Yahoo Lifestyle 100+ of Pope Francis's Most Inspiring Quotes
Since assuming the papacy in 2013, Pope Francis has shared uplifting words that offer inspiration and guidance. In his first greeting as the 266th pontiff, His Holiness said, "And now, we take up this journey: Bishop and People. This journey of the Church of Rome, which presides in charity over all the Churches. A journey of fraternity, of love, of trust among us."
Over the years, Pope Francis has continued to speak about fraternity and love, plus faith, peace and more. Read on for more than 100 of Pope Francis' best quotes.
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100+ of Pope Francis's Best Quotes
1. "There is much that we can do to benefit the poor, the needy and those who suffer, and to favor justice, promote reconciliation and build peace. But before all else we need to keep alive in our world the thirst for the absolute, and to counter the dominance of a one-dimensional vision of the human person, a vision which reduces human beings to what they produce and to what they consume: this is one of the most insidious temptations of our time." (March 2013)
2. "There cannot be true peace if everyone is his own criterion, if everyone can always claim exclusively his own rights, without at the same time caring for the good of others, of everyone, on the basis of the nature that unites every human being on this earth." (March 2013)
3. "My wish is that the dialogue between us should help to build bridges connecting all people, in such a way that everyone can see in the other not an enemy, not a rival, but a brother or sister to be welcomed and embraced!" (March 2013)
4. "Let us remember this: God judges us by loving us. If I embrace his love then I am saved, if I refuse it, then I am condemned, not by him, but my own self, because God never condemns, he only loves and saves." (March 2013)
5. "But what does freedom mean? It is certainly not doing whatever you want, allowing yourself to be dominated by the passions, to pass from one experience to another without discernment, to follow the fashions of the day; freedom does not mean, so to speak, throwing everything that you don’t like out the window. No, that is not freedom! Freedom is given to us so that we know how to make good decisions in life!" (May 2013)
6. "Temporary things seduce us. We are victims of a trend that pushes us to the provisional... as though we wanted to stay adolescents. There is a little charm in staying adolescents, and this for life! Let us not be afraid of life commitments, commitments that take up and concern our entire life! In this way our life will be fruitful! And this is freedom: to have the courage to make these decisions with generosity." (May 2013)
7. "To find someone waiting for you is truly a great grace." (May 2013)
8. "Take great care of your spiritual life which is the source of inner freedom. Without prayer inner freedom does not exist." (June 2013)
9. "Always do everything with deep love!" (June 2013)
10. "Always seek good, the good of all, the good of the Church and of every individual person." (June 2013)
11. "A people has a future if it goes forward with both elements: with the young, who have the strength, and things move forward because they do the carrying; and with the elderly because they are the ones who give life’s wisdom" (July 2013)
12. "Do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! Do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! And not only that, but I say to us all: let us not rob others of hope, let us become bearers of hope!" (July 2013)
13. "Have the courage 'to swim against the tide'. And also have the courage to be happy." (July 2013)
14. "It is impossible for peace to exist without dialogue." (August 2013)
15. "No one is excluded from life's hope, from God’s love." (October 2013)
16. "Every time a child is abandoned and an elderly person cast out, not only is it an act of injustice, but it also ensures the failure of that society. Caring for our little ones and for our elders is a choice for civilization. And also for the future, because the little ones, the children, the young people will carry society forward by their strength, their youth, and the elderly people will carry it forward by their wisdom, their memory, which they must give to us all." (October 2013)
17. "With trust in God’s faithfulness, everything can be faced responsibly and without fear." (October 2013)
18. "Grace is not given to decorate life but rather to make us strong in life, giving us courage to go forwards!" (October 2013)
19. "When professionalism is lacking, there is a slow drift downwards towards mediocrity." (December 2013)
20. "But what do we mean by “love”? Is it only a feeling, a psychophysical state? Certainly, if that is it, then we cannot build on anything solid. But if, instead, love is a relationship, then it is a reality that grows, and we can also say by way of example that it is built up like a home. And a home is built together, not alone!" (February 2014)
