Your Excellencies,
Dear brothers and sisters,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Before greeting you formally with my brief prepared address, I would just like to say that God, in his providence — and sometimes with a touch of humor — always reminds us that he is with us.  Many of you may not know that my mother was a librarian, and today I am here on my birthday specifically to greet all of you.

I thank the Archivist and Librarian of Holy Roman Church, Archbishop Pagazzi.  I greet the Prefects and Vice-Prefects of the Apostolic Library and the Apostolic Archives, together with the directors and all those who work there; the President of the Governorate; as well as the various friends and benefactors, to whom I express my heartfelt gratitude.

For the first time as Pope, I am visiting the Apostolic Library, following in the footsteps of my predecessors.  I would like this to be a sign of the Pope’s closeness to and appreciation for the mission of the Archives and Library, which are at the service of the development and spreading of culture, for the benefit of the Church and all humanity. In particular, as the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium states, this mission involves “preserving and maintaining acts and documents concerning the government of the universal Church” and their study (No. 242), as well as “collecting and preserving a vast patrimony of learning and art and of making it available to scholars in search of truth” (No. 243).

When we think of a library, we imagine a quiet and peaceful place. Indeed, books are silent and ask for silence. Yet, if on the one hand a book brings calm, on the other it awakens a restlessness, feeding the desire and daring to search. Saint Augustine is an emblem of this dynamic.  Full of life, and tormented by powerful forces struggling within him, for years he “gave vent to desperate cries” (Confessions, VIII, 12, 28), as he himself writes, until he heard the voice of a child singing: “take and read, take and read.”  He immediately took a book from the hands of a friend, the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans, and read it.   Then “a light, as it were, of certainty entered my heart and all the darkness of doubt fled away” (cf. Confessions, VIII, 12, 29).  The doubt was dispelled, but not the desire, which became even stronger, driving him to explore the breadth and depth of Sacred Scripture.  He himself speaks of this on several occasions, when he says that he carefully studied different manuscripts of the biblical books, bending over them like a question mark, in order to establish the best text (cf. In Hep. loc. 3, 6, 14 and 3, 6, 17; Enarr. Ps. 36, III, 6; Enarr. Ps. 138, 20).  The book of Scripture that reached Augustine was the same book that opened up his spirit. Dear friends, by preserving, studying and making available to scholars the books of the successor of Peter, you help the Church and humanity to reach the depths of desire.  Without it, everything withdraws from the living God, the source of truth and love.

How should we describe the Pope’s Library? I will use a metaphor: the Apostolic Library is a heart. A beating heart is a symbol of life, and it results from two opposing movements, systole and diastole: a contraction and a relaxation, a movement towards the center and another towards the periphery.  The Apostolic Library, too, stays alive insofar as it keeps its systole and its diastole.

The systole: may the Apostolic Library continue to be a place marked by discretion, quiet, respect and care.  Within the Vatican walls, may the almost monastic atmosphere of the Apostolic Library remind us each day of the Savior’s command: “If you have to build, if you have to fight, first sit down and study” (cf. Lk 14:28–32).  The inner life of the Apostolic Library also depends upon the unique, priceless treasure it preserves.  While on the one hand it is right to facilitate access to this treasure for study, including through digitization and online access, on the other it is also necessary to preserve and encourage the ancient practice of physically making one’s way to the Library.  For it is not merely a repository of books from which one can conveniently draw using a computer at home, but an atmosphere created by relationships, exchange and the sharing of ideas.

The heart, however, also lives through diastole, and so does our Library. We are in the Leonine Hall, dedicated to Pope Leo XIII.  He was a pastor capable of recognizing the most serious issues of his time, such as the changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution.  He was also a Pope who presided over great cultural developments, such as the opening of the Vatican Archives to scholars from throughout the world and the expansion of access to the Library, to the point of transforming an old arms depot into this beautiful reading room.  The openness and breadth of vision of this Library are evident from its humanistic origins: not only works of theology, but also literature, philosophy, astronomy, physics, mathematics, geography, botany, zoology, medicine, history, law, art and economics.  There are not only European and Christian books, but also volumes written in other religious contexts and originating from every corner of the world.  All of this happened many centuries before this practice became a universally shared value.  Through this approach, the Apostolic Library bears witness to the Church’s ancient and ever-new cultural openness.  The cycle of exhibitions inaugurated today confirms this as well.  A sign of this cultural openness is also the gentle diplomacy that finds an open path among the documents and books of the Vatican Archives and Library, one of the “open pathways to reconciliation” of which the Encyclical Magnifica Humanitas speaks (No. 211). Therefore, please continue in this vein.  Be faithful to the past and faithful to the future, using the languages and means proper to your work, and keep finding new pathways towards reconciliation.

I conclude by drawing attention to an urgent need shared by the Apostolic Library and the Apostolic Archives: the need for new space. Just today I have given instructions to this effect, and I hope that they will help to meet this need.  I intend to continue along the path traced by my predecessors, who over the centuries have demonstrated the care the Apostolic See has for the institutions entrusted with preserving and promoting its cultural and administrative memory.  

Dear friends, I thank you all, and wish you every success in your work. I give you my heartfelt blessing and assure you of my prayers.  Thank you.

Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Sunday!

Today’s Gospel speaks to us of forgiveness, which is a fundamental feature of the Christian life. Jesus taught and exemplified forgiveness even on the cross, where he prayed to the Father for his persecutors with the familiar words: “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34).

In today’s passage, Peter asks the Master precisely about this question: “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” (Mt 18:21). His words reveal a generous heart, for the number seven symbolizes fullness in the Bible, and “forgiving seven times” means forgiving abundantly. Jesus’ response, however, goes even further: “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven” (v. 22); in other words, beyond all limits, without measure.

To clarify his point further, the Savior tells the parable of a servant who owed his master a large debt that was practically impossible to pay. Although his own debt was forgiven out of pure mercy, he did not extend the same mercy toward one of his fellow servants, and for this he was rebuked and severely punished (vv. 23-30).

With these words, Jesus reminds us that gift and forgiveness are the foundation of our existence. All things are given to us by God out of pure love, and none of us can claim to be perfect in responding to such goodness. For this reason, gratuitousness — which is the source of our existence — is also the best rule for our life together. We experience this every day. Forgiveness is indispensable, and without it, we cannot live in peace. Sooner or later conflicts, accusations, grudges and acts of vengeance emerge in our hearts and among people, and these acts destroy relationships, divide families and unleash wars.

Only forgiveness sets us free and restores the light, even where human material and moral poverty has darkened the horizon and made the path uncertain. Forgiveness, like a gentle breeze, sweeps away even the thickest clouds until the sun shines once more. Saint Peter himself experienced this many times in his life; in particular, when — after denying and abandoning Jesus during the Passion — he encountered the risen Lord on the shore of the lake and heard him ask just one question: “Simon … do you love me?” (Jn 21:15). This was accompanied by an invitation, “follow me!” (v. 19), which was the same invitation given on the occasion of their first encounter. It was as if nothing had happened. This love, which forgives and heals, would mark for the first of the Apostles, the confirmation of his mission.

Let us therefore ask the Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, to help us forgive — always, even when it is difficult to take the first step — and to spread, with courage and perseverance, the serene and healing light of love that overcomes hatred and disarms all resentment.

_______________________

After the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters!

Two days ago marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States of America. I renew my prayers for those who lost their lives and for those who continue to bear the wounds of that tragic day. At a time when conflict and violence afflict so many of our brothers and sisters, I invite everyone to pray that the Lord will bestow his gift of peace upon the world.

The memory of the tragic event that took place twenty-five years ago prompts us to renew our commitment to peace, first and foremost through prayer, which we entrust to the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

Now I warmly greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims!

I welcome the groups from São Paulo, Brazil, and those from various other countries.

I greet the members of the Jesus Nazareno Cautivo Religious Association living in Rome, the group from the Salesian Oratory in Chieri, the faithful from Dolianova, Sardinia, and the pilgrims who have come from Assisi along the Way of Saint Francis.

I greet the “Bellunese Family” along with the Erechim School in Brazil, as well as the motorcyclists who have gathered to show their support for peace and life.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you.

My dear sisters, a few brothers scattered also,

I am very pleased to meet with you on the occasion of the Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum Symposium, which brings together representatives of the monastic world from throughout the world.

In greeting the Moderator, perhaps yourself, my thoughts turn in a special way to the Abbot Primate, who was unable to be present due to obligations arising from his primatial responsibilities.

Yours is a valuable work, which for twenty-five years has continued the path of communion and coordination that had been initiated and promoted by Pope Leo XIII for the Benedictine Confederation, and subsequently encouraged by the Second Vatican Council in the Decree Perfectae Caritatis (cf. 22–23).

This journey forward together is all the more important in so far as it aims to live out and advance the Benedictine charism throughout the world through a special spiritual synodality that makes each person’s uniqueness a treasure for all.

In speaking about Saint Benedict, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of, and I quote, “a heart expanded by the unspeakable sweetness of love” (Address to the Participants in the Fifth World Congress of Benedictine Oblates, 15 September 2023).  A heart, he said, is a herald of grace, for its roots are so firm that the tree grows well, weathering the ravages of time and bearing the rich fruits of the Gospel (cf. ibid.).

I too recently visited, wished to visit and did visit as a pilgrim, the monasteries of Subiaco and Montecassino, and to pray in those places that hold such deep significance for the entire People of God and for our history.  As I reflect on the silence and peace of those sanctuaries and see you here today, I cannot help but rejoice in observing that — as the Gospel says — from a small seed a great tree has grown (cf. Mt 13:31–32).  Indeed, a vineyard has spread and “filled the earth” (Ps 80:10), and has borne much fruit because, as my venerable predecessor liked to say, it is deeply rooted in the Lord (cf. Jn 15:1–8).

Therefore, as monks and nuns from so many different countries, the efforts you are making to be ever more profoundly rooted in Christ, and to be his living and prayerful witness throughout the earth, are a great sign and a prophetic gift.  This is especially needed for our time, which is marked by a thirst for authentic life, for communion and for peace.

In this regard, Saint Paul VI pointed to Saint Benedict and his disciples as those who, through prayer, study and work, “with the cross, the book and the plow,” spread “civilization and […] spiritual values” (Apostolic Letter Pacis Nuntius, 24 October 1964).  Thus they built among different peoples and nations a “unity which, as Saint Augustine affirms, is ‘an example and model of absolute beauty’” (ibid.).

In this sense, then, it is indeed commendable that you are engaged in a project — in Rome and elsewhere through digital tools — to offer new formation opportunities specifically dedicated to Benedictine monastic women.

My dear sisters and brothers, I thank you for who you are and for all you do.  Thank you for your prayer, for your humble and silent presence, for the daily and hidden offering of your lives, and for the spiritual guidance, theological reflection and communal values that you live out and radiate.  I encourage you to continue in your consecrated commitment to communion, and I impart to all of you my heartfelt blessing.

Let us pray together, Our Father…

[In Spanish]

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Peace be with you.

I extend a warm greeting to Their Eminences, Their Excellencies, the ecclesiastical authorities of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council, the Amazonian Ecclesial Conference and of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. I appreciate the perseverance with which, together with the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, you have sustained this process of North-South socio-environmental dialogue over the past five years.

Likewise, I express my gratitude for the presence and support of the representatives of international organizations, regional development banks, the business community and the foundations that have chosen to join us on this journey.

I also welcome the presidents, vice presidents and secretaries general of trade union confederations and employers’ organizations from the Americas, as well as the leaders of ecclesial networks in Latin America and the Caribbean, of Organized Communities in North America, and of university networks in both hemispheres. Your presence expresses a desire to continue a dialogue that can lead to more humane, sustainable and solidarity-based models of development, capable of protecting the dignity of every person and paying particular attention to those at risk of being left at the margins.

This meeting is of particular interest considering the breadth of the sectors represented and the responsibilities held by many of its participants in areas crucial to social, economic and cultural life. Precisely for this reason, this space for dialogue can help us tackle the challenges affecting our common future with greater realism.

At the beginning of my pontificate, when I met with the College of Cardinals, I recalled some fundamental aspects of the path that the universal Church has been following for decades, in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Among these, I highlighted the need for a “courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities” (Address to the College of Cardinals, 10 May 2025).

Such dialogue is part of the very mission of the Church, which has received from Jesus Christ the task of proclaiming the Gospel to all peoples and of bringing its light to the concrete realities of every age. Her pastoral character is part of her very nature and commits her to facing directly the reality of the men and women to whom she is sent. The Gospel’s imperative to care for the poor also demands that this gaze be directed in a particular way towards those who suffer most severely from the consequences of social, economic and technological changes.

A few days ago, I recalled that the Church is committed to “engaging with reality and also to unmasking the contradictions that characterize personal and social life in the contemporary world”, including those that may accompany scientific and technological progress which opens up unprecedented possibilities (Catechesis, 2 September 2026).

This commitment is deeply rooted in the very mystery of the Christian faith. God entered our history. In Jesus Christ, He took on our humanity and entrusted to the Church the mission of proclaiming the Gospel amid the real circumstances in which peoples live. From the Scriptures to the great Fathers of the Church, such as Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine, the Christian tradition has learnt to discern within history that which truly serves humankind and that which ultimately turns against it.

The innovations of our time thus place us before a shared responsibility. In Magnifica humanitas I sought to express this using a biblical image: we stand at a crossroads where we must choose “either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together” (1). For this reason, in the face of technological development, the decisive question is not simply whether we accept or reject certain tools, but what kind of humanity we wish to build and what place each person will have within it. A responsibility of such magnitude exceeds the capabilities of any single institution. It is therefore necessary to revitalise the principle of subsidiarity (cf. 13), recognizing the specific responsibility of each actor and, at the same time, the need to work together.

I am pleased that the Church in the Americas has promoted this forum for encounter and cooperation to advance the North-South Agenda for Shared Responsibility in Multisectoral Cooperation. When public institutions, businesses, workers, universities, communities and social organizations share their knowledge, skills and resources in the service of the common good, it gives tangible form to a conviction which has been maturing within the social teaching of the Church, and which my Predecessors have developed in various ways: the great social challenges require shared responsibility, participation and collaboration amongst the various sectors of society. Pope Francis expressed this same conviction when speaking of “social friendship” (cf. FT, 154).

An agenda of shared responsibility can help ensure that legitimate differences do not lead to fragmentation. In my first Encyclical, I sought to emphasize that pluralism requires a principle of unity and one that enables it to be oriented towards common foundations and towards the ultimate purpose of the person (cf. MH, 10). The Church’s synodal experience can offer a lesson here: truly listening to differences does not mean diluting them, but learning to discern them and to seek, from within them, that which can serve the common good. This exercise is particularly necessary at a time when polarized narratives find immediate amplification and when confrontation can easily become an instrument of power (cf. MH, 190). In the face of this dynamic, the very fact that such diverse people and institutions have decided to sit down at the same table already entails a responsibility. True dialogue demands more than mere cordiality: it requires us to remain in conversation when conflicting interests arise and when decisions call for real sacrifices.

For believers, moreover, fraternity finds its ultimate basis in a truth that precedes any agreement: we have the same Father. As Fratelli tutti reminded us, “without an openness to the Father of all, there will be no solid and stable reasons for an appeal to fraternity” (272).

