Audio message from Pope Francis: “Thank you for your prayers”
On 14 February, Pope Francis was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome due to a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract. The Holy See Press Office publishes updates on the Pope's health twice a day.
Pope's Prayer Intention for March 2025
"Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences."
Lent encourages us to seek mercy
“As the eyes of a maid watch the hands of her mistress, even so our eyes look upon the Lord our God until he have mercy on us. Have pity on us, O Lord!” With such words, the Book of Psalms speaks about trusting in God’s mercy. No matter how harshly we may have been denounced for guilty deeds, no matter how shameful the deeds were, no matter how low we has fallen, we should never despair.
Surgery not needed
I write today with immense joy and gratitude to report a favor received through the intercession of Blessed Álvaro del Portillo. My wife developed an umbilical hernia some time ago, following the birth of our sixth child.
Maria José, Spain: "Helping others is a way of giving back what I've received"
María José is a lawyer who lives with her husband and son in Madrid. Since the return of the Taliban regime to Afghanistan in August 2021, she has been helping women from that country to find asylum in Spain. There were only a few of them at the beginning, but now they've formed a network that supports 110 families. "Prayer helps me understand the things that happen and God's calls," she says. Her faith inspires her commitment to improving the world around her through her work.
Message from the Pope for Lent 2025
The Holy Father shares what it means to journey together in hope this Lent. “All of us are pilgrims in this life; each of us is invited to stop and ask how our lives reflect this fact. Am I really on a journey, or am I standing still, not moving, either immobilized by fear and hopelessness or reluctant to move out of my comfort zone?”
“We realised that accepting the children God wanted to give us included not having any”
Laura is a mother of three. On social media, she shares her journey through the adoption process, coming to terms with infertility, and topics related to family and education. In this article, she talks about her faith, and how sharing her experience on social media has been a source of healing for herself and a way of helping others.
Anchored in Hope
The 2025 Jubilee of Hope was officially inaugurated by Pope Francis with the opening of the Holy Door on 24th December 2024. It will run until the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord on 6th January 2026 and is an opportunity for the faithful around the world to discover the richness of the Jubilee's theme taken from St. Paul: "Hope does not disappoint." Here's a 30-minute guided prayer session (meditation) on the topic.
4 Minute Sunday Homilies
A homily is preaching by a cleric that unpackages to the faithful attending the Holy Mass, the teachings contained in the Gospel reading of that Mass. Holy Mother Church requires that a homily be preached at all Sunday Masses and Masses on holy days of obligation. Here you have a collection of 4-minute homilies read by Peter James Smith.
Tiago, Portugal: "I want to make the most of life"
Tiago is from Porto, works as a mechanical engineer, and loves car competitions. At the age of 20, he lost his grandfather, which let him to start questioning many aspects of his life. A friend, who passed away in an accident that same summer, told him about Opus Dei. Discovering prayer was the beginning of a path that led him to discern his vocation to the Work as a numerary.