Words of Pope Francis

I have to say I have been captivated, charmed and inspired by the quotes of Pope Francis. They can be so pointed in their simplicity, humor and directness. And they always seem to be right-on target. The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium), is an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis on the church’s primary mission of evangelization in the modern world. It is written in plain everyday language that everyone can understand. It is filled with poignant, stirring quotes that make us all sit back and reflect on our lives, our relationship with God and our relationship with those around us. Following is a taste of his quotes taken from that document.

Deacon Greg Beckel.

"The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and loneliness" (1)

"There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter." (6)

"We become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being."(8)

"An evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral." (10)

"An evangelizing community gets involved by word and deed in people’s lives; it embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others. Evangelizers thus take on the “smell of sheep” and the sheep are willing to hear their voice." (24)


“The joy of the Gospel is for all people: no one can be excluded.” (23)

"Before all else, the Gospel invites us to respond to the God of love who saves us, to see God in others, and to go forth from ourselves to seek the good of others." (39)

"The confessional is not a torture chamber, but the place in which the Lord's mercy motivates us to do better." (44)

"We have to state, without mincing words, that there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. May we never abandon them." (48)

"I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security." (49)

"Pastoral activity needs to bring out more clearly the fact that our relationship with the Father demands and encourages a communion which heals, promotes and reinforces interpersonal bonds." (67)

"We all have our likes and dislikes, and perhaps at this very moment we are angry with someone. At least let us say to the Lord: 'Lord, I am angry with this person, with that person. I pray to you for him and for her'. To pray for a person with whom I am irritated is a beautiful step forward in love, and an act of evangelization. Let us do it today! Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the ideal of fraternal love!" (101)

"to speak from the heart means that our hearts must not just be on fire, but also enlightened by the fullness of revelation and by the path traveled by God's word." (144)

In all places and circumstances, Christians, with the help of their pastors, are called to hear the cry of the poor. Seeing their poverty, hearing their cries and knowing their sufferings, we are scandalized because we know that there is enough food for everyone and that hunger is the result of a poor distribution of goods and income. The problem is made worse by the generalized practice of wastefulness”. (191)

"The primary reason for evangelizing is the love of Jesus which we have received, the experience of salvation which urges us to ever greater love of him. What kind of love would not feel the need to speak of the beloved, to point him out, to make him known?" (264)