[Hereafter in English]

The res novae of our time set in motion a true movement of “reflection and action” (MH, 174), which must “be guided with foresight: by institutions capable of regulating without stifling, and protecting without taking over; by businesses that recognize work and dignity as measures of success; by intermediary organizations and educational communities that rebuild trust and relationships; and by citizens who cultivate responsibility, moderation, discernment and a sense of truth” (MH, 181).

“Do not be afraid” is an exhortation that my predecessors repeated at decisive moments in the life of the Church. I would also like to make it my own today, since “we should not be intimidated by tensions or differences because they can become creative forces when guided by shared responsibility” (MH, 13).

The Church’s Social Doctrine offers invaluable assistance in this regard. Many of the organizations present here are familiar with it, are studying it and are helping to spread it. It “is not a handbook of principles and norms to be applied, but a process of shared discernment” (MH, 27). Its principles do not replace the decisions that you must take; rather they offer criteria for judging whether these decisions truly respect human dignity and serve the common good.

For this reason, the value of any points of consensus that can be reached will not be measured solely by the number of people who endorse them. They will be recognized by the interests that they are able to protect and, in particular, by the impact that they have on the lives of those who have the least power to defend themselves.

The principles of social justice provide a decisive criterion here. A social, economic and political order can truly be called humane when it allows everyone — “particularly the weakest — to live a truly dignified life, without leaving anyone behind” (MH, 77).

At the end of Magnifica Humanitas I reflected on the figure of the prophet Nehemiah. Faced with a Jerusalem in ruins, he listened to the suffering of his people, brought it before God, discerned what needed to be done, sought the necessary resources and organized a project that could only be carried out with the participation of many people (cf. MH, 241).

I would like to propose to you that same image for the work that you are doing. Likewise, in our time, great edifices have come crashing down wherever progress ceases to serve the person, where work loses its dignity, where entire communities are cast aside or where technology ends up deepening the divisions that it should be helping us to overcome.

Like Nehemiah, you are to “enter the construction sites of history — research laboratories, technology companies, schools, the media, institutions, local communities — in order to rebuild what has collapsed and to protect what is threatened” (MH, 241).  Moreover, I invite you to allow yourselves to be challenged by the signs of the times and embrace the contributions of the sciences, of cultures and of human experiences to discern possible paths forward.

Negotiation is part of that work and is part of a “better kind of politics” capable of seeking the common good above particular interests (cf. FT, 154). Therefore, I encourage you to cultivate a healthy “culture of negotiation” (cf. MH, 221) which is capable of opening paths where differences seem to close off every possibility of encounter. In this way, you will also be able to contribute to the diplomacy of peace that our world needs.

Nehemiah did not rebuild Jerusalem alone. He called upon his people, and each person worked on the section they were responsible for building. It is now up to you to recognize what part of this shared work has been entrusted to you. May the progress of our time not leave new ruins in its wake, and may whatever we build truly be a home and a refuge for all, beginning with those most in need.

Thank you very much.

_____________________________

Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 12 September 2026

Dear brothers, welcome!

I am very pleased to meet you at the conclusion of these days of formation intended for new bishops, and I thank the Dicasteries for Bishops, for the Eastern Churches and for Evangelization – Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches for preparing it.

You have had a unique experience of fraternity: together you have listened, prayed, celebrated the Eucharist and shared the hopes and dreams you carry in your heart for the Churches which the Lord has just entrusted to your pastoral care. All this will help you to remember something very simple and precious: no Bishop walks alone.

Dearest friends, know that you are in my prayers, and with you your Churches: the priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians, families, young people, the elderly, the poor, those who suffer and those who are still waiting to encounter the joy of the Gospel. Everyone must find a place in the Bishop’s heart, for everyone already has a place in the heart of Christ. For this reason, I would now like to share with you some reflections on the theme: “Bishops, servants of communion in the Church and in today’s world”.

First of all, remain with Jesus. Among the many things you will be called to do as Bishops, this is the most important. We are Bishops, but we are first and foremost disciples. To speak of Him, we need to be with Him; to lead His people, we must allow ourselves to be guided by Him every day. ‘He appointed twelve”, whom he called apostles “to be with Him, and to be sent out to preach’ (Mk 3:14). This is the order of the Gospel: to be with Him and, through Him, to be sent out. Let us never forget this. Therefore, always cherish your time with the Lord: the Eucharist, the Word of God, prayer and those moments when you can be in His presence with the simple heart of a disciple who allows himself to be loved by his Lord. Our ministry stems from there. And when the heart remains close to Him, our service too becomes more serene, free and fruitful.

A second aspect: have the heart of Jesus the Good Shepherd, a heart completely devoted to the Father and, precisely for this reason, totally given to your brethren. Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11). This is our model. The Bishop is a man who learns to love his people more and more each day: to know their joys and sorrows, to share in their dreams, to rejoice in seeing their communities grow. You will ordain priests and deacons; you will meet young people brimming with enthusiasm; you will witness the quiet generosity of so many men and women religious, missionaries, catechists and families; and you will discover ever more how beautiful the People of God are. Love the people whom the Lord has entrusted to you. Learn their names, listen to their stories, visit their homes whenever you can, and pray with them. Especially in the young Churches, very often the very presence of the Bishop speaks volumes, even before his words. A visit, a blessing, the time spent with a priest, listening to a family, a conversation with a young person: these are small gestures, but they can remain in a person’s heart for a lifetime.

Another characteristic of the Bishop is what tradition calls sollicitudo pastoralis, pastoral care. It does not simply mean having many responsibilities. It is something deeper: it is carrying your people in your heart. Saint Paul called his concern for all the Churches his “daily anxiety” (cf. 2 Cor 11:28). Thus, the Church to which you have been sent increasinglt becomes a part of your life, almost a part of yourselves. This is the very essence of episcopal fatherhood: to have a generous heart, large enough to make room for everyone, carrying one’s children within oneself and presenting them to the Lord in prayer every day. Pope Francis recalled that “closeness is one of the features of God with His people” (Homily on the centenary of the birth of Saint John Paul II, 18 May 2020). And it is precisely when speaking to the Bishops participating in the formation course on 12 September 2019 that he said: “We exist to make this closeness palpable”. What precious words for us! May people be able to feel, through our presence, something of God’s tenderness and paternity! And this applies in a special way to priests.

In this regard, dear brothers, I urge you to love your priests. May they find in each of you a father and a brother. Listen to them, encourage them, pray for them, rejoice in the good they do, and accompany them with confidence in their ministry. Pay particular attention to those who are elderly and unwell. Make them aware that they are precious, that the Church is grateful to them and that the Bishop has not forgotten them. Sometimes a phone call, a visit or a kind word from you is enough.

Another feature of our ministery that I would like to remind you of is, according to Saint Augustine’s beautiful expression, that of being an “amoris officium” (In Iohannis Evangelium, 123, 5): a service of love. Our preaching is an act of love, as are listening, prayer, discernment, the time we devote to people, and our very presence. It is pastoral charity, which enables Christ the Shepherd to reach the people He loves through our humble person.

We live in an age of rapid change. The developments in communication technologies and artificial intelligence have opened up possibilities that, until a few years ago, we would never even have imagined. But they certainly cannot free humanity from sin and its consequences: this is tragically demonstrated by the crises it is currently experiencing. In a complex and, in some respects, unsettling scenario such as the present one, the Church celebrated the Jubilee of Hope last year. Is it perhaps because she lives apart from the world? On the contrary, it is because she is sent by Christ, who died and rose again, to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to all. And we Bishops are the first recipients of this mandate. With the Encyclical Magnifica humanitas, I believe I have offered, in primis to the Pastors of the Churches, a vision and a method for tackling the great challenge of safeguarding humanity in the age of artificial intelligence. I encourage you to promote processes of reflection and dialogue within your dioceses, to form and support those who wish to commit themselves to the service of the civilization of love.

Many of you come from young Churches. You know the beauty and also the toil of mission, of a Church that perhaps possesses little, but is rich in a great faith. For this reason, I invite you to preserve a missionary heart. It is a precious gift that the Lord has placed in your hands and which can become even greater in your episcopal ministry. The missionary Bishop has a heart open to all: not only those who attend your parish churches, but also to Christians of other denominations, believers of other religions, people who do not profess any faith, all men and women of good will. He listens to and respects all of them, he approaches all of them, and knows how to recognize the good in the heart of every person.

Saint Augustine, speaking about his people, said: “Vobis enim sum episcopus, vobiscum sum christanus”, “for you… I am a bishop, with you I am a Christian” (Sermon 340, 1). Let us walk with our people: let u spray with them, listen to the Word with them, celebrate the Eucharist with them. Let us seek the face of the Lord with them every day.

Dearest brothers, as you return to your Churches, take this certainty with you: the Lord, who has called you, is faithful. He will go before you on the road, accompany you on your journey and, through the gift of his Holy Spirit, enlighten you every day. And may Mary, Mother of the Church, always watch over you and the people entrusted to your care.

____________________________

Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 10 September 2026

Catechesis. The Documents of the Second Vatican Council. IV. Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (GS12-22). 2. Human dignity: gift and responsibility.

Brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

The Conciliar Constitution Gaudium et Spes (GS), by dedicating the first chapter to the dignity of the human person, emphasizes that it is the foundation and condition for “those values which are most highly prized today”, but these must not lose sight of their “divine source”, in order to avoid possible distortions arising from the “taint in man’s human heart” (GS, 11).

The journey that made it possible to highlight the fundamental characteristics and rights of human dignity certainly represents one of the most significant chapters in human history. However, the path ahead is not yet complete and must address the contradictions, both old and new, which prevent its full realization.

The Church clearly offers her contribution, reminding us that human dignity arises from the very being of the person. I had the opportunity to reiterate this also in my recent Encyclical Magnifica Humanitas: “Every human person is planned and willed by God to enter into communion with Him, with others and with creation. Human dignity does not depend on a person’s abilities, wealth or position in life, nor on the right or wrong choices made; instead, it is a gift that precedes and transcends each person, endowed by God as an expression of His unfailing love” (no. 50). The infinite dignity of the human being, then, is rooted in his identity as a creature made “‘to God’s image’ … capable of knowing and loving his Creator”, a plan and gift of love that transcends other created realities, which are entrusted to his care to “subdue them and use them to God’s glory” (GS, 12).

In faith we can understand the ultimate foundation for the dignity of the person, inasmuch as the Son, “by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear” (no. 22).

The person always implies relationship, communion and participation in relation to God and to others; hence, a filial relationship with God the Father and a fraternal relationship with Christ and with all humankind. It excludes self-centred isolation. To be a person means to perceive oneself as a gift to be shared, growing and maturing through acceptance, reciprocity and service.

This dignity is entrusted to the responsibility of each person: at the same time, it also demands solidarity and mutual care, overcoming the many falsifications and manipulations that still disfigure our perception of it and hinder its realization. Indeed, as a result of the choices made throughout history that have run counter to this dignity, even today “man is split within himself”, and “all of human life, whether individual or collective, shows itself to be a dramatic struggle between good and evil between light and darkness”. This fragile and limited condition, however, can be regarded with hope, because “the Lord Himself came to free and strengthen man, renewing him inwardly and casting out that ‘prince of this world’ (John 12:31) who held him in the bondage of sin” (GS, 13).

Furthermore, the Constitution Gaudium et Spes affirms that human dignity concerns the whole person and, therefore, dualistic views must be overcome: the human being “though made of body and soul, is one”. Reducing the body to an “object” to be disposed of arbitrarily is always a denial of the dignity of the person: “man is not allowed to despise his bodily life” and “is obliged to regard his body as good and honourable since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day”, while ensuring that it does not become enslaved by “the evil inclinations of his heart” (GS, 14), since we are all wounded by sin.

Finally, there Gaudium et Spes recalls the three most significant expressions of the dignity of the person: intelligence, which makes the human being an insatiable seeker of the truth (no. 15); conscience, through which he gives unity and meaning to his life (no. 16), and freedom, which makes him the responsible agent of his own decisions (no. 17). These dimensions are closely connected to one another: it is in conscience that truth is recognized as such, and freedom can experience it as its foundation and possibility. The Holy Spirit, who gives life in Christ, makes us free and constantly assures us of our dignity as children of God, delivering us from fear and guiding us towards the ultimate goal, that life in its fullness beyond death which Christ has promised us. It is only in Him that the mystery of the human person finds true light; from Him we receive light on the enigma of suffering and death; and with Him we journey towards the Resurrection.

Dear brothers and sisters, created in God’s image, through Christ and for His sake, we have received a unique and indelible dignity. Let us commit ourselves to promoting and defending it always, with the light and strength of the Gospel.

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Greeting:

I extend a warm welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, South Africa, Australia, China, Japan, Lebanon, the Philippines, and the United States of America.  In a particular way, I gladly renew my welcome to the members of the Steering Committee of the Interreligious Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation in the Arab World, who are present today.  I thank you for your cooperation with the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, and pray that your efforts to promote peaceful coexistence in the Arab region will indeed bear much fruit.  Upon each of you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God bless you all!

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Summary of Catechesis:

Dear brothers and sisters, in our series of catecheses on the Second Vatican Council, we continue our reflection on Gaudium et Spes, focusing on the dignity of the human person.  Human dignity flows from our identity as children made in the image and likeness of God.  We are endowed with the gifts of intelligence, for seeking truth; conscience, for recognizing our ultimate calling; and freedom, for choosing the good.  Only through Christ do we understand that our personhood implies relationship and the call to give ourselves as a gift to God and others.  May we therefore help each other to guard and defend our God-given dignity and journey together toward our heavenly homeland.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Good morning to all of you and welcome!

I warmly greet you, friends of the Focolare Movement, who have gathered for your spiritual meeting.  I am grateful for your visit today, which expresses your collegial affection, and I thank you for your continued prayers.  It gives me joy to see so many of you, from diverse countries, backgrounds and social situations, reunited in one spirit under the Work of Mary.  Those reassuring words of our Lord come to mind: “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst” (Mt 18:20).

Indeed, the theme chosen for your congress, “giving witness to unity”, is one of the essential elements of the movement founded by Chiara Lubich, and one that is close to my heart.   In an age sadly marked by increasing polarization, our Lord enabled her to give witness to both the sense and service of unity, thus becoming a sign for her own and for future generations (cf. Pope Francis, Address to the Bishops Who Are Friends of The Focolare Movement, 25 September 2021).

If that was Chiara’s task forty years ago, it is ours even more urgently today. I think of the difficult social situations, the circumstances, the divisions which some of you, my brothers, endure in your countries, situations such as prejudice, racism, religious intolerance, even violence.

I think also of the situation here in the West, now all too marked by the effects of individualism, where the once-stable networks of family, friendship and community are giving way to greater fragmentation, and where freedom is increasingly presented as absolute autonomy – the ability to pursue happiness without any moral, natural or even human limits (cf. Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 118).

And yet we observe a paradox.  For all the emphasis on individual freedom, people today frequently feel less free to be their genuine selves or follow their highest ideals, out of a hidden fear of being judged or of not fitting in.  Moreover, this loss of openness to others, which exacerbates a sense of disunity, ultimately deprives us of the happiness for which we were created, since we are made in the image of the Triune God, who is himself a communion of persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  In revealing the heart of the Father, Christ shows us the deepest meaning of our existence, of our relationships, and the path to happiness. Through the gift of the Spirit, we have become children of God, sharers in the divine life, and from this communion with God flows our communion with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.  This is the Church, a mystery of communion (cf. Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Communionis Notio, 3), the sign and leaven of unity for our world.

