For World Mission Day 2026, which marks the centenary of a celebration established by Pius XI that is very dear to the Church, I have chosen the theme “One in Christ, united in mission.” Following the Jubilee Year, I wish to encourage the whole Church to continue its missionary journey with joy and zeal in the Holy Spirit.

Each year the World Day of Migrants and Refugees invites us to turn our attention to different aspects of the complex phenomenon of migration. For this 112th World Day, the theme, “Even just one of these children,” draws our attention to the minors directly involved in the experience of migration and flight, to the care owed to them, and to the Lord’s promise that “whoever receives one such child in my name receives me” (Mk 9:37).

Dear brothers and sisters, the path before us is clear, though it is not easy. We are called to allow our hearts to be renewed, so that we might seek peace and care for creation. Scripture tells us to guard our hearts, for everything we do flows from them (cf. Prov 4:23).

Our faces and voices are unique, distinctive features of every person; they reveal a person’s own unrepeatable identity and are the defining elements of every encounter with others. The ancients understood this well. To define the human person, the ancient Greeks used the word “face” (prósōpon), because it expresses etymologically what is before one’s gaze, the place of presence and relationship

Guided and protected by the Risen Jesus, we celebrate on the fourth Sunday of Easter — also called “Good Shepherd Sunday” — the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations. It is an occasion of grace in which we share some reflections on the interior dimension of vocation, understood as the discovery of God’s free gift that blossoms in the depths of our hearts.

Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life.

Dear young people, As I begin my first message to you, I would like to say thank you! Thank you for the joy you brought when you came to Rome for your Jubilee, and thank you to all the young people who were united to us through their prayer from every part of the world.

In proclaiming the Kingdom of God, Jesus often used the image of the seed. As the time of his Passion drew near, he applied that image to himself, comparing himself to the grain of wheat that must die in order to bear fruit (cf. Jn 12:24).

The Jubilee we are now celebrating helps us to realize that hope is a constant source of joy, whatever our age. When that hope has also been tempered by fire over the course of a long life, it proves a source of deep happiness.

We begin our annual pilgrimage of Lent in faith and hope with the penitential rite of the imposition of ashes. The Church, our mother and teacher, invites us to open our hearts to God’s grace, so that we can celebrate with great joy the paschal victory of Christ the Lord over sin and death, which led Saint Paul to exclaim: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.

"God is with us" (Mt 1:23)

With the Fall, the Evil One has entered our human world. His perversion manifests itself in many ways in our lives. We also experience traces of his corruption in our family life. Nowadays his corruption is even more present, visible in the life of families. 

 If we want it, it can happen with us. Thus the smile of Christ at Christmas will revitalize us to the depths of our souls. It will enlighten the atmosphere of this feast. Let us therefore embrace, protect and increase the grace and smile of Christ in our hearts. That way we will have a beautiful Christmas!

Many people are named John, and may not know that this name means "God is gracious". It is the name given to John the Baptist because it was the name God had told his father to name him when he announced the birth of his child.

Gyula Juhász, the Hungarian poet, in his poem "The Nativity Carol", calls us: "Oh, people, think of him today!" At this time of the year, at Christmas, we can think of many things. We can think of the spirit of Christmases gone by, of the gifts we have received, of the joy of togetherness, but also of the stifling poverty, of lost loved ones, of distant relatives, of depressing loneliness. Oh, people, think of him today!

Those who can appreciate a gift and through it the love of the one who prepared that gift, will be filled with joy and gratitude. Our Lady is also overjoyed and full of gratitude. 

The meeting of the two women, the Blessed Virgin Mary and her relative, Elizabeth, is one of the key events of the history of our salvation, otherwise it would not have been recorded in the Gospel of St Luke. Elizabeth calls Mary blessed among women, calls her the Mother of the Lord and proclaims her blessed and happy because of her faith. Throughout history, our Church, following in Elizabeth's footsteps, has fulfilled Our Lady's prophecy, which she said in her praising hymn: "Behold, henceforth all generations shall proclaim me blessed." (Lk 1,48) I am a true child of my heavenly Mother, if I honour and love her and strive to live according to her example.  

esus said the most perfect "yes" to God, and the Virgin Mary’s is the second most perfect “yes”. Although she does not fully understand the content of God's message and asks questions, she is able to submit to God's plan and will with these words.