In this collection of messages and homilies, Pope Francis shows us that he is the Priests' Pope as well. He understands who a priest is called to be: a man of mercy, a joyful and faithful minister, a shepherd who has the smell of the sheep, with a heart centered in Christ and the sacraments above all. Through these messages, Pope Francis offers wisdom and encouragement to all priests. He knows the demands they face and how tired and discouraged they...

The Church according to the heart of Pope Francis. In this book, following the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio meditates upon the crucial issues at stake in the vocation of a bishop. In so doing, he offers us his vision of the Church, setting forth the outlines of what could well be the reform program of Pope Francis. This book is an invitation that Pope Francis extends to each one of us: 'And if...

During his historic visit to the United States in October 2015, Pope Francis encouraged the nation's bishops to avoid harsh and divisive language, reminding instead that "only the enduring allure of goodness and love remains truly convincing." These words provide as fine a summary of the Holy Father's visit (and of Jorge Bergoglio's papal ministry) as will be found anywhere. In Washington, New York, and Philadelphia, Pope Francis touched the hearts...

Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhoration "Christus Vivit-Christ is Alive" comes to formally conclude the work of the Synod of Bishops on Youth, held at the Vatican in October 2018. Francis addresses young Christians, to encourage them to make the most of life, drawing inspiration from Jesus. For Francis the strength of youth is an essential engine in the life of the Church. Young people are the most attentive to the signs of the times. God especially manifests...

Praedicate Evangelium (Preach the Gospel) is one of the most important legislative acts that Pope Francis has promulgated since his election in 2013. In addition to the full text of this new constitution, this book features world-renowned theologian Massimo Faggioli's explanation of the significance and limitations of this document. Bringing his unique insight as an Italian church historian, Faggioli explains how the constitution tries to apply, in...

Pope Francis dedicates his third encyclical, FRATELLI TUTTI to his namesake, Francis of Assisi, at whose tomb he celebrated Mass on 3rd October 2020, a day before its publication date, which is the feast of St. Francis. The 287-paragraph document on "fraternity and social friendship" is a brisk walking-tour of Pope Francis's social teaching. The encyclical articulates in eight chapters a call for all human persons to recognize and live out our common...

O Cross of Christ is an original, new prayer composed by Pope Francis himself and recited by him on the occasion of Good Friday 2016. It guides all who pray it to recognize Jesus' cross in some of the most distressing circumstances of today's world - modern-day martyrs, victims of war, unfaithful ministers, and more-as well as in the lives of people who do great good-consecrated men and women, families, volunteers, and others. Presented as a litany,...