In his homily, the Holy Father called on the church not to remain in a state of “blindness” to the issues in the church and the world, a blindness that can take the form of embracing worldliness, placing a premium on comfort or having a closed heart.

Christian prayer is not a person at one end of the telephone, speaking to God on the other; no, it is God who prays in us! We pray to God through God,” Pope Francis has said.

In his latest encyclical Dilexit Nos (He Loved Us) the Holy Father emphasised how only a deep and abiding love in the Lord can inspire and fuel Catholics to share the Gospel and God’s love with the world.

Members voted on each of the 155 paragraphs of the document, which made suggestions and requests to Pope Francis that included long-term projects, such as the hope that more lay people would be involved in the selection of bishops.

While the Holy Father explained the gifts the Holy Spirit gives to a couple through the sacrament of marriage, he repeatedly told visitors and pilgrims that the unity and love of parents are important for children’s growth and happiness.

The Ordinary Council, chaired by the Holy Father, will play a fundamental role in the implementation of the synodal process on synodality and the preparation of the next Synod.

Reflecting on the Gospel reading from St Matthew, Pope Francis noted that modern technology, in addition to its positive elements, provides “countless means to give an opportunity to the devil” to enter people’s lives, “and many fall in the trap.”

In an unprecedented and inspiring event, three students from Notre Dame’s Sydney campus had the extraordinary opportunity to meet and engage with His Holiness Pope Francis via a Zoom call. This special occasion was part of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America’s “Building Bridges” initiative, which fosters dialogue between young people and the Vatican.

“To give love, always, and to welcome with open arms the love we receive from the people we care about: this is the most beautiful and most important thing in our life, in any condition and for any person – even for the pope,” Pope Francis has said.

“You are the clear majority of the population of this land, and your presence fills it with life, hope and a future,” the Holy Father told about 1,000 young people, Wednesday 11 September during his visit to Timor Leste.