In an Apostolic Letter issued “Motu Proprio,” on his own initiative, Wednesday 1 November, Pope Francis said that in a “synodal, missionary and outgoing church,” theologians must also dialogue with other sciences and with members of other religions and that helping Catholics have a deeper understanding of the faith will be possible only if theology grapples with their questions and concerns.

“Forgiving is not, therefore, a good deed that we can choose to do or not do: forgiving is a fundamental condition for those who are Christians,” Pope Francis has said, speaking Sunday 17 September. “By forgiving one another, we can bear witness (to God), sowing new life around us.”

Pope Francis addressed the people from his studio window overlooking Saint Peter’s Square on 8 August, as he led the Angelus. His message – that Without Christ, Christians could only “get by” because He is the only one who can nourish their souls and He is the only one who can “forgive us from that evil that we cannot overcome on our own.” By Junno Arocho Esteves, CNS.