Although the Church is built upon a strong foundation, it is always in need of being reformed and repaired, Pope Francis told pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square, before reciting the Angelus prayer on 27 August. “Even with us today, Jesus wants to continue building his church, this house with solid foundations yet where cracks aren’t lacking and which still needs to be repaired.” By Junno Arocho Esteves.

Pope Francis prays at the tomb of Blessed Paul VI in the grotto of St. Peter’s Basilica on 6 August, the 39th anniversary of Pope Paul’s death. Photo: CNS photo/La Osservatore Romano. Summertime can and should be a time for extra prayer, a moment of peace that allows Christians to savour the joy of their relationship with Jesus and find new strength to reach out with love to others, Pope...

Pope Francis has this week urged young Brazilian Catholics to follow the example of Mary by courageously setting out to improve their society with love for the poor and a commitment to make real connections with other people.

Pope Francis has last weekend called on Muslims and Jews in the Holy Land to “moderation and dialogue” as tensions continued around a key site in Jerusalem that is sacred to members of both faiths.

“Jesus doesn’t draw people to him by conquering them but by giving himself, like a sower, spreading with patience and generosity his word, which isn’t a cage or a trap, but a seed that can bear fruit if people welcome it,” the Holy Father said.

20 million people are currently on the threshold of famine in seven countries in East Africa and Yemen. This major crisis has been driven by droughts, climate change, inflation and ongoing conflict in some countries.

Former Irish soccer pro Philip Mulryne was last weekend ordained a priest of the Order of Preachers, or Dominicans.

The international community must not remain resigned to the plight of those suffering hunger and malnutrition, which is often caused by indifference and selfishness, Pope Francis said in a message to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation conference on 3 July.

Better to take the risk of carrying the freshness of the Gospel to others than to be a “museum Christian” afraid of change, Pope Francis told Serra International during an audience with its members in Rome.

In reading the recently released In God’s Hands: The Spiritual Diaries of John Paul II, it would be normal to question one’s worthiness in having the opportunity to gain such an insight into one of the greatest minds the Catholic Church has seen.