Pope Francis is a breath of fresh air. This is a man who, as we’ve seen, takes the time to visit the sick, bless children, embrace the imprisoned. He chooses to live in in an apartment rather than the papal rooms, and promotes the spirit of his namesake, St. Francis. Yes, Pope Francis has much to teach us about faith, hope, and charity. Enjoy these quotes from our pope….
“We must restore hope to young people,
help the old, be open to the future, spread love.
Be poor among the poor.
We need to include the excluded and preach peace.”
“Love is the greatest power for the transformation of reality because it pulls down the walls of selfishness and fills the ditches that keep us apart.”
“The secret of Christian living is love. Only love fills the empty spaces caused by evil.”
“Holiness means giving ourselves in sacrifice every day. And so married life is a tremendous path to sanctity!”
“Lord Jesus, make us capable of loving as you love.”
“I think this is truly the most wonderful experience we can have: to belong to a people walking, journeying through history together with our Lord, who walks among us! We are not alone; we do not walk alone. We are part of the one flock of Christ that walks together.”
“I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition.
It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.”
“God loves us. May we discover the beauty of loving and being loved.”
“What is God’s love? It is not something vague, some generic feeling. God’s love has a name and a face: Jesus Christ, Jesus. Love for God is made manifest in Jesus.”
“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge? We shouldn’t marginalize people for this. They must be integrated into society.”
“Awareness of the marvels that the Lord has wrought for our salvation disposes our minds and hearts to an attitude of thanksgiving to God for all that he has given us, for all that he has accomplished for the good of his people and for the whole of humanity.”
“The whole of salvation history is the story of God looking for us: he offers us love and welcomes us with tenderness.”
“The cross does not speak to us about defeat and failure; paradoxically, it speaks to us about a death which is life.”
“Some people want to know why I wished to be called Francis. For me, Francis of Assisi is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation.”
“We have only one heart, and the same wretchedness which leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in showing itself in our relationships with other people. Every act of cruelty towards any creature is contrary to human dignity.”
“Your sins are great? Just tell the Lord: Forgive me, help me to get up again, change my heart!”
“There is never a reason to lose hope. Jesus says: ‘I am with you until the end of the world.’”
“One who believes may not be presumptuous;
on the contrary, truth leads to humility, because believers know that,
rather than ourselves possessing truth, it is truth that embraces and possesses us.”
“Jesus is never far from us sinners. He wants to pour out on us, without limit, all of his mercy.”
“How beautiful is the gaze with which Jesus regards us—how full of tenderness! Let us never lose trust in the patience and mercy of God.”
“God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it.”
“Let us ask our Lord to help us bear shining witness to his mercy and his love in every area of our Christian lives.”
“Mercy is the true power that can save humanity and the world from sin and evil.”
“To be friends with God means to pray with simplicity, like children talking to their parents.”
“The one who listens attentively to the Word of God and truly prays, always asks the Lord: what is your will for me?”
“If we are to know the Lord, we must go to him. Listen to him in silence before the tabernacle and approach him in the sacraments.”
“Sin is more than a stain. Sin is a wound; it needs to be treated, healed. The place where my encounter with the mercy of Jesus takes place is my sin.”
“Prayer, humility, and charity toward all are essential in the Christian life: they are the way to holiness.”
“It is up to us, today’s humanity, especially believers, to turn instruments of hatred into instruments of peace.”
“Another good way to grow in friendship with Christ is by listening to his word. The Lord speaks to us in the depths of our conscience, he speaks to us through Sacred Scripture, he speaks to us in prayer. Learn to stay before him in silence, to read and meditate on the Bible, especially the Gospels, to converse with him every day in order to feel his presence of friendship and love.”
“When we do not adore God, we adore something else. Money and power are false idols which often take the place of God.”
“Lord, teach us to step outside ourselves. Teach us to go out into the streets and manifest your love.”
“If we see someone who needs help, do we stop? There is so much suffering and poverty, and a great need for good Samaritans.”
“There is never a reason to lose hope. Jesus says: ‘I am with you until the end of the world.’”
“A person who thinks only about building walls,
wherever they may be, and not building bridges is not Christian.
This is not in the Gospel.”
“Every Christian can witness to God in the workplace, not only with words, but above all with an honest life.”
“What does ‘evangelize’ mean? To give witness with joy and simplicity to what we are and what we believe in.”
“We cannot be tepid disciples. The Church needs our courage in order to give witness to truth.”
“Let us not forget: if we are to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, our lives must bear witness to what we preach.”
“Let the risen Jesus enter your life—welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk; you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid. Trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you, and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.”
2 thoughts on “Quotes from Pope Francis”
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My all time favourite Pope. He embodies the qualities of his namesake St Francis of Assisi whose prayer ‘Lord make mean instrument of your peace gives us what we need ..Sowing qualities of Love..pardon..faith..Hope..Light and Joy.
Beautiful prayer..humble Pope.