cancel culture”. It tolerates no differences and focuses on individual rights, to the detriment of duties towards others, especially the weakest and most vulnerable.2 In this regard, it is unacceptable, for example, to speak of an alleged “right to abortion” that contradicts human rights, particularly the right to life. All life must be protected, at every moment, from conception to natural death, because no child is a mistake or guilty of existing, just as no elderly or sick person may be deprived of hope and discarded.

This approach is particularly relevant in the context of the different multilateral bodies. I think in particular of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, of which the Holy See is a founding member, having taken an active part in the negotiations that, half a century ago, led to the Declaration of Helsinki of 1975. It is more urgent than ever to recover the “spirit of Helsinki”, with which opposing states, considered “enemies”’, succeeded in creating a space of encounter and did not abandon dialogue as a means of resolving conflicts.

Yet the multilateral institutions, most of which came into being at the end of World War ii some eighty years ago, no longer seem capable of ensuring peace and stability, or of carrying on the fight against hunger and promoting the development for which they were created. Nor do they seem able to respond in a truly effective way to the new challenges of this twenty-first century, such as environmental, public health, cultural and social issues, to say nothing of the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. Many of them are in need of reform, bearing in mind that any such reform needs to be based on the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, and respect for the equal sovereignty of states. Regrettably, the risk exists of a “monadology” and of a fragmentation into like-minded clubs that only let in those who think in the same way.

Nevertheless, there have been and continue to be encouraging signs, wherever there is the good will to come together. I think of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Chile and Argentina, signed in Vatican City on 29 November 1984, which, with the mediation of the Holy See and the goodwill of the Parties, put an end to the Beagle Channel dispute. In this way, it showed that peace and friendship are possible when two members of the international community renounce the use of force and solemnly commit themselves to respecting all the rules of international law and promoting bilateral cooperation. More recently, I think of the positive signs of a resumption of negotiations to return to the framework of the Iran nuclear deal, with the aim of ensuring a safer world for all.

Binding up the broken-hearted

A diplomacy of hope is also a diplomacy of forgiveness, capable, at a time full of open or latent conflicts, of mending relationships torn by hatred and violence, and thus caring for the broken hearts of their all too numerous victims. My wish for the year 2025 is that the entire international community will work above all to end the conflict that, for almost three years now, has caused so much bloodshed in war-torn Ukraine and has taken an enormous toll of lives, including those of many civilians. Some encouraging signs have appeared on the horizon, but much work must still be done to create the conditions for a just and lasting peace and to heal the wounds inflicted by the aggression.

Similarly, I renew my appeal for a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza, where there is a very serious and shameful humanitarian situation, and I ask that the Palestinian population receive all the aid it needs. My prayerful hope is that Israelis and Palestinians can rebuild the bridges of dialogue and mutual trust, starting with the smallest, so that future generations can live side by side in the two States, in peace and security, and that Jerusalem can be the “city of encounter”, where Christians, Jews and Muslims live together in harmony and respect. Just last June, in the Vatican gardens, we joined in commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Invocation for Peace in the Holy Land that, on 8 June 2014, saw the presence of the then President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres, and the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, along with Patriarch Bartholomew i . That meeting bore witness to the fact that dialogue is always possible and that we cannot give in to the idea that enmity and hatred between peoples will have the upper hand.

At the same time, it must also be pointed out that war is fuelled by the continued proliferation of ever more sophisticated and destructive weapons. This morning, I reiterate my appeal that “with the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures, let us establish a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and favour development in the most impoverished countries, so that their citizens will not resort to violent or illusory solutions, or have to leave their countries in order to seek a more dignified life”.3

War is always a failure! The involvement of civilians, especially children, and the destruction of infrastructures is not only a disaster, but essentially means that between the two sides only evil emerges the winner. We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians or the attacking of infrastructures necessary for their survival. We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been destroyed or a country’s energy network has been hit.

The entire international community seems to agree on the need to respect international humanitarian law, yet its failure to implement that law fully and concretely raises questions. If we have forgotten what lies at the very foundation of our existence, the sacredness of life, the principles that move the world, how can we think that this right is effectively respected? We need to recover these values and to embody them in precepts of the public conscience, so that the principle of humanity will truly be the basis of our activity. I trust, then, that this Jubilee year will be a favourable moment in which the international community will take active steps to ensure that inviolable human rights are not sacrificed to military needs.

On this basis, I ask that efforts are made to continue to ensure that disregard for international humanitarian law may no longer be an option. Greater efforts are also needed to ensure that the matters discussed at the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent that took place last October in Geneva will be acted upon. The 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions has just been commemorated, and it remains imperative that the norms and principles on which those Conventions are based will be implemented in the all too many open theatres of war.