21. "A marriage is not successful just because it endures; quality is important." (February 2014)
22. "Never let a day end... for if you let the day end without making peace, the next day what is inside of you is cold and hardened and it is even more difficult to make peace. Remember: never let the sun go down without making peace!" (February 2014)
23. "And finally, I exhort you to take loving care of one another, especially the weakest among you." (February 2014)
24. "Peace. This word sums up every good to which every person and every human society aspires." (May 2014)
25. "Peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare. It calls for the courage to say yes to encounter and no to conflict: yes to dialogue and no to violence; yes to negotiations and no to hostilities; yes to respect for agreements and no to acts of provocation; yes to sincerity and no to duplicity. All of this takes courage, it takes strength and tenacity." (June 2014)
26. "Negativity is contagious but so is positivity; desperation is contagious but so is joy: do not follow negative people but continue to radiate light and hope around you! And know that hope doesn’t disappoint, it never deludes!" (June 2014)
27. "God never tires of forgiving. And this is true! So great is his love, which is always near us. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness, but He always forgives, every time with ask him to." (July 2014)
28. "Life is a journey, a long journey, but a journey which we cannot make by ourselves. We need to walk together with our brothers and sisters in the presence of God." (August 2014)
29. "The path of love is simple: love God and love your neighbor, your brother or sister, the one at your side, who needs love and so many other things." (August 2014)
30. "Do not be afraid, do not let your hope be stolen. Life is yours! It’s yours to make flourish, to bear fruit for everyone." (August 2014)
31. "The secret to a good life is found in loving and giving oneself for love’s sake." (September 2014)
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32. "Remember: seek the unity which is the work of the Holy Spirit and do not be afraid of diversity." (October 2014)
33. "Remember always that God does not forget any of his children, and that those who are the smallest and who suffer the most are closest to the Father’s heart." (November 2014)
34. "To take care of so many things. Each one of us may think: “What is the thing I must take the best care of?”. Just think this: “Today I shall take care of this”. But most of all take care of the family! The family is a treasure, children are a treasure. One question young parents can ask themselves is: “Do I have time to play with my children, or am I always busy, busy, and have no time for my children?”. I leave you this question. Play with your children: it is so beautiful. And this is to sow the future." (December 2014)
35. "Everything is to be discovered, everything is to be built together, everything is love, everything is to be shared, everything is possible, and the faith is an event everything about which is to be told." (December 2014)
36. "Let us learn, then, to experience wonder. Please do not lose the capacity for wonder. Let us learn to take nothing for granted, especially love: that of God and that of the people we meet." (December 2014)
37. "And when you find children in need, people in need, look them in the eye and touch their hand while you give alms, close to them, with that closeness that only love gives." (December 2014)
38. "True love is both loving and letting oneself be loved. It is harder to let ourselves be loved than it is to love." (January 2015)
39. "Lastly, seek out beauty in each one of us, in our peoples, the beauty that roots us in our art, in our music, in our painting, in our sculpture, in our literature. All that is beautiful." (February 2015)
40. "I encourage you to renew your passion for humanity — you cannot teach without passion! — in the process of formation, and to be witnesses of life and hope. Never, never close a door, open all of them wide, in order for the students to have hope." (March 2015)
41. "There will be problems, here or there.... There will be, there are always problems. But friendship must be fostered." (April 2015)
42. "A victory that is achieved by breaking the rules and deceiving others is ugly and fruitless!" (May 2015)
43. "Peace is work; it isn’t being calm.... No, no! True peace is working so that all will have solutions to the problems, the needs that they have in their land, in their homeland, in their family, in their society." (May 2015)
44. "When there is dialogue in a family, when there is the capacity to spontaneously speak one’s mind, tensions can be resolved very well." (August 2015)
