“You have been one of the pillars of the whole country,” the pope said in his first public audience since lockdown.

The text seeks “to relaunch the rich contents” of an encyclical still relevant today and even more so in the light of a world hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, 93, flew to Germany this morning to visit his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, 96, who is gravely ill at his residence in Regensburg.

“Jesus approaches us gently, in the disarming simplicity of the host. He comes as bread broken in order to break open the shells of our selfishness.”

“Until we revive our sense of responsibility for our neighbor and every person, grave economic, financial and political crises will continue,” the pope said in his message for the World Day of the Poor.

“As bishop of Rome, I have decided to institute in the diocese the ‘Jesus the Divine Worker Fund’ to affirm the dignity of work,” Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis: “The protection of the environment and respect for the biodiversity of the planet are issues that affect us all. We cannot pretend to be healthy in a world that is sick.”

“We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.”

Pope Francis said the aim of the decree is to “reduce in a significant way the danger of corruption” in the awarding of contracts.

On Pentecost Sunday, Pope Francis proclaimed the unity guaranteed by the Holy Spirit: “we are not bits of confetti blown about by the wind, rather we are irreplaceable fragments in his mosaic.” Gerard O’Connell reports.