We pray for all those suffering from religious discrimination and persecution; may their own rights and dignity be recognized, which originate from being brothers and sisters in the human family.

How is it possible that many religious minorities currently suffer discrimination or persecution?

How can we allow that in this society, which is so civilized, there are people who are persecuted simply because they publicly profess their faith? Not only is it unacceptable; it’s inhuman, it’s insane.

Religious freedom is not limited to freedom of worship—that is to say, that people can have a worship service on the day prescribed by their sacred books. Rather, it makes us appreciate others in their differences and recognize them as true brothers and sisters.

As human beings, we have so many things in common that we can live alongside each other, welcoming our differences with the joy of being brothers and sisters.

And may a small difference, or a substantial difference such as a religious one, not obscure the great unity of being brothers and sisters.

Let us choose the path of fraternity. Because either we are brothers and sisters, or we all lose.

Let us pray that those who suffer discrimination and suffer religious persecution, may find in the societies in which they live the rights and dignity that comes from being brothers and sisters.

We pray for religious sisters and consecrated women; thanking them for their mission and their courage; may they continue to find new responses to the challenges of our times.

This month, we will pray in a special way for religious sisters and consecrated women.

What would the Church be without religious sisters and consecrated laywomen? The Church cannot be understood without them.

I encourage all consecrated women to discern and choose what is best for their mission in the face of the world’s challenges that we’re experiencing.

I exhort them to keep working and to have an impact with the poor, with the marginalized, with all those who are enslaved by traffickers; I especially ask them to make an impact on this.

And let us pray that they may show the beauty of God’s love and compassion as catechists, theologians, and spiritual guides.

I invite them to fight when, in some cases, they are treated unfairly, even within the Church; when they serve so much that they are reduced to servitude —at times, by men of the Church.

Do not be discouraged. May you keep making God’s goodness known through the apostolic works you do. But above all through your witness of consecration.

Let us pray for religious sisters and consecrated women, thanking them for their mission and their courage; may they continue to find new responses to the challenges of our times.

Thank you for what you are, for what you do, and for how you do it.

We pray for Christians facing new bioethical challenges; may they continue to defend the dignity of all human life with prayer and action.

Let us pray that we may give a Christian response to bioethical challenges.

It is evident that science has progressed, and today the field of bioethics presents us with a series of problems to which we must respond, not hiding our head like an ostrich.

Applications of biotechnological must always be used based on respect for human dignity.

For example, human embryos cannot be treated as disposable material, to be discarded. This throw-away culture is also applied to them; no, that can’t be done. Extending that culture this way does so much harm.

Or allowing financial gain to condition biomedical research.

We need to understand the profound changes that are taking place with an even more profound and subtle discernment.

It’s not a matter of curbing technological advances. No, we must accompany them. It’s about protecting both human dignity and progress. That is to say, we cannot pay the price of human dignity for progress, no. Both go together, in harmony.

We pray for health care workers who serve the sick and the elderly, especially in the poorest countries; may they be adequately supported by governments and local communities.

Let us pray this month for health care workers.

The pandemic has shown us the self-giving and generosity of health care workers, volunteers, support staff, priests, and religious men and women.

But the pandemic has also exposed the fact that not everyone has access to a good public healthcare system.

The poorest countries, the most vulnerable countries, cannot access the necessary treatments to treat the countless diseases they continue to suffer.

Often, this is due to poor resource management and a lack of serious political commitment.

Therefore, I want to ask the governments of all the countries of the world not to forget that good healthcare, accessible to all, is a priority.

But let us also remember that healthcare is not just an organization; it depends on men and women who dedicate their life to taking care of other people’s health. And who have given their lives during this pandemic to help so many sick people recover.

Let us pray for health care workers who serve the sick and the elderly, especially in the poorest countries; may they be adequately supported by governments and local communities.

We pray for all young people, called to live life to the fullest; may they see in Mary’s life the way to listen, the depth of discernment, the courage that faith generates, and the dedication to service.

Speaking about the family, I would like to begin by addressing the young people first.

When I think of a model with whom young people can identify with, our Mother, Mary, always comes to mind: her courage, the way she knew how to listen, and her dedication to service.

She was courageous and determined to say “yes” to the Lord.

You young people, who want to build something new, a better world, follow her example, take risks!

Don’t forget that in order to follow Mary you need to discern and discover what Jesus wants from you, not what you might think you can do.

And in this discernment, it’s a great help to listen to the words of grandparents.

In those words of grandparents, you will find a wisdom that will take you beyond the issues of the moment.

They will provide an overview of your concerns.

Let us pray, brothers and sisters, so that all young people, called to live life to the fullest, may discover in Mary’s life the way to listen, the depth of discernment, the courage of faith, and dedication to service.

May 2022

We pray for Christian families around the world; may they embody and experience unconditional love and advance in holiness in their daily lives.

The family is the place where we learn to live with one another, to live with young people and with those who are older.

And by being united —young people, the elderly, adults, children—, by being united in our differences, we evangelize with our example of life.

Of course, there is no such thing as a perfect family. There are always “buts.”

But that doesn’t matter. We shouldn’t be afraid of mistakes; we have to learn from them so we can move forward.

Let’s not forget that God is with us: in our family, in our neighbourhood, in the city where we live, He is with us.

And He takes care of us. He remains with us at all times in the swaying of the boat tossed by the sea: when we argue, when we suffer, when we’re joyful, the Lord is there and accompanies us, helps us, and corrects us.

Family love is a personal path of holiness for each one of us.

This is why I chose it as the theme for this month’s World Meeting of Families.

Let us pray for Christian families around the world; may each and every family embody and experience unconditional love and advance in holiness in their daily lives.