45. "The world has so many bad things, we are at war; but there are also many beautiful things and many good things, and many saints hidden among the People of God. God is present. God is present and there are so many, many reasons for hope to go forward. Have courage and go forward!" (August 2015)
46. "Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us." (September 2015)
47. "In the face of unjust and painful situations, faith brings us the light which scatters the darkness." (September 2015)
48. "Joy springs from a grateful heart." (September 2015)
49. "Keep smiling and help bring joy to everyone you meet. It isn’t always easy. Every home has its problems, difficult situations, sickness, but never stop dreaming so you can be happy." (September 2015)
50. "Do not withdraw from the world but be active, like leaven in dough." (December 2015)
51. "Because life has to be taken as it comes. It is like the goalkeeper in a soccer match: catch the ball from wherever they kick it... it comes from here, from there.... We must not be afraid of life, do not be afraid of conflicts." (April 2016)
52. "Conflict: never, never, ever turn away so as not to see conflict. Conflicts must be taken on, evils must be taken on in order to resolve them." (April 2016)
53. "Believe in what you are doing and pursue it enthusiastically. That is how the seed of generosity grows and bears abundant fruit. Allow yourselves the luxury of dreaming. We need dreamers to carry forward these projects." (June 2016)
54. "To serve with love and tenderness persons who need our help makes all of us grow in humanity." (July 2016)
55. "Because a merciful heart is motivated to move beyond its comfort zone." (July 2016)
56. "The world needs forgiveness; too many people are caught up in resentment and harbour hatred, because they are incapable of forgiving. They ruin their own lives and the lives of those around them rather than finding the joy of serenity and peace." (August 2016)
57. "Every life is precious, every person is a gift and inclusion enriches every community and society." (February 2017)
58. "Remain open to the world around you." (April 2017)
59. "Let us not be defeated by the temptation of attachment to a glorious past; let us instead form a great team to better respond to the new challenges in communications that today’s culture demands of us, without fear and without imagining apocalyptic scenarios." (May 2017)
60. "Do not be afraid of the future! Dare to dream big!" (September 2017)
61. "Family life is a sacrifice but a beautiful sacrifice." (June 2018)
62. "Each child is in fact a precious gift of God, to be cherished, encouraged to develop his or her gifts, and guided to spiritual maturity and human flourishing." (August 2018)
63. "Dear young people, love is not dead. It calls us and sends us forth. It asks us only to open our hearts." (September 2018)
64. "Be young people on the move, who look to the horizons, not in the mirror. Always looking forward, on the move, and not sitting on the couch." (October 2018)
65. "Finding myself is in doing, in going in search of good, of truth, of beauty. There I will find myself." (October 2018)
66. "By your actions and your approach, your way of looking at things, your desires and above all your sensitivity, you discredit and defuse the kind of talk that is intent on sowing division, the kind of talk that is intent on excluding or rejecting those who are not 'like us.'" (January 2019)
67. "You see, a love which unites is a love that does not overwhelm or oppress, cast aside or reduce to silence, humiliate or domineer." (January 2019)
68. "To move forward together, as a way of shaping the future, requires a noble willingness to sacrifice something of one’s own vision or best interest for the sake of a greater project, and thus to create a harmony that makes it possible to advance securely towards shared goals." (May 2019)
69. "To journey together, wherever you may be, never forget what you learned at home. Don’t forget your roots." (June 2019)
70. "The conviction we share is that humanity faces unprecedented and completely new challenges. New problems require new solutions." (September 2019)
71. "Never let the past determine your life. Always look forward." (September 2019)
72. "Dear friends, harmony is the bond between the free men who make up civil society." (November 2019)
73. "No one can remain indifferent to the human tragedies that continue to occur in different regions of the world." (September 2020)
74. "Joy is contagious and makes you grow." (December 2020)
75. "Love is our greatest dream in life, but it does not come cheap. Like all great things in life, love is magnificent, but not easy." (September 2021)
76. "Love is not about having everything now; it is not part of today’s throwaway culture. Love is fidelity, gift and responsibility." (September 2021)
77. "Dream of a beauty that goes beyond appearances, beyond cosmetic impressions, beyond the fads of the moment." (September 2021)
