A person hearing God's call to follow him does not mean that person then belongs to a special or privileged clique of the perfect or the "elected," Pope Francis said.
"The call is never a privilege. We cannot say that we are privileged
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Like keeping a bicycle upright when riding it, a balanced life of faith is possible only in motion, Pope Francis said. “If you stop, it does not stay up,” he said Nov. 8 at his weekly general audience,
"Let us think about and pray for populations suffering from war," he said Nov. 8 at the end of his weekly general audience. "Do not forget the tormented Ukraine and think of the Palestinian and Israeli people. May the Lord bring about
St. Charles de Foucauld was known to remain in prayer "at Jesus' feet, before the Tabernacle," for hours a day, "sure that the evangelizing force resides there and feeling that it is Jesus who will bring him close to so many distant
The life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a former slave from Sudan who became a nun, demonstrates how love liberates people from oppression and frees them to forgive their oppressors and break cycles of hatred and violence, Pope Francis said.
The pope followed his usual practice of speaking about his latest trip at the first general audience after his return. The pope went to Marseille -- an ancient port city on the Mediterranean Sea and France's second-largest city -- Sept. 22-23 to
Inspired by the dignity of each human being as revealed by Jesus, Christians are called to fight "every form of slavery," whether physical, social or spiritual, Pope Francis said.
Continuing his weekly catechesis on zeal for evangelization, the pope discussed the life of
"So many talk about (issues), so many criticize and say that everything is going wrong. But Christians are not called to that, but rather to deal with them and get their hands dirty," the pope said during his general audience Sept. 13
Greeting visitors in the Paul VI audience hall after his weekly general audience Aug. 30, the pope drew attention to the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation Sept. 1, the beginning of the Season of Creation, a monthlong ecumenical