As sharers in the spiritual legacy of Chiara Lubich, and as ministers of Christ’s Church in a fragmented world, you are called to give witness to this longed-for unity of the human family. The answer to the sad divisions that plague our world lies not in forming more committees or launching more projects, but in going back to the source of our unity in the Holy Trinity. Indeed, we must become contemplatives!

With these thoughts, I encourage you to take advantage of these days together to live that fraternity which recalls and confirms our kinship in Christ.  These are days of grace, being with one’s brothers in the episcopate. We know how it benefits us. I am glad, therefore, that you have found in the Work of Mary this spiritual support. May it also help you to live out communion and fraternity in your respective Bishops’ Conferences.

Above all, I hope you will take the opportunity to nourish your interior life: with generous and sustained prayer before our Lord in the Tabernacle, with a calm and attentive celebration of the Office and Holy Mass, and finally by frequent contemplation of the indwelling of the Persons of the Trinity in the depth of our being.  In this way, you will be witnesses to each other and to those you serve of that unity which builds lasting peace.

In closing, I commend you and the Work of Mary to the loving intercession of our Lady, Mother of the Church, and to all of you I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in Christ our Lord. Thank you.

Dear young people, chers jeunes,

Peace be with you ! La paix soit avec vous !

I am happy to join you on this joyful occasion of the first West Africa Youth Day.  I am pleased by this beautiful initiative of the Episcopal Conferences of your countries, which have placed young people at the heart of their pastoral priorities.  I am convinced that these powerful moments spent together will help you to grow in faith and become ever more deeply enriched by values such as encounter and openness to others.

At a time when so many crises seem to darken your horizon, I wish to encourage you to move forward without losing hope.  I know how the weight of doubt, uncertainty and, at times, insecurity can weigh heavily on your shoulders and unsettle your plans for the future.

Cependant, vous n’êtes pas une jeunesse sacrifiée comme beaucoup peuvent le penser. Dans l’Église-Famille de Dieu, vous êtes l’aujourd’hui de Dieu, l’aujourd’hui de l’Église ! Comme le disait le Pape Benoît XVI, « vous êtes riches de qualités, d’énergies, de rêves et d’espérances, des ressources que vous possédez en abondance. Votre jeunesse est un trésor inestimable, non seulement pour vous-mêmes, mais aussi pour les autres, pour l’Église et pour le monde » (Message à l’occasion de la XXV Journée Mondiale de la Jeunesse, 22 février 2010).

One of the challenges you face is that of walking together to help bring about positive change in your societies.  Walking together means ensuring that no one is marginalized, isolated, excluded or rejected.  Be builders of bridges between peoples, cultures and religions.  We must commit ourselves to living as Jesus, our Master and Lord, lived, who excluded no one from his journey.  He recognized the presence of God in those who lived on the margins of society, even in those who did not belong to his own people.

Chers jeunes, je compte sur vous et je vous fais confiance, l’Église vous fait confiance. Par vos paroles et vos actions, donnez un message fort à notre monde traversé de guerres et de conflits de toutes sortes. Soyez les témoins de l’amour, de la justice, de la paix. Ne sacrifiez pas votre jeunesse si précieuse sur l’autel des plaisirs factices et de la superficialité. En effet, « nos questions les plus profondes ne trouvent ni écoute ni réponse dans le défilement infini sur notre téléphone portable, qui capte notre attention tout en laissant notre esprit fatigué et notre cœur vide. Elles ne nous mènent pas loin si nous les gardons enfermées en nous-mêmes ou dans des cercles trop restreints. La réalisation de nos désirs authentiques passe toujours par le fait de sortir de nous-mêmes » (Message pour la XL Journée Mondiale de la Jeunesse, 7 octobre 2025).

I entrust you to the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, thinking especially of those countries of yours that, at times, face complex crises.  May she intercede with her Son, Jesus Christ, for the integral human development of your dear nations.  Upon you, the clergy and all those who work with young people, I invoke an abundance of divine graces.

Et maintenant je vous donne de tout mon cœur la Bénédiction :

May the Lord keep you always in his love.

The Lord be with you.  May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters,

As you will recall, “in the early days of my pontificate I felt a duty and a deep desire to visit Genazzano, the Sanctury of Our Lady of Good Counsel, who has accompanied me throughout my life with her maternal presence, her wisdom and the example of her love for her Son, the Son who is always the centre of my faith” (Entry in the guest book of the Sanctuary, 10 May 2025). It is with joy that I am here once more, to celebrate with you the Vigil of the Nativity of the Most Holy Virgin and to entrust to the Child Mary that which is still being born within this poor yet magnificent humanity: fragile as a seedling, yet a sign of God’s faithfulness. Yes, Mary is the dawn of a different day, of our world finally freed from evil. And here we are, in her presence, gathered around the Altar from which salvation comes to us and transforms us, making us children in the Son. Let us ask her for her Good Counsel, so that we may receive the divine Word, cherish it within us and bring it to light through courageous and wise decisions of authentic conversion.

Dear friends, in this place of long-standing Augustinian presence, I shall return to the biblical passages just proclaimed with the help of Saint Thomas of Villanova, an Augustinian friar and bishop who, by dedicating his life to the service of the poor, penetrated deeply into the truth of the faith. He was able to see the paradox of Mary’s smallness and, so to speak, her marginality, which was made central to the plan of salvation. Let us ask ourselves: what must the birth of a baby girl have meant in the time of Joachim and Anne? Saint Thomas delves deeply into this: “I have reflected many times”, he writes, “and I have asked myself why the Evangelists, who have spoken so at length about Saint John the Baptist and the Apostles, tell us so briefly the story of the Virgin Mary, who surpasses them all in her life and in her personal stature. Why, I wonder, is there no description of the manner of her conception, her birth, her upbringing, her habits, the virtues that adorned her, the human relationship she shared with her Son, how she related to Him, or how she lived with the apostles after His Ascension? All these things were important, and the faithful would have read them with singular devotion; they would have been a delight to the common people. Oh, Evangelists, I appeal to you! Why have you deprived us of such great joy through your silence? Why have you omitted such joyful, long-awaited and pleasant details?” (cf. Complete Works VII, 266,8).

We find in these words an important suggestion for our faith: to question the Scripture and its writers, to engage in discussion with the text and to dialogue with the witnesses of Revelation, as we would with friends. We are, in fact, ‘fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (Eph 2:19), and from Mary herself we learn the kind of understanding that converses with God, asks questions (cf. Lk 1:34) and interprets events by treasuring them and pondering them in the heart (cf. Lk 2:19, 51). The Gospel according to Matthew, however, seems, through its silence, to vindicate Saint Thomas of Villanova. We have heard it: it records Mary’s presence, but not a single word from her. Yet Mary’s mere presence – and that of the Son within her – sets the whole story in motion: that of Joseph and his entire household. Mary’s presence brings about a kind of leap in the genealogy, like an unexpected novelty, capable of altering not only expectations but also a man’s predictable behaviour. What Joseph hears, what he decides and what he does is, in fact, a response to God and to Mary’s presence, to her absolute otherness, which transcends all possible discourse and narrative. In Mary, salvation finds a home: God with us!

Again, our Saint Thomas writes: “Well, regarding these reflections of mine to which I was referring, as to why no book has been written on the deeds of the Virgin, as has been done for the deeds of Paul, […] it occurs to me only that it was so because it pleased the Holy Spirit, and that, by His prompting, the Evangelists remained silent about her, for the simple reason that the Virgin’s glory, as we read in the Psalm, was all within her (cf. PIs 44:14 Vulg.), and could be imagined rather than described, and that, as a summary of her story, what is expressed in the title suffices: that Jesus was born of her. What else do you wish to know? What else are you seeking in the Virgin? It is enough for you to know that she is the Mother of God” (ibid.).

Dear brothers and sisters, we feel almost a sense of vertigo in the face of this Mystery: it is impossible to grow accustomed to it! We celebrate the birth of a little girl called to become the Mother of her Creator, the Mother of God who saves. And yet, a little girl is simply born, just like the daughters and granddaughters we hold in our arms. Today we bestow upon her noble and exalted titles, such as Lady and Queen, but God’s way has been and remains simpler and more silent, yet no less powerful and transformative. It is the way of Jesus Himself, “the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29). Just like Mary, we too are “predestined to be conformed to the image of [the] Son” (ibid.): by grace, certainly, but by desiring and preferring His way, His choices, His path above all others. In Jesus Christ, God chose the humblest historical circumstances and the humblest of creatures to reveal the uniqueness of His Kingdom, in which arrogance has no place and omnipotence is creation, service and care for life.

Saint Thomas of Villanova then adds: “Let your imagination run free, expand the boundaries of your understanding, and paint within the depths of your soul a young woman who is most pure, most prudent, most beautiful, most devout, most humble, most meek, full of every grace, most rich in holiness, adorned with all the virtues, embellished by all the charisms, utterly pleasing to God; magnify her as much as you can, imagine her to the fullest extent of your ability” (ibid.). Saint Thomas invites us to engage in this marvellous exercise of the imagination. And he observes: “The Holy Spirit did not describe it in writing, but waited for you to paint it within yourself” (ibid., VII, 266,9). Dear brothers and sisters, this is exactly the case: in contemplative prayer, that which the world does not tell us, but which already exists, takes shape; that which is still invisible, but which possesses a new kind of power in itself. This is not a matter of fantasy, but of prophecy. We need this, in times of destruction and uncertainty, in order to see the work of God and to serve it.

The prophet Micah, in tiny Bethlehem, foresaw the coming of a King of Peace, thanks to whom we might at last dwell on earth in safety (cf. Mic 5:1–4). And today, in the Collect, turning to little Mary, we asked that “the feast of her birth may increase peace within us”. Yes, dear friends, let us imagine peace – let us expand the boundaries of our understanding and paint a picture of it in our souls – so that we may recognize that it already exists, and so that we may welcome and serve it. It is God’s gift, the breath of the Risen One, the work of the Holy Spirit. Let us allow peace to grow within us. It will germinate in the world. And the Mother of Good Counsel will accompany us on this mission.

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 7 September 2026

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

The word of God proclaimed in this Sunday’s liturgy offers us some fundamental criteria for thought and action.  In the Letter to the Romans, we read that every commandment is “summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Rom 13:9).  Saint Paul insists on this point with a very powerful image, one that also appears in the Lord’s Prayer.  He writes: “Owe no one anything, except to love one another” (v. 8).

Jesus taught us to ask for and to practice the forgiveness of debts.  Yet there is one debt we owe to one another that does not enslave us: the debt of mutual love.  All the attention, care and goodness we have received make us freer and more capable of responsibility.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus suggests at least two ways for every Christian community to practice mutual love.  The first is to become capable of fraternal correction.  This is a delicate art, too often forgotten, that calls for frankness and a gradual approach.  Speaking honestly with one another — first face to face, then, if necessary, with two or three others, and finally, when required, with the whole community — means facing reality and transforming problems and conflicts into opportunities for growth.  Complaining and speaking ill of others are easier, but they accomplish nothing and leave many situations paralyzed.  The Gospel, instead, teaches us the freedom that comes through charity.

There is also a second way of loving one another as brothers and sisters, which, for Jesus, transforms even our prayer: coming to an agreement.  Not only when there is a conflict, but also when asking God for some gift.  The Lord says: “If two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven” (Mt 18:19).  This promise suggests that we can have shared desires, shared sorrows and shared hopes, and that through prayer we can grow in unity.  Without faith, each person might feel alone and become suspicious of others, seeing them as strangers and enemies.  By grace, however, we are brothers and sisters who can live in harmony: meeting one another, forgiving one another and listening to one another in the Lord.

Let us ask Mary, who, after the angel’s announcement, went in haste to her cousin Elizabeth to share the joy and the hardship of pregnancy, to teach us, too, the joyful debt of fraternal love.

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After the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters,

With a sorrowful heart, I have followed the news of the latest violent attacks that have recently struck several cities and civilian infrastructures in Ukraine, causing the deaths of innocent people.  My heart goes out to the suffering people, who for years have lived in anguish and fear.

I renew my appeal to put an end to the violence, to stop the destruction and to open hearts to dialogue and peace!  I hope that the efforts undertaken in these days to resume negotiations will bear concrete fruit and open space for diplomacy.

Let us raise our prayers to the Lord, that concord may prevail in all the conflicts of the world.

I extend a warm welcome to all of you, Romans and pilgrims from various countries. Thank you for being here!

In a particular way, I greet the community of the Interdiocesan Seminary Studienhaus Sankt Lambert of Lantershofen (Germany).

I also joyfully welcome the pilgrimage of the Parish of Sant’Ulderico Vescovo in Musestre (Treviso), as well as the Diocesan Choir of the Diocese of Oppido Mamertina-Palmi, accompanied by the Bishop.

As we gradually resume our ordinary activities after the summer break, let us ask the Lord to accompany us and sustain us with his light.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday!

Dear Mother Alma Ruth del Espíritu Santo,
dear sisters Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament:

I am joyful to meet you during your pilgrimage in Italy, as you follow in the footsteps of Blessed Mary Magdalene of the Incarnation, on the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the Federation of the Holy Spirit.

Your presence is a shining witness to God’s freely-give love, which sows in the human heart a longing to seek and contemplate His face. It is the response to a deep yearning, beautifully expressed by the psalmist: “My heart says to thee, ‘Thy face, Lord, do I seek. Hide not thy face from me” (Ps 27:8–9).

That constant search for the face of God, which characterizes monastic life in a particular way, takes on a special nuance in the vocation you have received: it translates into a life completely dedicated to the continuous and silent adoration of a God who has become bread, and who invites us to unite with Him in the sacrifice of the altar, to form one body. “As Saint Augustine explained to the new Christians of his local Church, the bread and wine on the altar are the sacrament of the unity of the faithful in Christ” (Encyclical Letter Magnifica humanitas, 234). For this reason, there is a need for “a Eucharistic spirituality, that is, a spirituality of ecclesial unity in love” (ibid.).

Dear sisters, by manifesting within the Church the specific charism you have received from your foundress, you are called to be weavers of communion with the threads of prayer and work, of Eucharistic adoration and fraternal sharing within the monastery. May this time of grace which you are experiencing as pilgrims in the Eternal City and in the places where the Order originated renew and strengthen you, so that you may continue to radiate the beauty of the face of Christ in the Eucharist to the world.

May the witness of Blessed María Magdalena de la Encarnación inspire them to continue living out their consecration with renewed hope and a desire for holiness, remembering that fidelity to the ancient and ever-new wisdom of the Gospel is the best path for those who, guided by the Holy Spirit, dedicate themselves to loving God and their neighbour.

May the Lord bless you and may Our Lady of Guadalupe shelter you under her heavenly mantle. Thank you very much.

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 5 September 2026

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Good morning to you all, and welcome.

Your Eminence,
Dear friends,

On your pilgrimage to Rome, in the footsteps of Saint John Henry Newman, to commemorate the 700^th anniversary of the granting of Oriel College’s royal charter, I am pleased to welcome to the Vatican the Provost, together with Fellows and other members of the College.