Among these, I think of the various conflicts that persist on the African continent, particularly in Sudan, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, Mozambique, where a serious political crisis is underway, and in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the population suffers from serious health and humanitarian need, at times aggravated by the scourge of terrorism, resulting in loss of life and the displacement of millions of people. To this, we can add the devastating effects of floods and drought, which worsen already precarious conditions in various parts of Africa.

The prospect of a diplomacy of forgiveness is not, however, meant to heal international or regional conflicts alone. It makes everyone responsible for becoming an artisan of peace, in order to build truly peaceful societies in which legitimate political, but also social, cultural, ethnic and religious differences constitute an asset and not a source of hatred and division.

I think in a special way of Myanmar, where the population suffers greatly from the constant armed clashes that are forcing people to flee their homes and to live in fear.

It is also painful to see that there are still, especially in the Americas, various situations of heated political and social conflict. I think of Haiti, where I trust that the necessary steps can be taken as soon as possible to re-establish democratic order and put an end to the violence. I think too of Venezuela and the grave political crisis it is experiencing, which can only be overcome by sincere adherence to the values of truth, justice and freedom, by respect for the life, dignity and rights of every person, including those arrested as a result of the events of recent months, by the rejection of every form of violence and, let us hope, by the start of negotiations in good faith and aimed at the common good of the country. Likewise, I think of Bolivia, which is experiencing a troubling political, social and economic situation, and Colombia, where I trust that with everyone’s help there can be an end to the many conflicts that have long torn the country apart. Lastly, I think of Nicaragua, where the Holy See, which is always open to respectful and constructive dialogue, follows with concern the measures taken against individuals and institutions of the Church and asks that religious freedom and other fundamental rights be adequately guaranteed to all.

In the end, there can be no true peace without the guarantee of religious freedom, which entails respect for the conscience of individuals and the possibility of publicly manifesting one’s faith and membership in a community. In this regard, the growing expressions of anti-Semitism, which I strongly condemn, and which affect an increasing number of Jewish communities around the world, are a source of deep concern.

Nor can I remain silent about the numerous persecutions against various Christian communities, often perpetrated by terrorist groups especially in Africa and Asia. Nor, for that matter, about the more “discreet” forms of restriction on religious freedom that at times are found also in Europe, where legal norms and administrative practices are growing that “limit or in fact annul the rights formally recognized by the Constitution for individual believers and religious groups”.4 In this regard, I would reiterate that religious freedom constitutes “an achievement of a sound political and juridical culture”,5 because when it “is acknowledged, the dignity of the human person is respected at its root, and the ethos and institutions of peoples are strengthened”.6

Christians are able and desire actively to contribute to the building up of the societies in which they live. Even where they are not a majority in society, they are citizens in their own right, especially in those lands where they have lived from time immemorial. I am speaking especially of Syria, which after years of war and devastation, seems to be pursuing a path of stability. I hope that the territorial integrity, the unity of the Syrian people and the necessary constitutional reforms will not be compromised by anyone, and that the international community will help Syria to be a land of peaceful coexistence where all Syrians, including the Christian community, can feel themselves to be full citizens and share in the common good of that beloved nation.

I think too of beloved Lebanon, and express my hope that the country, with the decisive help of its Christian community, can possess the necessary institutional stability needed to address the grave economic and social situation, to rebuild the south of the country affected by war, and fully to implement the Constitution and the Taif Agreement. May all Lebanese work to ensure that the country of the great cedars is never disfigured by division, but rather distinguished for “living together”. May Lebanon remain a country and a message of coexistence and peace.

Proclaiming liberty to the captives

Two thousand years of Christianity have helped eliminate slavery from every legal system. Nonetheless, many forms of slavery still exist, starting with the seldom acknowledged but widely practised form of slavery that involves labour. Too many people live as slaves to their work, which from a means becomes an end, and are frequently chained to inhuman working conditions in terms of safety, working hours and wages. Efforts need to be made to create dignified working conditions, so that work, which is in itself noble and ennobling, does not become an obstacle to the fulfilment and growth of the human person. At the same time, there is a need to ensure that real job opportunities exist, especially where widespread unemployment encourages undeclared work and consequently crime.

Then there is the horrific slavery of drug addiction, which affects young people in particular. It is unacceptable to see the number of lives, families and countries being ruined by this scourge, which appears to be on the rise, not least because of the advent of often deadly synthetic drugs, widely available as a result of the heinous phenomenon of drug trafficking.

