Pope Francis meets with the Abbot, monks and collaborators of the Abbey of Montevergine on the occasion of the nine hundredth anniversary of the Abbey's foundation. He encourages the community to make themselves a gift to God and to be a gift of God to others.

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Pope Francis commemorates the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Argentine priest Carlos Múgica upholding his legacy of serving the poor and marginalized.

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So often we hear people or even ourselves excuse an action by saying "I was only following orders." But for Nereus and Achilleus this excuse could not stand in the face of the cross. Everything we know from authority about the two first- century martyrs comes from a testimony written by Pope St. Damasus in the fourth century and inscribed on a memorial tablet that commemorates their lives. But even this commentary comes 300 years after they died. Damasus tells us that Nereus ...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Believing security can be obtained through war and fear is a great deception, Pope Francis said.

"To guarantee lasting peace, we must return to a recognition of our common humanity and place fraternity at the center of peoples' lives," he told participants in a conference on human fraternity.

"Political peace needs peace of hearts, so that people can meet in the confidence that life always triumphs over all forms of death," he said in his talk during a late morning audience at the Vatican May 11.

The pope met with some 350 participants of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity being held May 10-11. Organized by the Vatican's Fratelli Tutti Foundation, the conference brought Nobel laureates, government officials, scientists, experts, athletes and artists to a series of roundtable discussions across Rome and at the Vatican to discuss specific themes aimed at strengthening solidarity and peace.

Those attending the conference included: New York Mayor Eric Adams; Muhammad Yunus, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize; Graça Machel Mandela, former first lady of both South Africa and Mozambique; the former quarterback, Tom Brady; and NASA administrator, Bill Nelson. U.S. country singer, Garth Brooks, was scheduled to be part of a late evening concert held in front of St. Peter's Basilica May 11.

In his address, the pope quoted the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who said, "We've learned to fly the air like birds, we've learned to swim the seas like fish, and yet we haven't learned to walk the Earth as brothers and sisters."

"War is a deception. War is always a defeat, as is the idea of international security based on the deterrent of fear," the pope said. "It is another deception."

"In a planet in flames, you have gathered with the intention of reiterating your 'no' to war and 'yes' to peace, bearing witness to the humanity that unites us and makes us recognize each other as brothers and sisters, in the reciprocal gift of the respective cultural differences," he told conference participants. 

One of the conference's aims was to renew the Declaration on Human Fraternity released at the first conference in Rome in 2023 and to draft a new "Charter of Humanity" outlining a "grammar" or code of choices and behaviors needed to build fraternal coexistence in a world marked by uncertainty and fear.

In his speech, the pope underlined the importance of compassion and he encouraged everyone "to make this spirituality of fraternity grow, and to promote, through your diplomatic action, the role of multilateral bodies."

Only by recognizing everyone is part of a common humanity and putting fraternity at the center of peoples' lives "will we succeed in developing a model of coexistence capable of giving the human family a future," he said. 

Later in the afternoon, the pope attended a special roundtable, dedicated to children and future generations, held in the Vatican Synod Hall.

The moderator told the pope that a group of special "scientists" had to be introduced before they could start the meeting in the half-empty hall. As the music to "A Thousand Years" played, scores of children walked into the hall wearing crowns made of laurel leaves.

They held paper leaves with words of wisdom written on them and handmade drawings they gave the pope. Some stayed with the pope, sitting next to him behind the dais.

In an informal exchange, the pope asked the children what happiness was and where it could be found. "I love you very much!" was the first and fourth response. 

Those who kept on topic answered, "to be united together," "to be part of a family," when everyone is doing well, by loving one another, by staying in touch with God and when there is peace.

Peace, they said, can be found when people speak nicely to one another, and insults only cause unhappiness. 

Pope Francis then asked them if they understood there were children in the world suffering from hunger and war, and whether they thought the children on "the other side" of a war were enemies.