Oriel certainly has a long and illustrious history, which naturally, over such an extended period of time, has witnessed and experienced many changes, events and even upheavals.  Yet the College has remained firm in its Christian identity.  Your anniversary is therefore an opportunity to celebrate its Catholic origins as the “College of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”  Indeed, this identity is key to what has made and can continue to make Oriel not just an academic institution, but a true community of faith and scholarship in its deepest meaning.  The College can thus look with confidence to its past contributions as a sure foundation and guide for its future endeavors.

In this regard, Saint John Henry Newman stands as a shining example of a scholar who not only showed the inseparability of faith and reason in his works but even more admirably in his life.  There was a great concreteness to his ideas, since his religious convictions were rooted in his personal relationship with God, while his scholarship was both sublime and eminently practical.  The profound depths of both dimensions of his life were recognised in his Declaration as a Doctor of the universal Church and co-patron of the Church’s education mission.  It is surely providential that your anniversary pilgrimage occurs in close proximity to an event of such significance both for you and for the entire Catholic Church. 

Moreover, in the context of today’s challenges, Newman’s own thought on education is particularly relevant, for he proposes a Christian formation that embraces the entire person and measures the value of education according to human dignity, justice and the capacity to serve the common good (cf. "Apostolic Letter Drawing New Maps of Hope, 4.2, 28 October 2025">Apostolic Letter Drawing New Maps of Hope, 4.2, 28 October 2025).  In your personal academic endeavours, I similarly encourage you to seek the truth courageously and to promote this integral anthropological vision.  As a result, your work can genuinely facilitate a “heart to heart” encounter with your brothers and sisters, and especially with our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life (cf. Jn 14:6).

Finally, in his famous hymn “Lead, Kindly Light,” Newman showed his great trust that God would guide him despite the uncertainties of life.  I urge you, then, to entrust yourselves and the future of the College to the unfading Light of the world, so that you too, like Our Lady, may reflect his glory to the world.  

With these thoughts, I commend each of you to the intercession of Saint John Henry Newman and the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

And I invite you now to stand and I will very gladly impart to all of you, your families, and loved ones the Apostolic Blessing.

And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you for ever.  Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you.

Dear brothers in the Episcopate,
Priests, seminarians, family members,

First and foremost, I would like to thank you most sincerely for being here today.

You come from two different paths and two different regions, but this year your seminaries are celebrating an anniversary together. In Molfetta, you are commemorating the centenary of the new premises, built at the behest of Pope Pius XI, after whom your seminary is named, while in Aversa you are celebrating the tercentenary of the opening of the current premises.

In meeting with you, I wish to emphasize one aspect of your formative journey: that of your relationship with the One who has called you. Study, discipline and the stages of your journey are important elements to bear in mind, but they are meaningful only if grounded in your relationship with God.

Saint Mark, in his Gospel, tells us that Jesus “went up into the hills, and called to him those whom He desired; and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve” – whom He called apostles – “to be with Him, and to be sent out to preach” (Mk 3-13-14).

These few words contain everything. As we reflect on this brief passage, we can discern a remarkable synthesis of the experience relevant to everyone who is called, to all those who wish to deepen their understanding of the truth of their own vocation. There is the mountain to climb, where we may encounter Christ and, above all, where we may be with Him. The heart of the seminary experience lies entirely here: learning to be with the Master, the Lord Jesus.

The evangelist tells us that the Lord “called to him those whom he desired”, and immediately highlights the freedom of God, from which every vocation springs. There is no competition, no ranking, nor is it written that He chose the best: He chose those whom He wished. In a world so intent on celebrating self-realization, it is truly important to reiterate that none of you, and none of us, is here because we have earned it, but solely by God the Father’s free choice, a sign and pledge of a gratuitous love that always precedes us and never disappoints.

Dearest seminarians, your very presence in the seminary is a sign of hope for the whole Church. Not of vague optimism, but of the certainty that the Lord always calls, in every age of history and in every place. As I look upon each of you, I contemplate the wonder of God, who never tires of whispering into the hearts of young people the beauty of giving one’s life for Him and for the Church.

Every vocation arises from an intimate dialogue with God, nurtured in silence and prayer, which often takes place “despite the deafening noise of the world” (Leo XIV, Message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, 16 March 2026). That is where everything is decided, and for that dialogue to take place, we must learn to be with Him.

You have many examples of this, but I think that for all of you the venerable bishop Don Tonino Bello shows with particular clarity what it means to be a Priest and to be a Bishop: not in words, but in every gesture and in every decision, and to bear witness to it to the very end.

For this reason, time spent in the seminary remains necessary, today no less than in the past. In a world that is in a hurry and views any prolonged pause with suspicion, one might think it is a luxury, or an outdated institution, but this is not the case. Precisely because our times are fast-paced and noisy, there is a need for a place and a season in life where one learns to be still, to discern, and to allow oneself to be formed without taking shortcuts. The seminary is not a postponement of the mission, but a prerequisite for it. Let us not underestimate this.

Indeed, after hearing the Lord’s voice, it is necessary to go to Him and to climb the mountain, and this can sometimes be arduous, for we climb on foot, at times breathless, without yet seeing the summit.

The toil of spiritual life is, however, sustained by the beauty of brotherhood and the sharing of the mission. Indeed, on the mountain, Jesus does not call just one man, but twelve, with the most diverse and, at times, seemingly unlikely personalities, as it would seem to us. The Lord gathers them together, keeping them side by side, so that they may learn that the Church is lived out together: she belongs to none of us individually, and we are all called to love and serve her as one body. You who come from Molfetta experience this in a special way, for in the regional seminary, communion amongst the Churches of Apulia is not merely an ideal, but a concrete friendship that is taking root during these years and which will accompany you as priests throughout your lives.

For, just as “no pastor exists on his own” (Leo XIV, Apostolic Letter A Fidelity that Generates the Future, 8 December 2025, 15), neither can a seminarian conceive of a private journey with the Lord: he must always feel and experience the beauty of ecclesial mediation. The seminary, therefore, even before being a place where knowledge is acquired, should be “a training ground to help a seminarian attend to his own heart” (ibid., 12). And I ask you, dear formators, to be the first teachers of that care and that fraternity which are manifested in authentic, personal and communal relationships, built on truth and charity. One does not become a formator overnight: yours is an extremely delicate ministry for which one prepares with knowledge, patience and love.

Then there remains the final step: that of coming down from the mountain, for the mountain is not a refuge. Jesus does not take the Twelve up high to keep them safe, but so that, having experienced God, they may be sent out to communicate this newness of life to the world.

You will therefore be called to come down from the mountain, to be sent to the people of your own lands: to those families struggling to make ends meet, to young people who, at the age of twenty, pack their bags in search of work, to the elderly living alone, to the marginalized, and to those who have lost sight of the meaning of life. The priest is sent to everyone so that he may proclaim to all the beauty of faith in Jesus Christ, the good news of our salvation. It is the salvation that has been given to us through Mary. Entrust yourselves to her, as to the One who was the first to do what is now asked of you. Ask Mary for the grace to learn to say your “yes” to the Lord Jesus every day.

Dearest seminarians, before we part I would like to thank you. Thank you, on behalf of the Church, for the “yes” you have spoken and which you continue to speak every day: it is neither easy nor a matter of course in today’s world, and the Church is well aware of this.

And I wish to say a special thank you to the families present here. A vocation never arises without a suitable environment, and it often needs a home, parents who pray and who know how to let go. To you, dear families, goes my gratitude and that of the whole Church.

I greet and bless the deacons who will be ordained priests in a few days’ time: I keep you in my personal prayer, so that you may always be faithful, joyful and courageous disciples of the Lord. We will all pray for you.

I bless you all from my heart, together with your Bishops, your formators, your families, and those communities that are waiting for you and are already praying for you. Thank you.

__________________________

Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 3 September 2026

Your Eminence,

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate,

Dear friends assembled here,

It is with great joy that I welcome you, the pastors who together form the Conference of the Latin Bishops in the Arab Regions. Through you, I wish to convey my greetings to the priests, the consecrated persons and all the faithful of your communities. In the words of the Apostle Paul, I wish you all: “Grace … and peace from God” (Rom 1:7).

Your Conference encompasses Churches present in a vast and complex reality, operating in contexts often marked by political, social and religious tensions.

Your Churches have witnessed the martyrdom of their members: let us think of Sister Leonella Sgorbati, a Consolata Missionary; of the Missionaries of Charity killed in Yemen whilst serving the most vulnerable; and of the many priests, men and women religious and members of the faithful who have given their lives in Iraq, Syria and other lands marked by violence. Their names may not be known to the world, but they are well known to God. Their fidelity to the Gospel remains a light for your communities and a call not to give in to either fear or resignation.

When communities become more vulnerable and many families are forced to emigrate, your ministry becomes even more necessary. Always be pastors close to your people, capable of sharing in their sufferings, of listening, supporting and consoling, so that through your presence, God’s closeness can be made visible.

Do not be afraid of your smallness. The fruitfulness of the Church is not measured in numbers, structures or resources, but in fidelity to the Gospel. A small community, if rooted in Christ, can be a valuable presence: not because it seeks power, but because it serves; not because it imposes itself, but because it bears witness; not because it responds to violence with more violence, but because it counters force with charity.

In the heart of societies marked by conflict and division, may your communities show that it is possible to live, serve and hope together. Through parishes, schools, hospitals and works of charity, you bring the Gospel to life by welcoming, listening to and supporting those in need. Support, in particular, the religious congregations that continue generously to stand by the poor and the most vulnerable.

In the midst of emergencies, do not lose sight of the essence of the Church’s mission: the proclamation of the Gospel, prayer, the Sacraments and Christian formation. A Church capable of serving must be first and foremost a Church who prays, listens to the Word and lives the Sacraments.

Take particular care of families and young people. May families, even when overwhelmed by difficulties and uncertainties, remain the primary place where faith is received and passed on, with the support of the community. May young people, often torn between high aspirations and an uncertain future, find in the Church a home that welcomes them, listens to them and helps them to recognize the value of their lives. May catechesis guide children, young people and adults towards a living encounter with Christ, so that the faith may be known, lived and passed on from generation to generation.

Also take care of migrants, of whom there are many, especially in the Gulf States. Many live far from their loved ones and experience loneliness and precariousness. May your communities be homes where nobody feels like a stranger. Defend the dignity of every person and recognize in every migrant a brother and a sister: in this way, charity becomes witness to the Gospel and a school of brotherhood.

Safeguard and strengthen the communion between the Church and the different rites. The diversity of Christian traditions is a treasure to be lived out in unity. May this communion give rise to sincere dialogue with other Christian communities, with Muslims and with the various religious traditions. Dialogue does not mean renouncing one’s own identity, but living it out without fear of encounter. Where war has sown mistrust, every gesture of esteem, collaboration and respect can become a step towards reconciliation and peace.

Your mission does not consist simply of preserving a Christian presence, but of making Christ present always: proclaiming Him in the Word, celebrating Him in the Sacraments, encountering Him in prayer and recognizing Him in the poor, the suffering, migrants and in every person placed under your care.

You are not required to solve all the problems of your lands, but to be faithful to the Gospel and to the people entrusted to you. Do not seek success or recognition above all else: seek fidelity. Be a voice for truth, justice and peace; men of prayer, shepherds close to your people, artisans of reconciliation and witnesses to mercy.

Do not be afraid to sow without immediately seeing the fruits. The sowing is yours; the growth is God’s. No act carried out in the name of Christ is in vain: a prayer, a word of consolation, a family supported, a child brought up in the faith, or a poor person welcomed are the seeds of a new future.

Dear Brothers, continue on your journey with confidence. You are not alone. The universal Church looks upon your communities with affection and recognizes in their perseverance, in the faith lived out in the face of adversity, and in the courage of their service, a precious witness for the whole Church.

I entrust you, your Churches and all the peoples of your lands to the protection of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Peace. May she accompany families, young people, migrants, the sick and the poor; may she sustain those who suffer and enlighten those in positions of political and social responsibility, so that they may seek the common good and open paths to reconciliation.

Upon you and upon all the faithful entrusted to your care, I wholeheartedly invoke the Lord’s abundant blessings. May He preserve you in the faith, make you steadfast in hope and generous in charity, and grant your communities and all the peoples of your lands the precious gift of peace.

___________________________

Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 3 September 2026

Catechesis. The Documents of the Second Vatican Council. IV. Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes (GS 1–10) 1. The Church: Listening to and Serving the World

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

With today’s meeting, we will begin to reflect on the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, with which the Second Vatican Council intended to focus on a fundamental theme, namely the relationship between the Church and the contemporary world. Saint John XXIII, as early as his inaugural address of 11 October 1962, had sought to take issue with the “prophets of doom” who, “though burning with zeal for religion […] go about saying that our times, when compared with past centuries, are entirely worse; and go so far as to behave as if they had nothing to learn from history” (Address Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, 11 October 1962, 4.2). Hence the task entrusted to the Council Fathers: “In the present state of human events, in which humanity appears to be entering a new order of things, one must rather see the mysterious plans of Divine Providence, which are brought to fulfilment in due course through the work of men, and often beyond their expectations, and which, with wisdom, arrange everything, even adverse human affairs, for the good of the Church” (Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, 4.4).

Three years later, the promulgation of Gaudium et Spes recognized in this discernment an essential element of the nature of the Church, describing her pastoral character as constitutive; hence the definition of “pastoral Constitution”. It is not a question of naïve optimism, but rather a renewed fidelity to the Mystery of Christ who, by becoming incarnate, chooses to share our life: He made Himself “like His brethren in every respect” (Heb 2:17; cf. 4:15) and took upon Himself the consequences of sin, dying “as a ransom for all” (1 Tim 2:6). This sharing in our humanity is the path that Christ calls the Church to follow; hence, the Conciliar Constitution Gaudium et Spes begins by declaring that the Church makes her own “the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted” (GS 1).

It is a sharing that calls on us to leave behind all passivity and indifference in the face of current events, history and people’s lives, especially in the face of the rapid and profound changes we are experiencing today. We cannot remain as unengaged spectators; rather, we must listen with our hearts, allow ourselves to be challenged, and become involved. With Christ and sustained by the power of His Spirit, believers are called to take on the burdens of their brothers and sisters, especially those who are crushed by injustice, discrimination, and violence. Indeed, only in sharing and commitment is it possible to arrive at adequate responses, always supported by the certainty that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rm 8:18).

In this regard, proximity towards humanity opens the way to a deeper understanding of events and of Revelation itself; and, in the same vein, Gaudium et Spes recalls that “the Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel” (GS 4). This Conciliar Constitution therefore recalled the Church to an ongoing commitment to conversion, to bear witness that she is not motivated by “earthly ambition”, but seeks “a solitary goal: to carry forward the work of Christ under the lead of the befriending Spirit. And Christ entered this world to give witness to the truth, to rescue and not to sit in judgment, to serve and not be served” (GS, 3).

This is not, in fact, merely a moral imperative. Pope Francis reminded us that for the Church, “the option for the poor is primarily a theological category rather than a cultural, sociological, political or philosophical one… We are called to find Christ in them, to lend our voice to their causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 198).

