Pope Francis
Argentine cardinal who, on 13 March 2013, became the first Latin American, the first Jesuit, and the first pope from outside Europe in over 1,200 years to lead the Roman Catholic Church. Born in 1936 in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrant parents, he served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires before his election to the papacy, and has become one of the most globally influential moral voices of the twenty-first century — known for his emphasis on humility, mercy, the dignity of the poor, the urgency of the climate crisis, and an inclusive ecumenical posture. His encyclicals Laudato Si' (2015, on the environment) and Fratelli Tutti (2020, on universal fraternity) have shaped global conversation well beyond Catholicism.
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Quotes by Pope Francis
110 quotes“To be ecumenical is to recognize the Spirit at work everywhere.”
“Dialogue is essential. Without dialogue, no community.”
“The most beautiful thing of all is when a person dialogues with another.”
“In every dialogue, a reaching across.”
“To be Christian is to be a builder of bridges.”
“Hope is the small bird that sings even before the dawn.”
“In the long night, the seed of hope is planted.”
“Faith is not a lamp that we light to see the things of the world. Faith is a wedding garment.”
“To be Christian is to be in love with Christ.”
“Without that love, all is nothing.”
“In Christ, the dignity of every person.”
“To kneel before the poor is to kneel before God.”
“The Church is for the poor. The Church is the poor.”
“In every act of kindness, the kingdom comes.”
“Kindness is the language of the Gospel.”
“In every act of forgiveness, the cross is honored.”
“Forgiveness is the doorway. Walk through.”
“The earth was given to us as a gift, not as a possession.”
“To possess the earth is to lose the earth.”
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