"No!" they shouted, with one explaining the reason was that war "is not their fault" and "all children are part of one family." 

One child asked the pope to pray for his grandmother, and the pope led everyone in praying the Hail Mary for everyone's grandparents, ending with the cheer "Long live grandparents!" and explaining how the future depends on young and old working together. 

The pope signed a copy of a declaration crafted by the children expressing what fraternity means to them, and he blessed a relic of Blessed Pino Puglisi of Palermo, who spoke out against the Mafia and helped underprivileged children. The priest was murdered in 1993 by order of local Mafia bosses. The relic was a small Gospel that had been buried with him and had remained intact and found when his body was exhumed. 

ROME (CNS) -- Blind, unbridled consumerism and selfishness -- not the number of people on the planet and having children -- are the root causes of the world's problems, Pope Francis said.

The reasons for pollution and world hunger, for example, are not based on the number of children being born, but on "the choices of those who think only of themselves, the delusion of unbridled, blind and rampant materialism, of a consumerism that, like an evil virus, erodes at the root the existence of people and society," he said.

"Human life is not a problem, it is a gift," he said. "The problem is not how many of us there are in the world, but what kind of world we are building." 

Pope Francis made his remarks at a meeting in Rome May 10 on Italy's longtime decline in births and population growth.

The annual conference focuses on the general state of Italy's birthrate and demographics and seeks to bring all sectors of society together to pursue concrete ways to reverse the country's steeply declining birthrate. Sponsored by the Foundation for Natality and with the support of the Italian Forum of Family Associations and the city of Rome, the conference was held May 9-10 at a Rome auditorium not far from St. Peter's Square.

Italy has had one of the lowest birthrates in the European Union for years. According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics, Italy continued to register less than 7 births per 1,000 people last year and saw 14,000 fewer births than in 2022. Italy's fertility rate dropped to 1.2 in 2023 from 1.24 in 2022.

However, its population registered a decline of only 0.3% from last year due to increased migration and to fewer people leaving the country, the institute said.

Gianluigi De Palo, president of the Foundation for Natality, said in his talk before introducing the pope, that the group's mission is to encourage Italy's demographic winter to turn into springtime.

"Not because we are worried about who will pay for our pensions or who will support the national health care system, but because we want our children to be free" to choose what they want to do with their future, he said. 

"It is not about convincing young people to have more children; it is not about convincing couples, families, women to have children," he said.

The problem is that having children is one of the primary causes of poverty in Italy, "and this is unacceptable," he said. People may feel free to not have children if they do not want them, but that freedom is denied to those who want to have children "but are not in a position to have them."

Nothing concrete has been done, he continued, to actually enact or strengthen measures and policies that people agree with, such as more public child care centers and better parental leave.

In his talk, Pope Francis said the root cause of problems in the world "is not babies being born: it is selfishness, consumerism and individualism, which make people satiated, lonely and unhappy."

"Selfishness makes one deaf to the voice of God, who loves first and teaches how to love, and to the voice of the brothers and sisters around us; it anesthetizes the heart," making people live for things and possessions, losing the capacity to know "how to do good."

Homes become "very sad places," he said, emptied of children and "filled with objects," dogs or cats.

The pope said what is needed are long-term approaches, effective policies and bold, concrete decisions so that what seeds are sown today, children "can reap tomorrow." 

"Serious and effective family-friendly choices" need to be made, he said. For example, women should never be put in a position where they have to choose between work and childcare, and young people should not carry the paralyzing burden of job insecurity and the inability to buy a home.

There should also be more intergenerational solidarity and generosity, the pope said.

Older generations should reassess their habits and lifestyles, "giving up what is superfluous in order to give the youngest hope for tomorrow" and, he said, younger generations should recognize and show gratitude for the sacrifices and hard work of those who helped them grow, he added.

In every discussion about birthrates and demographics, he said, do not forget to emphasize the importance of grandparents playing an active role in families.