Christian solidarity commits us to engaging with reality and also to unmasking the contradictions that characterize personal and social life in the contemporary world: for example, scientific and technological progress, which constantly offers new possibilities, but only to some, and which human beings do not always succeed in “subjecting .. to [their] own welfare”; or a clearer understanding of the “laws of society”, accompanied, however, by uncertainties “about the direction to give” them; or, again, a greater abundance of “wealth, resources and economic power”, which, unfortunately, today as in the days of the Council, leaves “a huge proportion of the world’s citizens … still tormented by hunger and poverty” (GS 4); or a shared awareness that the future of the planet is at stake, coupled with an inability to renounce selfish consumption and the illusion that war is an effective means of building peace.

In a time marked by profound changes, giving rise to worrying imbalances, the Church is called to serve the human person, listening to and welcoming the deepest questions of their heart and the longings that dwell within them, pointing to Christ as “the key, the focal point and the goal of … all human history” (GS 10). Therefore, in the Church, at every level and in every age, it is necessary to achieve the merciful kenosis of Christ, who “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant … and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:6–8).

Dear brothers and sisters, may joy and hope – gaudium et spes – be the distinctive features of a Church who proclaims and bears witness to the Gospel, drawing close to the women and men of our time.

____________________________________________________

Special greetings:

I extend a warm welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from England, Scotland, Malta, Canada and the United States of America.  In a particular way, I welcome the delegation of the Interreligious Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation in the Arab World. In expressing my deep appreciation for the work of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, I offer prayers for the success of your deliberations, together with the assurance of my spiritual closeness in these days.  Upon each of you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God bless you all!

_____________________________

Summary of the Holy Father's words:

Dear brothers and sisters, in our continuing series of catecheses on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, today we begin our reflection on the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes.  This Document focuses on the Church’s pastoral responsibility to engage with the contemporary world, sharing in its joys and sorrows, and calls for a commitment to conversion, bearing witness to Christ’s work, and advocating for the poor and marginalized.  The Church is also to be attentive to the signs of the times, interpreting them in the light of the Gospel, thereby addressing pressing issues such as the technological progress that benefits only some and the persistence of widespread poverty.  In our own day, marked by profound change and much injustice, each of us, then, is called to play our part in welcoming and listening to the deepest questions and longings of the human heart, making present to all the merciful love of Christ our Savior.

Dear brothers and sisters,

On this World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, the readings chosen for today’s liturgy offer us two invitations to contemplate the works of the Lord — a task that is certainly not difficult in the setting of these beautiful gardens.

The Book of Wisdom encourages us to contemplate the beauty and power of creation, in order to appreciate its Creator (cf. Wis 13:1–9).  It would be superficial to marvel at fire, wind, rushing waters or the stars of heaven, without allowing our gaze to rise to the Creator of such wonders.

Psalm 18 urges us to lift our eyes to contemplate the heavens, which proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament, which declares the work of his hands.  All creation speaks to us of the greatness of its Creator, if only our eyes and hearts remain open to such a great mystery.

Similarly, the Gospel passage from Matthew (cf. Mt 6:24–34) invites us to contemplate creation, while emphasizing the Lord’s special love for the human person.  As we look upon the birds of the air and the lilies of the field with wonder — so precious in the eyes of their Creator — we come to understand the greatness of God’s love for us.  If the Lord does not fail to bestow such splendid beauty upon plants and animals and provide for all their needs, how much more attentive will he be to the needs of his beloved sons and daughters!

This evening, as we accept the invitation to pause and reflect before the works of God, we begin the “Season of Creation” — a period of five weeks devoted to prayer and commitment to the care of our “common home.”  On this Day, therefore, and in the weeks ahead, let us set aside a few moments to pause from the frenzy of our daily lives, in order to savor the profound harmony of which we ourselves are a part.  Let us place in “silent mode” the many noises generated by human activity, so that we may hear the melodious voice of creation, through which God, the Author of all things, speaks to us.

This task of contemplation, which disposes us to an encounter with the Lord, is a first step towards an “authentic ecological conversion, where the effects of our encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in our relationship with the world around us” (Message for the Eleventh World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, 1 September 2026).

From contemplating creation and encountering its Creator, there arises an awareness of our particular place within God’s wondrous plan, and of the responsibility that we bear both personally and collectively for preserving the original harmony. Thus, as we become conscious of our shortcomings and failures, we can renew our commitment to restoring the relationships among all creatures according to the will of their Creator.

For this reason, the Message for today’s World Day echoes “the prophetic call to ‘beat swords into ploughshares’ (Is 2:4)… to transform harm into life.”  It is not yet too late, and the Season of Creation calls us to a profound conversion: “What has been used for destruction can be redirected toward life, toward the care of the poor, the nourishment of the hungry, and the safeguarding of creation” (ibid.).

The Season we begin today will conclude on 4 October, when we will celebrate the eighth centenary of the Transitus of Saint Francis of Assisi.  Pope Francis drew particular inspiration from him in writing the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ and in giving life to the Borgo that welcomes us today.

Let us therefore unite ourselves spiritually with the Poverello of Assisi and make his Canticle of praise our own:

“Praised be you, my Lord, with all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun…
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars…
Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind...
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water…
Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Fire…
Praised be you, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us.”

With Saint Francis, let us renew our commitment to living and promoting that universal fraternity which is inseparably bound to the task of caring for creation.

SEPTEMBER: For the care of water

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amén.

Lord of Life,
You have given us the gift of water,
source of fruitfulness, freshness, and hope.
It quenches thirst, nourishes the earth, and heals wounds.

We thank You,
because it is also a symbol of your grace and love
that renews us through Baptism.
Today we ask You to teach us to safeguard it
with gratitude, justice, and responsibility.

Forgive us for turning it into a commodity,
forgetting that it is a universal gift,
a right without borders, meant for all your children.
We see with pain so many brothers and sisters
who lack clean water,
who walk for miles to find it,
who become ill due to its scarcity.

May your Spirit make us pilgrims of the essential,
able to live with simplicity,
denouncing waste and pollution,
defending the right of every brother and sister
to drink without fear and without inequality.

May our care for water
be a sign of love for the Creator
and a commitment to the lives of the poor,
educating new generations to value
and protect the Earth’s resources.

Amen.

________________________

Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network

Dear brothers and sisters, good afternoon and happy Sunday!

Today’s Gospel tells us how Jesus reveals to his disciples the Mystery of his impending Passion.  The Messiah, he says, must “go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Mt 16:21).

What he says is a far cry from their expectations of a triumphant and powerful Messiah, with whose help they would defeat and trample their enemies (cf. Ps 108:13).  Already, during the time they had spent with him, they had been amazed by so many of his deeds and words.  Yet this latest message truly goes beyond all expectations.  In particular, Peter expresses his disagreement and rebukes Jesus, saying to him: “‘God forbid it, Lord!  This must never happen to you’” (v. 22).

Shortly before, Peter had recognized in him “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (v. 16).  Now, however, surprised and perhaps disappointed by what he hears, he rebukes him, which stands in contrast to the beautiful profession of faith he had just made.  He seems to be saying, “Yes, I believe you are the Messiah, but that is not how the world is saved.”  His is an outburst of zeal, certainly motivated by sincere love, and yet it gives us something to consider.

For us, too, in fact, it is not always easy to understand and accept God’s ways, especially when they are very far from our own.  Then the temptation arises — against all the reasoning of faith — to think that the Lord is the one who is wrong, or worse still, that he is not listening to us or is not concerned about us.  Faced with this uncertainty, Peter, even in his impulsiveness, teaches us two important things.

The first is, even in such moments, never to cease our dialogue with the Lord.  Instead, we are confidently to tell him our difficulty in understanding what he is asking of us.

The second is never to judge God’s work, but rather humbly and prayerfully to listen to what he is revealing to us through his actions, even when they do not meet our expectations.

The greatness of the first of the Apostles is also evident in this.

Jesus replies: “Get behind me, Satan!” (v. 23), and explains to him and the other disciples that, to follow in his footsteps, they must deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow him (cf. v. 24).  Peter will do just that: after listening to him, he will accept the challenge and remain faithful to the words of Christ — whom he has recognized as his Redeemer — for the rest of his life, even unto martyrdom.

Let us therefore ask the Lord that we, too, in our life of faith and in our prayer, may have the same sincerity as Peter, humbly telling Jesus what we truly feel, even when our hearts are confused.  At the same time, may we cultivate Peter’s own docility in accepting what Jesus asks of us beyond our expectations.

May Mary help us, for she was obedient to God’s plans even at the foot of the cross of her Son Jesus.

________________________________

After the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters,

Tragic reports are emerging from Haiti of the horrific massacre carried out in Kenscoff, in which numerous people have lost their lives and others taken hostage.  I express my spiritual closeness to the victims and their families, and call for the immediate release of all hostages.  I make a heartfelt appeal to all those in positions of authority to take concrete steps in order to ensure the safety of the population and put an end to all forms of violence.

I renew my prayers for those affected by the terrible flood that struck Nepal and Tibet.  Let us pray for those who have lost their lives, for the injured, those missing, for the families and rescue workers.  May the concern of everyone help to alleviate the suffering and provide the necessary aid to the people affected.

Let us continue to pray for peace.  Saint Augustine, whose feast we celebrated a few days ago, said that peace “is like the miraculous bread multiplied in the hands of the disciples as they broke it and distributed it” (Sermo 357, 2).  May there be an increase in the world of those who courageously break and share the bread of peace, overcoming divisions, promoting justice and practicing forgiveness for the good of all.

On Tuesday, we celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.  This marks the beginning of the Season of Creation – observed by Christians of various denominations – whose theme this year is “Living Water.”  As I recalled in the Message for this Day, caring for our common home calls for a conversion of heart, so that what has been used to bring about destruction may instead be directed toward life.  I invite everyone to join in prayer and action, that we may become channels of the living water of God’s peace, refreshing our wounded world.

I greet all of you: the faithful of Castel Gandolfo and pilgrims from various countries.  In particular, I welcome the participants in the “Run to Rome” charity event, the young people who have undertaken the Via Lucis pilgrim route, the group of devotees of Our Lady of Miracles of Corbetta and the motorcyclists here for their traditional annual gathering.

I would like to thank the law enforcement agencies and all those who have helped to enable my summer stay here in Castel Gandolfo, as well as those responsible for security during my meetings with the pilgrims.  Thank you very much!

I also send warm greetings to the faithful following the Angelus from Saint Peter’s Square.

I wish you all a happy Sunday!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning, welcome and thank you for your patience this morning too!

I am very pleased to meet you at the close of your annual conference here in Rome: you, the members of the Institut International des Sciences Administratives, who have come from all over the world and of which the Holy See is also a member.

Your Institute, which was founded in 1930 in the wake of the great economic crisis that the world experienced, has as its mission to be “a constant appeal to the conscience of political authorities with a view to adapting social life to the ever-changing conditions of the times, so that it may fulfil the intentions and plans of the Creator’s Wisdom” (cf. Pius XII, Address to the participants at the Eighth International Congress of Administrative Sciences, 5 August 1950).

The theme of your Conference, which has just drawn to a close, issues a powerful appeal to our world today, in the digital age, so that we may maintain a balance in the use of digital technologies. This appeal echoes the one I made in my recent Encyclical on the protection of the human person in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Today, we cannot fail to face up to this reality, which closely affects our way of life and permeates every level of social life. The speed at which innovations in Artificial Intelligence are developing prompts us to ask whether it will be possible to control these machines in the future, and whether humankind runs the risk of becoming a victim of its own inventions. One of the serious problems facing us today is the fact that decisions concerning human life are being entrusted to machines.

Faced with this worrying situation, I applaud your meeting which aims to reaffirm the irreplaceable nature of human intelligence in the face of these technological tools. Your reflections and your work will be able to help leaders to make decisions in this field for the good of humanity. “Calling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family”(Magnifica humanitas, no. 106).

It is therefore important to establish an ethical framework to guide the use of these significant tools, which, unfortunately, are concentrated in the hands of major economic and technological players, and which the State struggles to regulate. We must ensure that the good of the human family is not sacrificed for the sake of private interests.

I encourage you to continue your research to find ways and means of making your contribution to public administration for the humanisation of digital technologies, so that they may serve life and peace. This is precisely what Pope Francis called us to do when he sounded the alarm regarding the responsible use of these technologies, saying: “We … have a duty to broaden our gaze and to direct techno-scientific research towards the pursuit of peace and the common good, in the service of the integral development of individuals and communities” (Message for the 57th World Day of Peace, 1 January 2024).

Dear members of the Institut International des Sciences Administratives, I know that your mission is not easy, and that at times you may be overcome by discouragement. I pray to the Almighty to sustain you, so that you may continue this noble task with determination. I invoke God’s abundant blessings upon you all. Thank you!

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 28 August 2026

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!

Good morning, everyone. Welcome. Thank you for your patience.
 

Your Excellency,
Dear friends,

With great joy I extend my cordial greetings to all of you, and I hope that your time in Rome, in the Eternal City will strengthen your faith and deepen your desire to serve the Lord and to serve his Church. I thank you in particular for your devoted service to the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, and through it, to your brothers and sisters across the United States of America. Indeed, by freely offering your God-given gifts and talents, you give eloquent witness to your faith in service to the building up of the Kingdom of God.

At the same time, I encourage you to deepen your relationship with our Lord so that his grace may continue to guide and strengthen your service. Saint Vincent de Paul demonstrated that prayer and social justice are not merely complementary but are in fact inseparable. It is therefore my hope that you will continually turn to your heavenly patron in order to follow his example and seek his intercession.

Moreover, as I recalled in Dilexi Te, Saint Augustine taught the Christocentric nature of care for the poor and held that God will not be outdone in generosity to those who serve them. We therefore believe that caring for others, when motivated by love, not only helps those in need, but also opens the heart of the giver to God’s grace (cf. no. 46). Dear friends, I urge you, then, always to give of yourselves. In this way, the Lord’s grace will steadily purify your hearts and minds, and you will more readily recognize Christ in your neighbour, both in those you serve and in those with whom you work.

Finally, when you return to your homes, please know that you do so accompanied by my prayers. In a particular way, I ask you to bring my warm greetings to your colleagues and to the people for whom you care. With these thoughts, I entrust each of you to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church. And perhaps, today, in a special way, also to Saint Augustine on his feast day. Thank you.

So, please stand, and let us pray together as the Lord has taught us.

[Our Father]

And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.

Good morning to you all, and welcome!

I extend a fraternal greeting to each and every one of you. I would like to express my particular gratitude to the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM) and the Organization of American States (OAS) for having facilitated this meeting, as well as to the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and the Pontifical Academy for Life.

I also greet our brothers and sisters from faith-based centres for support, preventive intervention, recovery and integration of young people, who have come from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas; their presence reminds us that suffering and hope know no borders.

The theme that brings us together is to reflect, from a faith-based perspective, on the problem of drugs and its impact on our young people. Addiction is a complex phenomenon that highlights the failure of a dehumanized world. The suffering of young people calls for comprehensive responses: community-based prevention, scientific care, justice with a human face, and close pastoral support. Our contribution must be directed towards care, presence and the rebuilding of the fabric of the community.

I am pleased to note how, at this meeting, four bridges converge, each representing a different pathway for collaboration in this field.

The first bridge is between the Church and international organizations, as no one can tackle the problem of drugs alone. For this reason, the ongoing collaboration between the Organization of American States and the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM) deserves special mention; they coordinate training for faith-based community organizations, build support networks, and have even enabled CELAM to present the Manual on Latin American Pastoral Care for the Support and Prevention of Addictions.

