Pope Francis

“Shaking Pope Francis’ hand, I am most struck by his tenderness in action. Rewind. It was the summer of 2019 and I was interning for the office of communications at the Jesuit Curia in Rome. One afternoon, word got around that there would be a low-key papal visit...”

“It is 13 March 2013. I am parish priest in Matero, a sprawling poor neighborhood of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. More than 10,000 kilometers away in Rome, the cardinals are in conclave. I have just celebrated evening Mass and I am chatting away with parishioners...”

A decade ago, on the 13th of March 2013, Pope Francis was introduced to the world. It was a time of firsts: the first Jesuit to become a Pope. The first Pope from the Americas. The first Pope to take the name of “Francis”. It was an emotional start to what has been one of the most consequential Papacies of the modern era.

We pray for those who have suffered harm from members of the Church; may they find within the Church herself a concrete response to their pain and suffering.

We pray that parishes, placing communion at the centre, may increasingly become communities of faith, fraternity and welcome towards those most in need.

We pray that educators may be credible witnesses, teaching fraternity rather than confrontation and helping the youngest and most vulnerable above all.

Let us pray that volunteer non-profit and human development organizations may find people willing to commit themselves to the common good and ceaselessly seek out new paths of international cooperation.

A few weeks ago, Pope Francis participated in a meeting in Bahrain, a country of islands in the Persian Gulf with a predominantly Muslim population. Any apostolic visit of Pope Francis involves a meeting with...

We pray for children who are suffering, especially those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war; may they be guaranteed access to education and the opportunity to experience family affection.

In Kazakhstan on 15 September, Pope Francis strongly supported the core projects of the Jesuits in the region for peace and a better future: freeing hearts from hatred. This emerged from his conversation with fellow Jesuits...

We pray for the Church; ever faithful to, and courageous in preaching the Gospel, may the Church be a community of solidarity, fraternity and welcome, always living in an atmosphere of synodality.

Every year since 1914, on the 4th Sunday of September, the Church celebrates the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. This is an opportunity for Pope Francis to express his concern for the vulnerable people who are forced...