It is "cultural suicide" to "discard" grandparents or let them live solitary lives, he said.

"The future is made by young and old together. Courage and memory together," he said.

"These are the values to uphold, this is the culture to spread, if we are to have a tomorrow," he said.

The man who would become St. Damien of Molokai, was born in rural Belgium, on January 3, 1840. His name was Jozef De Veuster, and he was the youngest of seven children. Growing up on the farm, Jozef was prepared to take over for his family, but he did not want the responsibility. Instead, he wanted to follow his older brother and two sisters who took religious vows. Jozef attended school until the age of 13 when his help was needed on the family farm full-time. He aided his family until he was ...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- "The time has come for a new Jubilee when once more the Holy Door will be flung open to invite everyone to an intense experience of the love of God that awakens in hearts the sure hope of salvation in Christ," Pope Francis said in a document formally proclaiming the Holy Year 2025.

Christians must "abound in hope" to be credible witnesses of God's love, he wrote, and they can give signs of that hope by having children, welcoming migrants, visiting prisoners, working for peace, opposing the death penalty, helping young people find a job, pressuring rich countries to forgive the debt of poor countries, praying for the souls in purgatory and lobbying to divert money from military spending to food aid.

The document, called a "bull of indiction," specifies that the holy year will open at the Vatican Dec. 24 this year and close Jan. 6, 2026, the feast of Epiphany. Pope Francis also asked bishops around the world to inaugurate the Holy Year in their dioceses Dec. 29 this year and celebrate the conclusion of the Jubilee locally Dec. 28, 2025.

During a brief ceremony in front of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica May 9, Pope Francis handed the document to the archpriests of the papal basilicas of St. Peter, St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. Mary Major, the vicar of the archpriest of the Basilica of St. John Lateran and to top officials of the dicasteries for Evangelization, the Eastern Churches and Bishops.

Msgr. Leonardo Sapienza, an apostolic protonotary and official of the papal household, read excerpts from the document, which is titled, "Spes Non Confundit," ("Hope Does Not Disappoint").

"Hope is born of love and based on the love springing from the pierced heart of Jesus upon the cross," Pope Francis wrote in the document.

In a world seemingly marked by war, divisions, environmental destruction and economic challenges, hope can seem hard to come by, he said. But "Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God's love."

In addition, people need to look around and seek signs of hope, he said. "We need to recognize the immense goodness present in our world, lest we be tempted to think ourselves overwhelmed by evil and violence."

People's yearning for peace, their desire for a relationship with Jesus and growing concern for the environment are all signs that hope still exists, the pope wrote.

"The desire of young people to give birth to new sons and daughters as a sign of the fruitfulness of their love," he said, is another sign of hope and one that "ensures a future for every society."

But the "alarming decline in the birthrate" in many countries shows how governments and communities must work together to support young couples who want to give that sign of hope to the world, he said.

The theme for the holy year is "Pilgrims of Hope," and in the document Pope Francis called on Catholics not only to strengthen their own sense of hope, but also to "be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind."

Listing prisoners as the first category of people in need of hope, the pope said he wants to open a Holy Door in a prison although he provided no further details. But he asked governments around the world to consider jubilee amnesty and pardon programs and urged greater efforts to ensure those who have completed a sentence are assisted in their return to society.

He called on all Catholics, but especially bishops, to "be one in demanding dignified conditions for those in prison, respect for their human rights and above all the abolition of the death penalty, a provision at odds with Christian faith and one that eliminates all hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation."

Pope Francis also called on the church to take special care of young people, who are supposed to be "the embodiment of hope," but often seem overwhelmed by "an uncertain and unpromising future."

And migrants, who leave their homelands in search of a better life for themselves and their families, also need support to keep their hope alive, he said, adding that "their expectations must not be frustrated by prejudice and rejection."