The second bridge is between science and faith. The Church does not intervene in the issue of drugs with the intention of competing with or taking the place of neuroscience, psychiatry or public health; rather, it seeks to shed light on the issue from the perspective of the Gospel, with a integral understanding of the human person.

The third bridge is within the Church as she makes her pilgrim journey across the various continents. Over the past few days, people from the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe have come here to share their sorrows, hopes and pastoral enthusiasm.

The fourth bridge is ecumenical. The Catholic Church and other ecclesial communities, in practising concrete love for those who suffer, find a very eloquent common language rooted in faith to accompany and assist young people in their needs and dreams.

But allow me to pause for a moment on an institution that cuts across all our work: the family. The family, which the Second Vatican Council rightly called the “domestic church” (cf. Lumen gentium, 11), is the place where life is nurtured, cared for and planned. There is no better defence against drugs than a good family.

Today, we bear witness to the pain of many broken families, whether due to drug use, violence, the criminal recruitment of a child, poverty or the lack of opportunities that push people to the margins of society. Saint John Paul II asked us to make the Church “the home and the school of communion” (Apostolic Letter Novo millennio ineunte, 43). And Pope Francis reminded us that Jesus wants us to “touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 270). Herein lies the very heart of the mission you are carrying out: that the Church may be a family, especially embracing those who suffer.

Finally, I would like to express a wish to you: that the Church may be a family for all those who have been left by the wayside. Like the Good Samaritan, who became a neighbour to the fallen man, let us not pass by; let us build a Church that stops, draws close, is moved with compassion, binds wounds, nourishes and becomes a home.

Thank you for your work. God bless you.

I impart the Lord’s blessing to you. May God’s grace be with you all, your families and your work at all times. The work you do in different parts of the world is very important.

[Blessing]

_____________________________________

Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 27 August 2026

Catechesis. The Documents of the Second Vatican Council. III. Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium. 8. The motivations of the liturgical reform

Dear brothers and sisters,

In this final catechesis on the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, today I would like to look at the reasons why the Council Fathers sought to promote a reform of the liturgy. In this regard, the third Letter from the Council, which Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini, then Archbishop of Milan, sent on 28 October 1962 to the faithful of his Church, is particularly enlightening. The liturgy, he wrote, “is a sincere expression of both the divine and the human. It is language. On the one hand, it is a vehicle for divine teaching; on the other, it is a voice in dialogue with God. It is clear that it cannot renounce its didactic function, nor can it fail to offer faith and piety the opportunity to be expressed with spontaneous intelligibility”. [1] Motivated by these convictions, the future Pope Saint Paul VI affirmed that the faithful “cannot and must no longer remain silent and passive. Their physical presence cannot be reconciled with their spiritual absence”. [2]

The similarity between these statements and those which would appear in no. 48 of the Conciliar Constitution is evident: “The Church … earnestly desires that Christ’s faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration. They should be instructed by God’s word and be nourished at the table of the Lord’s body; they should give thanks to God; by offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves; through Christ the Mediator they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all”. These words express a renewed awareness of the value of the liturgy. Through the Church’s ritual actions, while the memorial of the work of salvation is celebrated, the opportunity is provided to experience a true relationship with God, coming into contact with the salvific event. Since the gestures and the words of the sacred liturgy are critical to realizing this experience, the participation of the faithful cannot be passive.

By placing what constitutes the heart of the ecclesial experience at the centre, the Conciliar reform was intended to allow the liturgy to shine forth as “the primary source of that divine exchange in which the life of God is communicated to us” [3]. From this conviction,  the need arose to make the richness of biblical texts and prayers more accessible to all the faithful, and to streamline the order of the celebration compared with what had been set out in the liturgical books in use at the time.

Indeed, since the liturgy is a living entity, it has always been subjected to developments and changes throughout the centuries. The Magisterium adapted its forms to the needs of different eras. It is therefore not surprising that the Second Vatican Council too, with the utmost respect for the heritage of tradition, and precisely in order to make it more accessible, considered it necessary to revise the liturgical books.

The aim that the Fathers had in mind is explained in no. 21 of the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium: “In order that the Christian people may more certainly derive an abundance of graces from the sacred liturgy, holy Mother Church desires to undertake with great care a general restoration of the liturgy itself. For the liturgy is made up of immutable elements divinely instituted, and of elements subject to change. These not only may but ought to be changed with the passage of time if they have suffered from the intrusion of anything out of harmony with the inner nature of the liturgy or have become unsuited to it. In this restoration, both texts and rites should be drawn up so that they express more clearly the holy things which they signify; the Christian people, so far as possible, should be enabled to understand them with ease and to take part in them fully, actively, and as befits a community”. The distinction, within the liturgy, between divine, immutable elements, and human elements, which instead “admit of various modifications, as the needs of the age, circumstance and the good of souls may require, and as the ecclesiastical hierarchy, under guidance of the Holy Spirit, may have authorized”, dates back to Pope Pius XII’s Encyclical Mediator Dei  (Acta Apostolicae Sedis  39, 1947, 541–542).

Moreover, the desire for a “general reform” did not come about suddenly, but had been evident in the actions of successive Popes since the beginning of the 20th century, in keeping with the demands of the Liturgical Movement. The assertion that the faithful should not attend celebrations “as strangers or silent spectators” had already been raised in Pope Pius XI’s Apostolic Constitution Divini Cultus . Furthermore, one may recall Pope Pius XII’s interventions regarding the ordering of the rites of Holy Week, which he rescheduled to the hours corresponding to the events of Easter, after they had for centuries been brought forward to the morning hours. Nor should it be forgotten that Saint John XXIII regarded it necessary to simplify the rubrics of the Breviary and the Missal, approving this with the Motu proprio Rubricarum instructum  of 25 July 1960, in which he referred the proposal of fundamental principles for a reform of the liturgy at the forthcoming Ecumenical Council.

The liturgical reform promoted by the Second Vatican Council is thus firmly rooted in the living tradition of the Church. A correct understanding of it also enables us to reject the abuses that occurred in certain sectors of the Church during the post-Conciliar period, and which, unfortunately, still occur from time to time today, where some of the principles underlying the reform itself have been taken to extremes or misunderstood.

In this regard, it is worth recalling that the Conciliar Constitution affirms that “Liturgical services are not private functions, but are celebrations of the Church, which is the ‘sacrament of unity’, namely, the holy people united and ordered under their bishops. Therefore liturgical services pertain to the whole body of the Church; they manifest it and have effects upon it” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 26).

It is therefore the primary responsibility of pastors, of bishops, but also of each individual priest, to safeguard and promote a liturgy which, while respecting liturgical norms, shines with noble simplicity (cf. no. 34) and thus manifests the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Such a liturgy will also be a fundamental vehicle for evangelization, the instrument of grace through which, as the Council teaches, we may learn to offer ourselves and, through Christ’s mediation, be perfected in unity with God and amongst ourselves (cf. no. 48).

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[1] G. B. Montini, «Third Letter from the Council», Rivista Diocesana Milanese 51 (1962) 921-923: 922.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Solemn Closing of the Second Session of the Council, Allocution of the Holy Father Paul VI (4 December 1963).

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Special greetings:

I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly the groups from Malta, Senegal and Canada.  A special greeting to those serving in the National Offices of the Pontifical Mission Societies.  Upon you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all!

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Summary of the Holy Father's words:

Dear brothers and sisters, in this final catechesis on the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, we recall the reasons the Council Fathers promoted a liturgical reform. When the Church carries out a reform of the liturgy — a constant process of development across the centuries — there is an important distinction to be made between the divine, immutable elements, and the human elements, which may undergo various modifications. The need arose for the faithful to celebrate the liturgies more consciously and actively, not “as strangers and silent spectators,” but participating fully in the salvific mystery. In this way, the Christian people learn to recognize sacred realities, offer themselves with and through the hands of the priest, and become more open to receiving God’s grace. At every celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, let us ask for God’s help to be strengthened on our journey and to enter into a deeper relationship with the Lord.

In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.
Good morning and welcome to you all.
 

Your Excellency,
distinguished authorities,
dear brothers and sisters,

It is a great joy to welcome you this morning, during your pilgrimage to the See of Peter, to give thanks to God for the fruitful forty-five years of your institution. I join in this special celebration and ask the Lord to continue blessing the work you carry out.

An arduous task, undoubtedly; one involving a great deal of unseen work that nobody notices and that only God can reward, and in which it is deeply rewarding to recognize, in the face of every person, Jesus Christ Himself. Through your work, you are in a unique position to bear witness to what we hear in the Gospel: ‘Truly I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it for me’ (Mt 25:40). Being able to recognize, in the lives of the weakest and most vulnerable, the gaze of Christ that challenges us, is something that helps us grow as a human and Christian society.

There are many values that characterize the way you approach the reality of people with intellectual disabilities and cerebral palsy: solidarity, the defence of human dignity and full inclusion. For all these reasons, you have also succeeded in garnering the support of a large number of institutional representatives, who are here with you today, thus bearing witness to their commitment to your work and to the common good.

Looking back, we give thanks to God for the inspiration of Don Marcelino Casas Puente who, more than four decades ago, set in motion what then seemed like a dream and which we now see as a reality: that no family with a member with an intellectual disability should be left without support.

Today, this Federation can feel proud of reaching so many people, making a reality what I had the opportunity to recall during my recent visit to Spain: “the love of Christ impels us toward our brothers and sisters (cf. 2 Cor 5:14), and the charity and concern with which we respond to its promptings are the proof of our faith” (Visit to the staff and service users of the ‘CEDIA 24 horas’ social project, 6 June 2026).

Dear brothers and sisters, I commend you to the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that she may accompany you constantly in your mission. May she encourage you in your moments of greatest difficulty and help you to keep your eyes focused on the Lord at all times, so that your Federation may continue to be a true model for the Church and society.

God bless you.

Thank you very much.

Let us now pray together, as the Lord taught us:

[Our Father…]

[Blessing]

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 24 August 2026

In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen!
Peace be with you!
 

Your Most Reverend Excellency,
Distinguished Authorities,
Reverend Chaplains,
Dear brothers and sisters!

You have come to Rome and, in a sense, the other members of your units are united with you. In welcoming you, I extend my greetings to all members – Christian and non-Christian alike – of the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, the National Republican Guard and the Public Security Police in Portugal. In a special way, in the light of the Risen Christ, I remember the two young soldiers from the Army who, last Friday, lost their lives while like the Good Samaritan, they generously stopped along the way to offer assistance: I entrust them to the Lord, together with their families.

It was with the welfare of the entire corps of the Armed Forces and Security Forces, their members and their respective families in mind that the Vicariate was established sixty years ago; in 1981 it came to be known as the the Military Ordinariate and, twenty-five years ago, received its first bishop. You have therefore chosen to come to Rome specifically to commemorate these anniversaries. May the Ordinariate, by making its invaluable contribution to spiritual well-being and to the understanding of Christian values, continue to be a forum for constructive collaboration with state, governmental and military authorities.

For those who believe in Christ, making a pilgrimage to this city represents a unique opportunity for self-renewal, recognizing the centrality of God in one’s own life and strengthening one’s faith through prayer beside the tomb of the Apostle Saint Peter. Every day, each of you has the noble mission of defending the sovereignty of the Fatherland and the rule of law, ensuring the safety of your fellow citizens and protecting them from injustice. I would therefore like to repeat to you this exhortation from Saint Paul: “Be strong in the Lord. […] Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace” (Eph 6:10, 14–15).

Be strong in the Lord, like the centurion who approached Jesus in Capernaum. He was well aware of the values by which you guide your lives: obedience, discipline, self-denial, loyalty, camaraderie, dedication, responsibility and courage. At the same time, that soldier felt a need for God; he knew that human beings are not self-sufficient, but aspire to something more, to something that transcends them. Having a servant who was suffering terribly, this led him to approach Jesus, who assured him that He would go and heal him. However, he replied: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldier under me; and I say to one, ‘Go’, and he goes, and to another, ‘Come’, and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this’, and he does it” (Mt 8:8–9). In this attitude, we can see how the centurion valued hierarchy and how this aspect of his daily life shaped his understanding of his relationship with Jesus of Nazareth, whom he confesses as his Lord and his God. Astonished by these words, Jesus said: “Not even in Israel have I found such faith!” (v. 10). Although, on the one hand, this soldier was aware of his authority, on the other, he demonstrated before the Son of God the strength of faith and the courage of humility. Indeed, human beings, however much responsibility they may bear, however much power they may wield, however blameless they may be, are always hungry for the infinite and thirsty for eternity. Now, the infinite and eternity are within our reach in Jesus Christ: they are a gift from the Lord.

Most Reverend Excellency, dear chaplains, the Church entrusts to you the spiritual growth of the military personnel and police officers of your nation. Welcome them all, listen to them, enlighten them with the wisdom of the Word of God, stand by their side acting in the name of Christ in the celebration of the Sacraments, and accompany each one without forgetting their families. From this specific ministry of yours will come the fruits of personal growth in the practice of the Christian life and the reinvigoration of the esprit de corps of the Military and Security Forces you serve. Thank you for the closeness which, as good shepherds, you offer to all those who perform such an important, special and demanding service for the good of Portugal and beyond. Your witness of love for the Church and for the country is a balm that comforts and gives hope.

And finally, to all of you who have come here, I wish to express my gratitude for the esteem, appreciation and recognition you show for the work carried out in the Ordinariate. May Our Lady of Fátima accompany you in your various missions, both in Portugal and abroad. May the joy of the Lord be your strength. God bless you! Thank you.

[Blessing]

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 24 August 2026

Dear friends,

I am pleased to welcome you this morning to Rome and here to the Vatican, and I hope that you will have time, or have had time, to visit the various holy sites associated with the early Christians and martyrs, whose witness to the faith in our Lord remains an enduring source of inspiration, encouraging us likewise to give our lives for the glory of God and for the good of our brothers and sisters.

There is no doubt that we face difficult challenges in our own time, as the world passes through a particularly turbulent period. There seems to be an increasing animosity among peoples, evident not only in international conflicts and disputes, as you mentioned, but also within individual countries, as demonstrated by the bitterness that frequently characterizes political and social discourse.

Given our fallen human condition, it is all too easy to adopt an attitude of hostility toward those with whom we disagree. For this reason, a concerted effort is required to seek concrete paths of reconciliation and of fraternity. In this regard, Jesus shows us another way, revealing that goodness and charity have the power to disarm. I am therefore sincerely grateful for your presence here and for your shared desire to seek ways of building communion. Indeed, even small gestures can inspire and guide us along the path of reconciliation.

As we well know, our Lord prayed to the heavenly Father for the unity of his disciples: “that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (Jn 17:23). Grounded in our common Baptism and our shared mission in the world, I pray that we may always grow together in our service to the promotion of peace and justice.

As we continue along this path, we can look to the example of the early martyrs and of saints, such as Saint Olaf and Saint Sunniva, whose lives, dedicated to God and neighbor, helped to unite peoples and bear enduring witness to the transforming power of charity.

So my dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters, I thank you once again for your coming this morning and for your closeness. Let us ask for God’s blessing, so that, in God’s infinite goodness and wisdom, he may help us to live ever more truly as brothers and sisters, and thus bear common witness to our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you.

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

This Sunday’s Gospel (Mt 16:13-20) confronts us with a question that speaks to each of us on our journey of faith: Who is Jesus, truly, for me?

