Pope Francis cited the Beatitudes as the path to holiness in reflections today before praying the Angelus with the faithful in St. Peter’s Square.

On the Feast of All Saints, the Holy Father spoke of two Beatitudes, in particular, the second and third, taken from the Gospel for the day, Matthew 5:1-12.

The second: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (v. 4).

Pope Francis noted that this verse seems contradictory.  People who are mourning are suffering.

“Jesus proclaims blessed those who mourn over this reality, who trust in the Lord despite everything and put themselves under His shadow,” the Pope said. “They are not indifferent, nor do they harden their hearts when they are in pain, but they patiently hope for God’s comfort. And they experience this comfort even in this life.”

The third Beatitude: “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth” (v. 5).

“The meek are those who know how to control themselves, who leave space for the other, they listen to the other, respect the other’s way of living, his or her needs, and requests,” Francis said. “They do not intend to overwhelm or diminish the other, they do not want to be on top of or dominate everything, nor do they impose their ideas or their own interests to the detriment of others.

“We need meekness to progress on the path of holiness. To listen, to respect, not to attack: meekness.”

Following is the Holy Father’s full commentary, provided by the Vatican:

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

On this solemn Feast of All Saints, the Church invites us to reflect on the great hope, the great hope that is based on Christ’s resurrection: Christ is risen and we will also be with Him, we will be with Him. The Saints and Blesseds are the most authoritative witnesses of Christian hope, because they lived it fully in their lives, amidst joys and sufferings, putting into practice the Beatitudes that Jesus preached and which resound in the Liturgy (see Mt 5:1-12a). The evangelical Beatitudes, in fact, are the path to holiness. I will reflect now on two Beatitudes, the second and the third.

The second one is this: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (v. 4). These words seem contradictory because mourning is not a sign of joy and happiness. Reasons for mourning come from suffering and death, illness, moral adversity, sin, and mistakes: simply from everyday life marked by fragility, weakness, and difficulties, a life at times wounded and pained by ingratitude and misunderstanding. Jesus proclaims blessed those who mourn over this reality, who trust in the Lord despite everything and put themselves under His shadow. They are not indifferent, nor do they harden their hearts when they are in pain, but they patiently hope for God’s comfort. And they experience this comfort even in this life.

In the third Beatitude, