Since the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis’ quotes have been one of the most glaring things people crave for as his words speak peace to every burdened heart as well as relief to the troubled soul.
As the head of the Catholic Church worldwide, Pope Francis has spoken about virtually all aspects of life including things some hardcore Catholics might find as uncomfortable. This makes Pope Francis’ quotes popular among non-Catholics too.
To celebrate the 80-year-old’s fourth year in the papacy, we have put together a collection of Pope Francis’ quotes.
Here Are The Top 20 Pope Francis’ Quotes
1. Defend the unborn against abortion even if they persecute you, calumniate you, set traps for you, take you to court or kill you.
2. So I ask you, Are you looking for empty thrills in life, or do you want to feel a power that can give you a lasting sense of life and fulfilment? Empty thrills or the power of grace? To find fulfilment, to gain new strength, there is a way. It is not a thing or an object, but a person, and he is alive. His name is Jesus Christ.
3. I prefer wrinkled families with wounds, scars, that continue going forward because these wounds, these scars, these wrinkles are the fruit of fidelity in a love that was not always easy. Love isn’t easy. It isn’t easy. No. But the most beautiful thing that a man and a woman can give each other is true love, for a lifetime.
4. A Christian is one who is invited… to join in the feast, to the joy of being saved, to the joy of being redeemed, to the joy of sharing life with Christ. This is a joy! You are called to a party.
5. We have a Lord who is capable of crying with us, capable of walking with us, capable of walking with us in the most difficult moments of life.
6. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor.
7. Peace is a precious gift, which must be promoted and protected…Never has the use of violence brought peace in its wake. War begets war, violence begets violence.
8. Although the life of a person is in a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God.
9. Created half to rise, and half to fall; Great Lord of all things, yet a prey to all; Sole judge of truth, in endless error, hurled; The glory, jest, and riddle of the world.
10. Go out to others and share the good news that God, our Father, walks at our side. He frees us from anonymity, from a life of emptiness and selfishness, and brings us to the school of encounter. He removes us from the fray of competition and self-absorption, and he opens before us the path of peace. That peace which is born of accepting others, that peace which fills our hearts whenever we look upon those in need as our brothers and sisters.
11. But in families, there is always, always, the cross. Always. Because the love of God, of the Son of God, also opened for us this path. But, in families as well, after the cross, there is the resurrection. Because the Son of God opened for us this path. Because of this, the family is — forgive the term I’ll use — it is a factory of hope, of hope of life and of resurrection. God was the one who opened this path.
12. Life is a journey, along different roads, different paths, which leave their marks on us. We know in faith that Jesus seeks us out. He wants to heal our wounds, to soothe our feet which hurt from travelling alone, to wash each of us clean of the dust from our journey.
13. Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope.
14. Together with a culture of work, there must be a culture of leisure as gratification. To put it another way: people who work must take the time to relax, to be with their families, to enjoy themselves, read, listen to music, play a sport.
15. 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.
16. All of the love that God has in Himself, all of the beauty that God has in Himself, all of the truth that God has in Himself, He gives to the family. And a family is truly a family when it is able to open its arms and receive all of this love.
17. Love is more powerful, love gives life, love makes hope blossom in the wilderness.
18. We must restore hope to the young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.
19. A church without women would be like the apostolic college without Mary. The Madonna is more important than the apostles and the church herself is feminine, the spouse of Christ and a mother.
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20. It is not necessary to believe in God to be a good person. In a way, the traditional notion of God is outdated. One can be spiritual but not religious. It is not necessary to go to church and give money – for many, nature can be a church. Some of the best people in history did not believe in God, while some of the worst deeds were done in His name.
Pope Francis’ quotes encourage Catholics to practice what their religion teaches. In his often impromptu sermons, the Pope has likened the sexual abuse of children by priests with “satanic mass” and told his cardinals not to act as if they were “princes”.
He has equally assured atheists they don’t have to believe in God to go to heaven. Consequently, some of Pope Francis’ quotes warned against the rise of populism in the west.