We pray for the elderly, who represent the roots and memory of a people; may their experience and wisdom help young people to look towards the future with hope and responsibility.

We cannot speak about family without talking about the importance of the elderly among us.

There have never been so many of us in the history of humanity, but we don’t quite know how to live this new stage of life: there are many plans for assistance for the old age, but few projects for existence.

We elderly people often have a special sensitivity for care, for reflection, and affection. We are, or we can become, teachers of tenderness. And indeed we can!

In this world accustomed to war, we need a true revolution of tenderness.

We have a great responsibility towards new generations about this.

Let us remember: grandparents and the elderly are the bread that nourishes our lives, the hidden wisdom of a people. That is why we must celebrate them, and I have established a day dedicated to them.

Let us pray for the elderly, that they may become teachers of tenderness so that their experience and wisdom may help young people to look towards the future with hope and responsibility.

July 2022

We pray for small and medium-sized businesses; in the midst of economic and social crisis, may they find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities.

As a consequence of the pandemic and the wars, the world is facing a grave socio-economic crisis. We still don’t realize it!

And among those most affected are small and medium-sized businesses.

Stores, workshops, cleaning businesses, transportation businesses, and so many others.

The ones that don’t appear on the world’s richest and most powerful lists, and despite the difficulties, they create jobs, fulfilling their social responsibility.

The ones that invest in the common good instead of hiding their money in tax havens.

They all dedicate an immense creative capacity to changing things from the bottom up, from where the best creativity always comes from.

With courage, with effort, with sacrifice, they invest in life, creating wellbeing, opportunities, and work.

Let us pray for small and medium-sized businesses, hard hit by the economic and social crisis, so they may find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities.

August 2022

We pray that the death penalty, which attacks the dignity of the human person, may be legally abolished in every country

Each day, there is a growing “NO” to the death penalty around the world. For the Church, this is a sign of hope.

From a legal point of view, it is not necessary.

Society can effectively repress crime without definitively depriving the offenders of the possibility of redeeming themselves.

Always, in every legal sentence, there must be a window of hope.

Capital punishment offers no justice to victims, but rather encourages revenge.

And it prevents any possibility of undoing a possible miscarriage of justice.

Additionally, the death penalty is morally inadmissible, for it destroys the most important gift we have received: life. Let us not forget that, up to the very last moment, a person can convert and change.

And in the light of the Gospel, the death penalty is unacceptable. The commandment, “Thou shalt not kill,” refers to both the innocent and the guilty.

I, therefore, call on all people of goodwill to mobilize for the abolition of the death penalty throughout the world.

Let us pray that the death penalty, which attacks the dignity of the human person, may be legally abolished in every country.

September 2022

We pray for the Church; ever faithful to, and courageous in preaching the Gospel, may the Church be a community of solidarity, fraternity and welcome, always living in an atmosphere of synodality.

What does it mean “to synod”? It means walking together: syn-od. This is what it means in Greek: “to walk together” and to walk on the same road.

And this is what God expects of the Church of the third millennium –that it regain its awareness of being a people on the road and of having to travel together.

A Church with this synodal style is a Church that listens, that knows that listening is more than just hearing.

It means listening to each other in our diversity and opening doors to those outside the Church. It’s not about gathering opinions, nor holding a parliament. The synod isn’t a survey; it’s about listening to the protagonist, the Holy Spirit. It’s about praying. Without prayer, there will be no Synod.

Let us take advantage of this opportunity to be a Church of closeness, which is God’s style –closeness. And let us give thanks to all the people of God who, with their attentive listening, are walking the synodal way.

Let us pray that the Church, ever faithful to the Gospel and courageous in preaching it, may live in an increasing atmosphere of synodality and be a community of solidarity, fraternity, and welcome.

Ocotober 2022

We pray for children who are suffering, especially those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war; may they be guaranteed access to education and the opportunity to experience family affection.

There are still millions of boys and girls who suffer and live in conditions very similar to slavery.

They aren’t numbers: they are human beings with names, with a face of their own, with an identity that God has given them.

Too often, we forget our responsibility and we close our eyes to the exploitation of these children who don’t have a right to play, to study, to dream. They don’t even enjoy the warmth of a family.

Each marginalized child, abandoned by his or her family, without schooling, without healthcare, is a cry! A cry that rises up to God and shames the system that we adults have built.

An abandoned child is our fault.

We can no longer allow them to feel alone and abandoned —they are entitled to an education and to feel the love of a family so they know that God does not forget them.

Let us pray for children who are suffering, especially for those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war. May they be guaranteed access to education and may they have the opportunity to experience family affection.

November 2022

Let us pray that volunteer non-profit and human development organizations may find people willing to commit themselves to the common good and ceaselessly seek out new paths of international cooperation.

The world needs volunteers and organizations committed to seeking the common good.

Yes, this is a word that many today would like to erase: “commitment.”

And the world needs volunteers who commit to the common good.

Being a volunteer who helps others is a choice that makes us free; it opens us to other people’s needs —to the demands of justice, to the defense of the poor, to the care of creation.

It means being artisans of mercy: with our hands, with our eyes, with an attentive ear, with our closeness.

And being a volunteer means working with the people you serve. Not just for the people, but with the people. Working with the people.

The work of volunteer not-for-profit organizations is much more effective when they collaborate with each other and with governments.

By working together, however few resources they have, they do their best and make the miracle of the multiplication of hope a reality.

We have a great need to multiply hope!

Let us pray that volunteer non-profit and human development organizations may find people willing to commit themselves to the common good and ceaselessly seek out new paths of international cooperation.

December 2022