The Gospel passage makes us understand how decisive this question is for the experience of discipleship.  Indeed, although the twelve apostles had already shared so much of the life and ministry of their teacher, Jesus did not take for granted that they truly knew him or had understood the mystery of the Kingdom of God.  Thus, after asking them what people were saying about him, he addressed them directly: “But who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:15).

Brothers and sisters, this is a fundamental question for the disciples of every age, and for each one of us.  Faith is not something given to us once and for all.  Rather, we continually need to rediscover the face of Christ and his Gospel, to enter more deeply into his message and to renew the choices we make in our lives, so that they may be consistent with what we profess.  In this way, we can overcome the temptation to think that we already know everything and to reduce faith to mere habit.

The question that is put to us each day — who is Jesus for me, and what does his presence mean in my life? — emerges especially in prayer and when we meditate on the Gospel.  Yet it also arises when we encounter the wounds and needs of our brothers and sisters, and in those relationships and situations that most deeply challenge our conscience.  In our daily lives, in short, we can discover whether the Lord Jesus is for us merely a great figure of history, who said and did important things, or the Christ of God, the One sent to bring us into the love of the Father and to transform our lives and the world in which we live.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us seek not to retreat into our own convictions and religious certainties, but to remain open to an authentic relationship with Christ.  At times, when it comes to the Christian faith, we may be content with what we have merely “heard,” with common assumptions or with what has been handed down to us, perhaps even with the best of intentions.  Yet Jesus calls us to give a personal response, to know him more closely and to allow ourselves to be shaped by friendship with him through an ever new encounter.  This may also ask us to follow unfamiliar paths and to make choices different from those we had imagined.

This is true both for our personal journey and for the journey of the Church, as well as for our pastoral choices, when we may sometimes think that it is enough simply to continue doing things as we have always done them.  Instead, it is important to ask ourselves often: Who is the Lord for me?  Do I truly know him?  What is his Gospel asking of me today?  What steps and what choices am I called to make?

Let us invoke the Blessed Virgin Mary, who sought the will of God in her heart through her Son, that she may always guide us along the path of faith.

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After the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters,

In my prayers, I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in light of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which is sadly claiming many lives. I encourage on the part of the international community a response that also involves local communities in efforts of prevention, so that many human lives may be saved.

I am also close to the people of the Central African Republic, who are mourning the victims of the collapse at a mine in Zamboyé. May the Lord receive those who have lost their lives and sustain efforts to ensure safety and respect for the law at mining sites.

Tomorrow marks the tenth anniversary of the earthquake that struck central Italy, affecting Lazio, Umbria and the Marche. I pray for the deceased and for their families, as well as for all the communities involved. May faith and solidarity continue to sustain the work of reconstruction.

I greet all of you with affection, Romans and pilgrims from various countries.

In particular, I extend a warm welcome to the Primatial Choir of Gniezno Cathedral in Poland; to the seminarians and faculty of the Pontifical North American College; and to the young people from Bormio and Valfurva.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday!

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am pleased to be with you in Rimini, in these surroundings which are so dear to you because of the dedication, creativity and dialogue that your annual gathering at the end of August has been able to inspire and bring to life for many years. I thank President Scholz and Dr. Prosperi for their welcoming remarks.

At this moment in history, we understand more deeply the prophetic significance of the name given to these days almost half a century ago: “Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples.” As Saint John Paul II said to you, “The very sound of these words brings joy to the heart: ‘Meeting’! ‘A meeting of friendship’! ‘Friendship among peoples’! Words that take on a particular meaning in these often dramatic hours in the history of the world” (Address at the Third Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, 29 August 1982).

Today too, peace is fostered and spread by people who love to encounter one another and are not afraid to engage with one another. In his Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis taught us to cultivate social friendship, which is the public, dynamic and concrete expression of fraternity. Indeed, when we recognize one another in the dignity of being children of God, we come into contact with that which fundamentally unites human beings, beyond every difference, division or conflict. We can enter into one another’s experience, listen to one another and become friends — first as individuals and then as peoples. Before borders, definitions and institutions, there are always persons. This awareness lies at the heart of Christianity. You know this well, because you have been formed to read the Gospel as the revelation of God who comes to meet us — as an event, a gaze and an experience — awakening in each person the desire to be loved and to love. In this way, you have not turned the “Meeting” into a sort of enclave. On the contrary, it has become a crossroads for the Church and for society: an encounter that gives rise to further encounters and inspires new paths.

Let us give thanks to the Lord for this living heritage, which entrusts to you a great historical responsibility within the broader communion of the Church, at the service of a humanity that hungers and thirsts for justice. As the Second Vatican Council teaches us, “The joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted, are the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well. Nothing that is genuinely human fails to find an echo in their hearts” (Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 1). Yes, dear friends, this is a time for responsibility, especially for those who have received so much from a millennial tradition of faith that shapes culture. The various editions of the “Meeting” have, in fact, known how to draw from the great patrimony of the past the reasons for your present engagement with art, music, literature, science, economics and every expression of the human spirit. The title chosen for this year’s gathering, taken from the final verse of the Divine Comedy, likewise draws us into the history, in which God is Lord. “The love that moves the sun and the other stars” has not disappeared; it has lost neither its vigor nor its intensity. Yet it is a love that willingly remains silent, unlike those clamorous forces that shake the earth, the heavens and all creatures.

Yes, love moves! God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Mt 5:45). This is how Jesus describes the perfection of God, revealing the contrast between the generosity of his actions and the narrowness of human thought. Our calculations suffocate reality, but God’s gratuitousness lets it breathe freely. It is no coincidence that my Predecessors — Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis — have all pointed to divine mercy as the point of convergence between the Gospel and the “new things” of this dramatic and wondrous era. To follow Jesus Christ in the wake of the tragedies and new beginnings of the twentieth century indeed requires a clear awareness that evil is not overcome by evil. As in heaven, so on earth, love is the law of life and the means of redemption — the way of the crucified Messiah. Today, Catholic culture must counter the false realism that rearms minds, words and nations, with the realism of mercy which recognizes that there can be no enemies, and that everyone, even those who oppose us, is a brother or sister to be looked in the eye and encountered in truth. Sin exists, of course, but stronger still is the redeeming love of Christ. That love commits us to purifying our thoughts, interests, habits, associations, plans and investments — indeed, every aspect of our lives – from all that the culture of power has tainted.

Among you there is no shortage of skills, sense of responsibility and resources to be placed at the service of an authentic conversion of peoples. “Obsession with preserving one’s glory, one’s ‘dignity’, one’s influence must not play a part in our sentiments. We must seek the glory of God, and this does not coincide with our own. The glory of God which is ablaze in the humility of the grotto of Bethlehem or in the dishonor of the Cross of Christ always astonishes us” (Francis, Address at the Fifth Convention of the Italian Church, 10 November 2015). Let us, then, together free our lives from suspicion, culture from arrogance, education from ideology, work from the idolatry of profit, and technology and finance from the business of death. Beginning with the organizations that we have created and in which we work, let us expose unjust structures of power that lie at the root of poverty, inequality, war and environmental disasters. Let us disarm technological development whenever it becomes invasive and destructive. We need courageous pioneers who, by first changing course in their own lives, can make the transformation required of everyone convincing and credible.

Let there not be only those who fan the flames of weariness and despair; let there also be those who rekindle dreams and visions! These two paths are incompatible because one feeds upon division, alienation and despair, while the other serves the Kingdom of God and his justice. “Our world is filled with attempts to seize control of markets and spheres of influence, often shrouded in reassuring rhetoric and seductive ideologies. Yet our hearts yearn for an approach that is wise and benevolent, akin to that which Mary praises in her Magnificat, when she proclaims that God’s mercy extends in every generation to those who fear him. This plan of mercy continues to unfold throughout history today, even amid the rapid and unsettling changes brought by algorithms and global networks, and it becomes a compass in the digital era for living our lives according to the Gospel. At the heart of everything is the mystery of the Incarnation” (Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 230–231).

Dear friends, the disarming beauty of this Mystery calls for us to embrace “the educational risk” of which Father Giussani spoke to you. He intuited that “the educational pedagogy most capable of doing good is not one that flees from reality in order to affirm the good in isolation, but one that promotes the good within the world.” [1] He also insisted that being “in the world means engaging with the whole of reality – an engagement that is risky, if one wishes to call it so; but it would be better described as demanding.” [2] Brothers and sisters, let us now assume this responsibility, which means commitment to Christ and commitment to our world!

Dear young people, there are so many of you here, including quite a few volunteers. You are a sign that the future is promising, and not a threat! Many no longer believe this, whether among adults or your peers. Yet, silently, “the love that moves the sun and the other stars” still inspires hope. I witnessed this powerfully among young people like yourselves in Lebanon, Africa and Spain. Love moves us, urges us on, awakens us from our slumber, inspires new vocations and calls us to take risks. Do not be afraid to give yourselves fully! Open yourselves to a truly catholic spirit, broadening your networks beyond every overly narrow sense of belonging. Let your Movement, your groups and your communities be a springboard from which you can dive into the whole of reality. Resist whatever would separate you from brothers and sisters of different cultures, sensibilities and backgrounds, especially the poorest among them. Instead, go forth to meet everyone!

In every corner of the world, especially on the margins and among those who suffer, you will find people who are ready to help build the civilization of love. Do not let anyone belittle this word, which is the very name of God: “God is love” (1 Jn 4:16). In love, there is never coercion or indoctrination, nor manipulation, deception or recruitment. Love exists only in freedom, in genuine encounter and in the generous gift of self.

Dear young people, today the world seems surprised by your commitment to Christ, by the attraction you feel toward him and his word, and by your sense of belonging to the Church. For many today, the very fact that you are Christians comes as a surprise! Yet, without fanfare, “the word of the Lord sounded forth from you” (1 Thess 1:8). Saint Paul wrote this to the very young community in Thessalonica, and he added: “Your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything” (ibid.). This is not a matter of numbers, although it is moving to see thousands of your peers seeking Baptism in societies considered among the most secularized in the world. It is, rather, a matter of freedom because the truth can be encountered only in freedom.

We are coming to understand this ever more clearly in historical circumstances that have reawakened our deepest questions and an infinite longing for meaning, justice and peace. In this light, a certain loss of influence — something that we adults may perhaps have feared and resisted — should have revealed to us that we can place greater trust in the power of the Gospel, in the bonds it creates, in the vision it inspires and in the new life it brings forth. As my Predecessors have often reminded us, “The Church does not engage in proselytism.  Instead, she grows by ‘attraction’.” [3] It is the attraction of a way of living in the world, about which Father Giussani provocatively asked: “Is it possible to live this way?” [4]

Already in the second century, moreover, the anonymous author of the Epistle to Diognetus observed that Christians “display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life” (V, 4). Of course, we must admit that we carry this “treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Cor 4:7), and that the credibility of our personal and communal witness is often marred by human frailty and sin. Yet it is the Lord who always raises us up, both as individuals and as communities!

Dear friends, always love the Church! Love and safeguard unity. It is worth repeating: “Always love the Church!” Dear friends, love and safeguard the unity of the “community” through which Christ has reached you and draws you to himself. As Pope Francis said on the centenary of your founder’s birth, “even difficult moments can be moments of grace, and they can be moments of rebirth.  Communion and Liberation was born precisely in a time of crisis, in 1968. And later, Father Giussani was not frightened by the moments of passage and growth of the Fraternity, but faced them with evangelical courage, trust in Christ and in communion with the Mother Church” (Francis, Address to the Members of Communion and Liberation, 15 October 2022).

Dear friends, precisely amid the upheavals of this epochal change, and in a world torn apart by multiple crises, we can rediscover “‘the spiritual taste’ of what it means to be the People of God,” “gathered from every tribe, language, people and nation and living in different contexts and cultures … still on pilgrimage through time and already in communion with the Church in heaven” (XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Final Document, 17). In recent years, we have rediscovered the synodal and missionary dimension of being the Church, which calls us, first and foremost, to learn to listen to one another. “The gift of listening is something I think we all acknowledge, yet it has often been lost in certain sectors of the Church. We need to continue to discover how valuable it is, beginning with listening to the word of God, to one another, and to the wisdom that we find in men and women, in members of the Church and also in those who are searching for the truth, even if they are not yet — or may never become — members of the Church” (Address to the Participants in the Jubilee of the Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies, 24 October 2025).

This is a journey that also calls for the renewal of every association and ecclesial movement. I invite you, both within the Communion and Liberation Movement and within the particular Churches to which each of you belongs, to undertake this experience of walking together. It involves each person listening, allowing himself or herself to be transformed by the faith of others, and together, discerning new insights, taking further steps and responding courageously in obedience to the Holy Spirit. Synodality is not the name of a process, but the very nature of a people who, through friendship and encounter with others, come to recognize that they belong to God alone. In this way, authority is transformed into service, one that honors differences and fosters their harmony. In these troubled times, such a way of life constitutes a true sign of the times. Let us bear witness to the fact that every charism is given for the common good, that every gift increases when it is shared, and that every fear can be overcome. We must make this tangible, credible and desirable. You will know how to do this, dear friends, by following in the footsteps of your founder: by cultivating unity among yourselves, with those called to guide the Movement, with the Apostolic See that has recognized you, and with the Successor of Peter. May the Holy Spirit teach us the practice of communion. May he grant us a love for it, an appreciation of its beauty and the hope that sustains it.  And may that Love “which moves the sun and the other stars” continue to guide us, dear brothers and sisters. Thank you.

Thank you! Thank you!

A fundamental element of every Christian community is prayer. I now invite everyone to join me in saying the prayer that Jesus taught us:

Our Father …

Benediction

Thank you, and have a blessed journey!

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[1] L. Giussani, Il Rischio Educativo, Milano 2014, 106.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Benedict XVI, Homily for the Inauguration of the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, Aparecida (13 May 2007); Francis,  General Audience (11 January 2023).

[4] L. Giussani, Si Può Vivere Così?, Milano 2007.

Meeting with Their Excellencies the Captains Regent in the Palazzo Pubblico (City Hall)

Greeting of the Holy Father to the faithful in the square from the balcony of the Palazzo Pubblico (City Hall)

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Meeting with Their Excellencies the Captains Regent in the Palazzo Pubblico (City Hall)

Captains Regent,
distinguished authorities,

I am very pleased to visit your country, which holds the distinction of being the oldest republic in the world, with a tradition dating back to the beginning of the fourth century. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Captains Regent for their kind invitation and for the warm welcome extended to me, as also demonstrated by the words they have addressed to me on behalf of all the citizens. My visit follows in the footsteps of Saint John Paul II in 1982 and Benedict XVI in 2011, and is intended to reaffirm the deep bond that unites the Titano with the Apostolic See. This is an ancient bond, forged by a long history of coexistence, yet at the same time a recent one if we consider that it was only a century ago, in April 1926, that diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Most Serene Republic of San Marino were formalized.

Throughout its long history, your Republic has ensured that the words we might define as the spiritual testament of its Founder, and which we recalled a short while ago, always remain relevant: “Relinquo vos liberos ab utroque homine”, the essence of which is clearly encapsulated in the motto Libertas. A single word, yet one that carries such weight! In the context of the history of a people and a State, it certainly expresses the aspiration to self-determination, to freedom from dependence on other political authorities. Yet, at the same time, Libertas means much more, and I would like to dwell briefly on this with you.