Pilgrims of hope also should help the souls in purgatory, the pope wrote as he introduced a discussion on a key feature of jubilee celebrations: indulgences, which the church describes as a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for their sins.

"Every sin 'leaves its mark'" even after a person has received forgiveness and absolution through the sacrament of reconciliation, he said. "Sin has consequences, not only outwardly in the effects of the wrong we do, but also inwardly, inasmuch as 'every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death, in the state called Purgatory,'" he wrote, quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

"The evil we have done cannot remain hidden; it needs to be purified in order to enable this definitive encounter with God's love," the pope said. "Here we begin to see the need of our prayers for all those who have ended their earthly pilgrimage, our solidarity in an intercession that is effective by virtue of the communion of the saints, and the shared bond that makes us one in Christ, the firstborn of all creation."

"The Jubilee indulgence, thanks to the power of prayer, is intended in a particular way for those who have gone before us, so that they may obtain full mercy," Pope Francis wrote. He said a full set of norms for the jubilee indulgence would be published later.

 

St. Pachomius was born about 292 in the Upeer Thebaid in Egypt and was inducted into the Emperor's army as a twenty-year-old. The great kindness of Christians at Thebes toward the soldiers became embedded in his mind and led to his conversion after his discharge. After being baptized, he became a disciple of an anchorite, Palemon, and took the habit. The two of them led a life of extreme austerity and total dedication to God; they combined manual labor with unceasing prayer both day and night. ...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The world is in great need of hope and patience, Pope Francis said at his weekly general audience.

Those who are patient "are weavers of goodness. They stubbornly desire peace, and even if others are hasty and would like everything straight away, patience is capable of waiting," he said. 

"Even when many around us have succumbed to disillusionment, those who are inspired by hope and are patient are able to get through the darkest of nights," he said in St. Peter's Square May 8, the feast of Our Lady of Luján, patroness of Argentina. Before giving his catechesis, the pope prayed a few moments before a small statue of the Our Lady of Luján that was placed with two small floral bouquets to the right of his chair.

The pope continued his series of audience talks about vices and virtues by reflecting on the "theological" or New Testament virtue of hope. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the pope noted, says, "Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit."

Life without meaning gives rise to sadness and desperation, he said.

"Many may rebel" by insisting they have "striven to be virtuous, to be prudent, just, strong, temperate," the pope said. They declare, "I have also been a man or woman of faith.… What was the use of my fight if everything ends here?"

"If hope is missing, all the other virtues risk crumbling and ending up as ashes. If no reliable tomorrow, no bright horizon, were to exist, one would only have to conclude that virtue is a futile effort," the pope said.

Christian hope "is not an obstinacy we want to convince ourselves of, but it is a gift that comes directly from God," he said. It is a belief in the future "because Christ died and rose again and gave us his spirit." 

"If you believe in the resurrection of Christ, then you know with certainty that no defeat and no death is forever," he said.

However, the pope said, "hope is a virtue against which we sin often: in our bad nostalgia, in our melancholy, when we think that the happiness of the past is buried forever."

"We sin against hope when we become despondent over our sins, forgetting that God is merciful and greater than our hearts," he said, emphasizing that "God forgives everything; God always forgives."

"The world today is in great need of this Christian virtue" of hope, he said, "just as it needs patience, a virtue that walks in close contact with hope."

The pope asked people to pray for "the grace of hope along with patience" and to "always look toward that ultimate encounter; always see that the Lord is always near us and that death will never, ever be victorious."

Cistercian archbishop. Peter was born near Vienne, in Dauphine, France, and joined the Cistercian Order at Bonneveaux at the age of twenty with his two brothers and father. Known for his piety, at age thirty he was sent to serve as the first abbot of Tamie, in the Tarantaise Mountains, between Geneva and Savoy. There he built a hospice for travelers. In 1142, he was named the archbishop of Tarantaise against his wishes, and he devoted much energy to reforming the diocese, purging the clergy of ...