From reminding us of the importance of prayer to demonstrating simple ways to love our neighbors, Pope Francis has blessed the faithful with fresh insight throughout his papacy. As we celebrate the anniversary of his election to the papacy on March 13, we invite you to reflect on these five quotes from Pope Francis on Catholic living.
On Being Faithful to the Gospel
“Some may try to make you think that your faithfulness to the Gospel and its values is a mistake, because it keeps you from conforming to the crowd and blending in. Do not be afraid of their ‘condemnations’! Have no worries; sooner or later, their criticism will fall through, their condemnations will prove false, and their superficial values will be revealed for what they are: illusions…
What endures, as Christ teaches us, is quite different: the work of love… Keep on loving! But love according to the light of the Lord; by giving your life to help others.” – From his Homily on November 24, 2024
On the Importance of Listening
“Today we tend to talk much but listen little, in our families, our workplaces and especially on social networks, where we can exchange floods of words and images without really encountering others, since we do not truly interact with them… Many times, in everyday dialogue, before one finishes speaking, an answer already comes out because the other does not listen. We need to listen before responding… it promotes an alternative model of relationship marked by active listening, where ‘speaking’ and ‘listening’ are followed by the concreteness of ‘acting,’ even at the cost of setting aside our own tastes, plans and preferences.”
– From his Homily on February 1, 2025
On Humility and Service
“Those who follow Christ, if they wish to be great, must serve by learning from him.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus reveals the thoughts, desires and projections of our hearts, unmasking at times our expectations of glory, domination, power, and vanity. He helps us to think no longer according to the world’s criteria, but according to the way of God, who becomes last so that the last may be lifted up and become first…
This is what we should yearn for: not power, but service. Service is the Christian way of life. It is not about a list of things to do, so that once done, we can consider our part completed; those who serve with love do not say: ‘now it’s someone else’s turn.’ This is how employees think, not witnesses. Service is born from love, and love knows no bounds, it makes no calculations, it spends and it gives. It does not just do things to bring about results, it is not occasional service, but it is something that is born from the heart, a heart renewed by love and in love.
When we learn to serve, our every gesture of attention and care, every expression of tenderness, every work of mercy becomes a reflection of God’s love. So in this way, let all of us – each one of us – continue Jesus’ work in the world.” – From his Homily on October 20, 2024
On Prayer
“Prayer is a bulwark; it is man’s refuge before the wave of evil that grows in the world… we also pray to be saved from ourselves. It is important to pray: ‘Lord, please, save me from myself, from my ambitions, from my passions’… Prayer cultivates flowerbeds of rebirth in places where man’s hatred has only been able to expand the desert.” – From his Homily on May 27, 2020
On Where Our Hope Lies
“At times, we are overwhelmed by fatigue and discouraged by the results of our labors. It can even seem as if the dialogue and the efforts made on both sides are hopeless, almost doomed to failure. All of this makes us experience the same anguish as Martha [at the death of Lazarus], but the Lord comes to us. Do we believe this? Do we believe that He is the resurrection and the life? That He rewards our efforts and always gives us the grace to continue our journey together? Do we believe this?
The Apostle Paul…declared to the Christians of Rome, ‘hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us’ (Rom 5:5). We have all received the same Spirit… and we have to follow the Spirit’s lead.” – From his Homily on January 25, 2025