78. "We all feel the need to love one another, to live more united, to hear good and encouraging words spoken to us and, in turn, to give them with a lifestyle that is filled with hope. I encourage you to continue to show this face, with more humanity." (January 2022)
79. "Helping the lowly, the poor, the sick: this is the most concrete way to promote greater human fraternity." (May 2022)
80. "Do not be afraid of crises, because crises make us grow. They do this, this, this and this to you, and you have to go forward and resolve the problems. Do not confuse crisis with conflict: conflict closes you up, crisis makes you grow." (October 2022)
81. "Before you go to the Internet for advice, always seek out good counselors in life, wise and reliable people who can guide and help you." (November 2022)
82. "Do you have a talent? Of course you do, everyone has! Don’t put it aside, thinking that the bare minimum is enough to bring happiness: a degree, a job to earn money, to have fun… No! Put your talents to good use." (April 2023)
83. "Don’t waste time thinking about who did this or that to me, questioning other people’s motives. That is not good or healthy either; in fact it is poisonous, and best avoided." (April 2023)
84. "Silence is not for sitting glued to your cell phone, or on social media. No, please! Life is real, not virtual. It does not take place on a screen, but in the world! Please do not “virtualize” life! I repeat: do not virtualize it, for life is concrete." (April 2023)
85. "We do not need things, distractions or money to put our lives in order. We need to enlarge our heart. And if you enlarge your hearts, your lives will be put in order. Do not be afraid to enlarge your hearts!" (August 2023)
86. "Be “surfers” of love!" (August 2023)
87. "Replace your doubts with dreams: do not remain hostage to your fears, but set about working to realize your goals!" (August 2023)
88. "Commitment for the sake of remuneration is not true love; only love can overcome selfishness and keep this world going." (September 2023)
89. "To raise children is to teach them what it means to be fully human." (November 2023)
90. "Art refreshes the human spirit, just as water replenishes the dry and parched desert." (November 2023)
91. "May our actions not contradict the words we speak; may we not merely speak about peace, but take a stand against those who claim to be believers yet fuel hatred and do not oppose violence." (December 2023)
92. "Encountering the beauty of God enables us to set out again, to start afresh, on the path towards a more humane and more fraternal society." (February 2024)
93. "Joy is good for the soul." (May 2024)
94. "To move forward in life, we need to dream. A person who has lost the ability to dream lacks creativity, lacks poetry, and life without poetry does not work." (May 2024)
95. "Let us sow hope, brothers and sisters! Let us be sowers of hope! Let each one find a way to do it, but always being sowers of hope." (May 2024)
96. "In the midst of so much gloomy news, immersed as we are in many social and even personal emergencies, you have the power to spread peace and smiles." (June 2024)
97. "It is easier to laugh together than alone: joy opens us to sharing and is the best antidote to selfishness and individualism." (June 2024)
98. "Your talent is a precious gift. Together with a smile, it spreads peace in our hearts and among others, helping us to overcome difficulties and cope with everyday stress. It helps us find relief in irony and go through life with humor." (June 2024)
99. "A young person who does not take risks, who is afraid of making mistakes, is already old!" (September 2024)
100. "Together we can risk setting out on new paths, overcoming the virus of indifference, which infects us all, as if what happens in the corners of our city and the planet does not have anything to do with us. “It’s not my problem”. To mend, we need first and foremost to leave behind this indifference and to let ourselves be directly involved!" (October 2024)
101. "Let us remember the parable of the talents: none of what has been entrusted to you should be “buried”! Do not be afraid, and keep going with confidence." (October 2024)
102. "Hope never disappoints. Do not lose hope." (November 2024)
103. "Do not lose the capacity for joy, which helps us to see things more clearly." (November 2024)
104. "Faced with the challenges and the difficulties you may encounter in your work, do not fear! Do not be afraid to go through conflicts too. Conflicts make us grow. But do not forget that conflict is like a labyrinth: you cannot get out of the labyrinth alone, you get out in the company of someone else who helps you." (November 2024)
105. "Works of charity do not need a translator, there is no dictionary to translate the universal language of works of charity, everyone understands it." (December 2024)
106. "Always take a step forward." (January 2025)
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