Opus Dei

In his January 28 general audience, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the family, speaking about the importance of the father's role in every family.

With Pope Francis' homily before over 6 million people in Manila's Rizal Park, on Santo Niño Sunday. "We are all God's children. That is what the Santo Niño tells us. He reminds us of our deepest identity."

On January 16, in a Meeting with Families in Manila, Pope Francis warned against a "new ideological colonization" seeking to destroy the family and praised Paul VI for strongly defending openness to life.

On January 14 Pope Francis canonized Joseph Vaz, the first Sri Lankan saint. "Constantly united with the crucified Lord in prayer, he could become for all people a living icon of God's mercy and reconciling love."

On Sunday December 28, feast of the Holy Family, Pope Francis met with 7,000 people belonging to an Italian association for large families.

On Wednesday December 17, his 78th birthday, Pope Francis began a series of general audiences on the topic of the family.

In his November 19 general audience, Pope Francis spoke about the "universal vocation to holiness" stressed by Vatican II: "Holiness is a gift, it is a gift that the Lord Jesus gives us, when He takes us to Himself, clothes us with Himself, and renders us like Himself."

Full text of Pope Francis' opening address at a colloquium on strengthening the institution of marriage being held in Rome from November 17-19, organized by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In his homily at morning Mass on November 13, Pope Francis said that the Kingdom of God is growing silently, in the hidden holiness of families who work and pray and suffer, offering to God their small daily crosses.

With the presence of Benedict XVI, Pope Francis beatified Paul VI, who held fast "with farsightedness and wisdom – and at times alone – to the helm of the barque of Peter, while never losing his joy and his trust in the Lord."