First of all, I would like to emphasize that there is no true civil liberty without personal liberty; that is, without the respect for and promotion of the dignity of the human person, of which freedom is an essential component. This freedom is ultimately bestowed and guaranteed by God, whose voice resounds in the conscience of every human being.

Promoting freedom entails defending the realm of conscience. And here my thoughts turn to the many men and women who, in every age and in every place, are martyrs for freedom because they bear witness to the primacy of conscience. Firmly grounded in the search for truth, they are fully responsible for their own decisions and therefore free from every bond other than that which, as creatures, binds them to God. An exemplary figure in this regard is Saint Thomas More, patron saint of rulers and politicians. Even today, in many parts of the world, there is no shortage of people who remain faithful to their conscience even in the face of great adversity, bearing witness to true freedom – that which stems from being sons and daughters of God. With admiration, we express our solidarity with all those who, at this very moment, are paying a personal price for not having betrayed their consicence.

Furthermore, freedom is attained in giving, in communion, in encounter and in dialogue. It is like a plant that grows and produces branches and leaves to offer oxygen, shade, perfume, fruit and new seeds to everyone. And how could it be otherwise, since it springs from the source that is Love, One and Triune? This theological reference may perhaps seem excessive, but I believe it is necessary today, in the face of the idolatry that undermines at its very root those political and economic projects which present themselves in the name of freedom, but are in reality enslaved to idols and power.

In the Christian vision, freedom and communion stand or fall together. Many saints have initiated experiences of community life in which people express their freedom through obedience to a rule based on the Gospel. In your case, it is always of particular interest that at the origin of your community are men such as Saint Marino and Saint Leo, whom we might describe as builders of free and peaceful cities. Their work can be interpreted in the light of the biblical icon of the rebuilding of Jerusalem brought about by the Prophet Nehemiah. It is the “positive” image, in contrast to that of the tower of Babel, which guides the reflection in the Encyclical Magnifica humanitas (cf. no. 8). Nehemiah’s work is inspired by prayer; it involves families and the whole people, forging bonds even before the stones are laid; its hallmark is communion, not uniformity, “the harmony that arises when all persons assume their own role and recognize that their strength comes from the Lord” (ibid). This is how I like to think of the work undertaken by your Founders, which is well reflected in the industriousness and ingenuity of this people and this land.

Libertas, for you, also means an unwavering commitment to active and positive participation in the building of peace. In this regard, I express my deep appreciation and find a particular resonance with the stance taken by the Holy See. For this reason, we share a high regard for diplomacy and multilateralism, as the preferred means of fostering international relations and promoting understanding between nations. “Faced with the impulsive broadcasts, aggressive rhetoric and power politics that characterize our time, the vocation of diplomacy is to foster dialogue with all parties, including those interlocutors considered less ‘convenient’ or not considered legitimized to negotiate. Therefore, every ounce of humility and patience should be employed in order to nurture even the faintest signs of goodwill among parties in conflict, so as to advance the process of peace” (Encyclical Letter Magnifica humanitas, 224).

Ladies and Gentlemen, this visit, much like the one in the Principality of Monaco, prompts me to emphasize the unique value of a small state “on a human scale”, where it is possible to experience politics attuned to the needs of citizens and, therefore, a more effective democracy, all the more so when it is also animated by Christian inspiration. The Republic of San Marino can therefore serve as a “laboratory” for good governance, where, without compromising the secular nature of the State, one can draw upon the principles of Catholic social teaching: the pursuit of the common good, the universal destination of goods, the harmony between subsidiarity and solidarity, and social justice (cf. ibid., 59–81). This commitment appears even more valuable today, as the Association Agreement with the European Union is about to come into force and your Republic will find itself engaged in a stable, albeit distinctive, relationship with a complex reality, which stands to benefit greatly from your contribution.

Even more fundamentally, the primary objective to strive for in this “laboratory” is care for the human person. Indeed, a community such as yours, one that is both rich in traditional values and technologically up to date, can effectively pursue this objective through a form of care that translates into the protection of every life, at every stage, from conception to natural death. “The quality of a civilization is measured not by the power of its means, but by the care it is able to offer, by its ability to recognize the other as a face, not merely as a function. The ability to care for one another is a fundamental dimension of our humanity. … Technology can also support this mutual care between people, for example, by providing tools that help us anticipate and organize things, without undermining human freedom and judgment. After all, human beings are the subjects of relationships and responsible for their own decisions” (ibid., 114).

This care for others has been a distinctive trait of San Marino’s history from its very beginnings. As has been noted, it has been evident in the tradition of hospitality, which has never wavered over the centuries towards those who suffer and are facing hardship. More recently, it has been demonstrated through the support and hospitality extended to the Ukrainian people, especially at the outset of the conflict, as well as through the commitment to international humanitarian law at a time in history when it appears to be disregarded, if not outright trampled upon, on a daily basis.

This sensitivity is also the fruit of this country’s Christian tradition and of the constant and positive collaboration between political authorities and the bishop in the pursuit of the common good. I am therefore particularly grateful to you for your commitment and witness, and I encourage all of you, leaders, citizens and the Church community, to continue your courageous and far-sighted commitment to the dignity of every human person and to the common good. To each of you, I renew my expression of joy at this visit to the Republic of San Marino and I invoke the Lord’s blessing upon you all.

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Greeting of the Holy Father to the faithful in the square from the balcony of the Palazzo Pubblico (City Hall)

Good morning! Good morning to you all! I thank you sincerely for your welcome, on this beautiful day! I am truly delighted to be here with you, to greet you, and to enjoy the beauty, history, tradition and faith of this great people of San Marino.

Best wishes to you: may you always live with genuine freedom, with genuine freedom in Christ Jesus, with the truth, and may you always be united in this welcoming spirit. Best wishes to you all!

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 22 August 2026

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 19 February 2026

Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 12 August 2026

Your Eminences,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is a joy for me to greet you, members of the International Catholic Legislators Network, and in particular, Cardinal Schönborn and Cardinal Bo, the Patrons of this Network.

The theme for your annual meeting, “Human Dignity and Artificial Intelligence: Challenges, Chances and Control,” gives you the opportunity to reflect upon one of the defining questions of our age. The extraordinary progress of artificial intelligence is opening horizons that previous generations could scarcely have imagined. Yet every technological achievement also confronts humanity with a moral question: not merely what can we do, but what ought we to do? Indeed, our human family today faces a decisive choice. As I wrote in the Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, we may be tempted to construct a new Tower of Babel, where power, efficiency and control obscure the face of the human person; or we can build a civilization in which technology serves the integral development of every person (cf. nos. 7-10). The decisive question remains the same: Does technology help people to become more fraternal and responsible toward themselves and toward one another? In this regard, the principles of the Church’s Social Doctrine — the inviolable dignity of every person, the common good, the universal destination of goods, subsidiarity and solidarity — provide the sure criteria for discernment.

Dear legislators, your vocation places you at the heart of this challenge.  Responsible for providing policies for the administration of technology for the common good, your task is not to hinder innovation but to guide it wisely (cf. Francis, Address to the Participants in the Meeting promoted by the International Catholic Legislators Network, 27 August 2021). Sound legislation should encourage scientific and technological creativity while safeguarding fundamental human rights and freedoms. It should protect users from exploitation, preserve personal privacy, ensure transparency in the use of emerging technologies and guarantee that they strengthen democratic institutions.

To this end, “robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required” (Magnifica Humanitas, no. 106). Such oversight can operate at multiple levels — local, national and international — facilitating open discussion of “the ethical frameworks involved and subjecting them to shared standards of social justice” (no. 107), and ensuring that no single ideology or interest dictates the values embedded in artificial intelligence systems.

At the same time, the rapid development of artificial intelligence risks creating new forms of technological dependence, with poorer nations increasingly reliant on wealthier ones. We must remain vigilant in this regard, lest innovation become another vehicle for ideological or economic colonialism (cf. nos. 178-179). Sadly, we are presented with a subtle form of domination when algorithms decide who is seen, who remains invisible, when digital platforms shape public discourse without accountability, and when the dignity of workers is subordinated to the optimization of systems (cf. nos. 95, 150, 171). Such developments reveal a new face of the ancient temptation to domination and mastery without service.

Against this culture of power the Church proposes “the civilization of love” (Paul VI, Regina Caeli, 17 May 1970; cf. Magnifica Humanitas, no. 186) — one that would govern artificial intelligence wisely by cultivating hearts capable of charity, compassion and responsibility. In such a society, the first school of humanity would be the family. For it is within the family that we first learn trust before calculation, generosity before competition, dialogue before division, and love before power. Artificial intelligence must never be allowed to erode this primary cell of society — whether by reducing persons and relationships to data and simulations, by flooding young minds with content that distorts desire, or by economic models that make family life economically precarious. For this reason, I encourage you to promote policies that strengthen marriage and families, support parents in their educational mission and enable young people to look to the future with confidence.

Dear friends, the world does not need an artificial intelligence that diminishes humanity; rather, it needs human intelligence enlightened by wisdom, political authority guided by conscience and technological innovation directed by charity. Only then will artificial intelligence become not a rival to humanity but a servant of the common good.

With these thoughts, I pray that your deliberations will bear abundant fruit for your nations and for the entire human family. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, accompany you always. Upon you, your families and all those entrusted to your service, I willingly invoke God’s abundant blessings. Thank you.

Catechesis. The Documents of the Second Vatican Council. III. Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium. 7. Sacred Music

Dear brothers and sisters,

The sixth chapter of the Second Vatican Council's Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC) is dedicated to sacred music. The document states that: “The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy” (SC,, 112). It specifies that “sacred music is to be considered the more holy in proportion as it is more closely connected with the liturgical action, whether it adds delight to prayer, fosters unity of minds, or confers greater solemnity upon the sacred rites. But the Church approves of all forms of true art having the needed qualities, and admits them into divine worship” (ibid.).

Here we find the core of the Council’’s teaching, which confirms and deepens the ministerial function of music in the liturgy,  already  highlighted by Saint Pius X in the Motu Proprio Inter Sollicitudines (22 November 1903). Indeed, music is part of the liturgical action and is not merely a decorative part of the celebration. To sing and  play music during the liturgy is to pray, attuning one’s heart to that of our sisters and brothers and to God, through active participation in the mystery  being celebrated. In particular, music expresses the affective dimension of prayer, as Saint Augustine says: “Cantare amantis est”, that is, “singing belongs to those who love” (Sermon 336, 1). This is very important, because it helps us  open our hearts to God’s action in grace and  allow ourselves to be moulded by it.

Singing also fosters communion. It contributes to the unity of hearts, overcoming differences between people and bringing everyone together in praise of God through the symphony of voices. Thus, it becomes an epiphany of the Church, a tangible manifestation of the communion that belongs to her very nature.

The profound theological value of sacred hymns as an integral part of liturgical action carries certain requirements. The first is that,  at every level, it must respond to what is most appropriate for the liturgical moment, beyond fashions or composers’ particular sensitivities. Its form, especially in its melodic aspect, must be at once noble and simple, of high musical quality and easily performable, particularly when it is intended to be sung by the whole assembly (cf. SC,, 121).

For the same reason, the Council also recommends that the texts   be suitable, profound and at the same time readily understandable, inspired mainly by Sacred Scripture,  liturgical books and the spiritual Tradition of the Church. Attention must be paid to this, so that the dynamic expressed in the ancient principle lex orandi, lex credendi, that is, the law of prayer is also the law of faith, may remain alive and continue to grow.

Sacrosanctum Concilium devotes considerable attention to the theme of the active participation of the faithful (cf. n. 114). This “must be understood […] on the basis of a greater awareness of the mystery being celebrated and its relationship to daily life” (Benedict XVI, Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis, 52), in a “spirit of constant conversion which must mark the lives of all the faithful” (ibid., 55). As for the practical way in which this can be achieved through sacred music’s specific role, the Constitution offers a clear answer: “the people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs”, and “reverent silence” should be fostered (SC,, 30). It urges each person, minister or member of the faithful, to perform “all of, but only, those parts which pertain to his office by the nature of the rite and the principles of liturgy” (SC, 28), in a harmonious balance between  different ministries,  various interventions and moments of silence.

The Council attributes great value to Gregorian chant, without excluding other genres of sacred music from the celebration. Particular attention is also given to the organ (cf. SC,, 120), while the use of other instruments is permitted “on condition that the instruments are suitable, or can be made suitable, for sacred use, accord with the dignity of the temple, and truly contribute to the edification of the faithful” (SC,, 120).

A theme close to the Council’s reform is that of inculturation, including in the field of sacred music. In particular, with regard to the musical traditions of different cultures, the Council emphasizes the importance of taking them  into consideration seriously, as they form part of people’s religious and social life. Thus, on  one hand, an “attitude toward religion” should be promoted in everyone (SC,, 119). On the other, “every effort should be made  to see that they become competent in promoting the traditional music of these peoples, both in schools and in sacred services” (ibid.).

A particular role in the liturgical context is given to the schola cantorum. The Council recommends the promotion of this pastoral instrument, to ensure the “proper performance of the parts which belong to it, according to the different kinds of music sung, and to encourage the active participation of the faithful in the singing” (Sacred Congregation of Rites, Instruction Musicam Sacram, 19).

Hence,  composers of sacred music are called to know and preserve the musical heritage of the Church, allowing it to inspire new compositions at the service of the liturgy, while respecting contemporary sensibilities and the different cultural traditions, so as to “‘purify worship from ugliness of style, from distasteful forms of expression, from uninspired musical texts which are not worthy of the great act that is being celebrated’, to guarantee dignity and excellence to liturgical compositions” (Saint John Paul II, Chirograph on Sacred Music, 22 November 2003, 3).

For all these reasons, the Council Fathers recommended promoting the formation and practice of sacred music “in seminaries, in the novitiates and houses of study of religious of both sexes, and also in other Catholic institutions and schools” (SC,, 115), and ensuring that musicians and singers receive sound liturgical formation (cf. ibid.).

Dear brothers and sisters, the Fathers of the Church held liturgical singing in great esteem as a symbol of ecclesial communion. We can therefore conclude with Saint Ignatius of Antioch’s  beautiful words: “Let each of you unite to become a choir, so that, harmonious in love and taking up the song of God in unison, you may  with one voice sing  to the Father through Jesus Christ, so that he may hear you and recognize, from the good works you perform, that you are members of his Son” (cf. Letter to the Ephesians, 4, 2).

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Special greetings:

I extend a warm welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from Malta. Upon you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all!

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Summary of the Holy Father's words:

Dear brothers and sisters, in our continuing catechesis on the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, today we consider the importance of sacred music. Indeed, singing and playing a musical instrument are acts of prayer. Music thus fosters our unity in praising God and opens our hearts to be fashioned by his grace. Far from being merely decorative, therefore, sacred music is a treasure of profound value. It should always be dignified, draw inspiration from Sacred Scripture and reflect the grandeur of the mystery celebrated. Sacred music is also to reflect local cultures, expressing the authentic traditions of peoples, while promoting the universal Church’s musical heritage. The Council also emphasized the need for solid liturgical formation and education in sacred music. Dear brothers and sisters, in the liturgy, may we join together in love, and – in the words of Saint Ignatius of Antioch – “with one voice sing to the Father through Jesus Christ.”