Among other forms of slavery in our day, one of the most dreadful is due to human trafficking by unscrupulous people who exploit the needs of thousands of people fleeing war, famine, persecution or the effects of climate change in search of a safe place to live. A diplomacy of hope is a diplomacy of freedom, which calls for the common commitment of the international community to eliminate this horrid commerce.

At the same time, there is a need to care for the victims of this trafficking, the migrants themselves, who are forced to walk thousands of kilometres in Central America or in the Sahara desert, or to cross the Mediterranean Sea or the English Channel in overcrowded makeshift boats, only to be turned away or forced to live clandestinely in a foreign country. We can easily forget that we are dealing with real persons who ought to be welcomed, protected, promoted and integrated.7

I find it greatly disheartening to see that migration is still shrouded in a dark cloud of mistrust, rather than being seen as a source of empowerment. People on the move are seen simply as a problem to be managed. They cannot be treated like objects to be moved about; they have dignity and resources that they can offer to others; they have their own experiences, needs, fears, aspirations, dreams, skills and talents. It is only by viewing things in this perspective that progress can be made in confronting a phenomenon that requires the contribution of all countries, not least through the creation of safe regular pathways.

Then, too, it is crucial that we address the root causes of displacement, so that leaving one’s home to look for another is a choice and not a necessary means of survival. With this in mind, I consider a common commitment to cooperation in development, as a means of helping eliminate some of the causes leading people to migrate, to be essential.

Release to prisoners

The diplomacy of hope is, in the end, a diplomacy of justice, without which there can be no peace. The Jubilee year is a favourable time to practise justice, to forgive debts and to commute the sentences of prisoners. However, there is no debt that allows anyone, including the State, to demand the life of another. In this regard, I reiterate my call for the death penalty to be eliminated in every nation,8 since it finds no justification today among the instruments capable of restoring justice.

Nor can we forget that, in some sense, we are all prisoners, for all of us are debtors: to God, to others, and also to our beloved earth, from which we draw our daily sustenance. As I observed in my annual Message for the World Day of Peace, “each of us must feel in some way responsible for the devastation to which the Earth, our common home, has been subjected”.9 Increasingly, nature itself seems to be rebelling against human action by extreme manifestations of its power. Examples of this are the devastating floods in Central Europe and Spain, the cyclones that hit Madagascar in the spring and, just before Christmas, the French Department of Mayotte and Mozambique.

We cannot remain indifferent in the face of all this! We do not have that right! Rather, we have a duty to make the greatest effort to care for our common home and its inhabitants, now and in the future.

At cop29 in Baku, decisions were made to secure greater financial resources for climate action. I trust that these will allow for the sharing of resources for the many countries greatly affected by the climate crisis and burdened by oppressive economic debt. With this in mind, I ask the wealthier nations to forgive the debts of countries that will never be able to repay them. This is not simply an act of solidarity or generosity, but above all an act of justice, also in the light of a new form of inequality of which we are increasingly aware today: the “ecological debt” that exists particularly between the global North and South.10

Also in light of this ecological debt, it is important to find effective ways to convert the external debt of poor countries into effective, creative and responsible policies and programmes to promote an integral human development. The Holy See is prepared to accompany this process, in the knowledge that there are no longer any borders or barriers, political or social, behind which we can hide.11

Before concluding, I would like to express here my condolences and assurance of prayers for the victims and those who are suffering as a result of the earthquake that struck Tibet two days ago.

Dear Ambassadors,

From the Christian standpoint, the Jubilee is a season of grace. How I would like this year 2025 to be truly a year of grace, abounding in truth, forgiveness, freedom, justice and peace! “In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come”,12 and each of us is called to make hope flourish all around us. This is my heartfelt wish for all of you, dear Ambassadors, for your families, and for the governments and peoples that you represent. May hope flourish in our hearts and may our time find the peace for which it so greatly longs. Thank you.

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1  Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), 27.

2  Cf. Meeting with Civil Authorities, Representatives of Indigenous Peoples and the Diplomatic Corps, Citadelle de Québec, 27 July 2022.

3  Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), 262; cf. Saint Paul vi, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio (26 March 1967), 51.

4  Saint John Paul ii, Message for the 1988 World Day of Peace, 1 January 1988, 2.

5  Benedict xvi, Message for the 2011 World Day of Peace, 1 January 2011, 5.

6  Ibid.

7  Cf. Address to the Participants in the International Forum on “Migration and Peace”, 21 February 2017.

8  Cf. Message for the 2025 World Day of Peace, 1 January 2025, 11.

9  Ibid., 4.

10  Cf. Bull Spes Non Confundit (9 May 2024), 16; Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), 51.

11  Cf. Encyclical Laudato Si’, 52.

12  Bull Spes Non Confundit, 1.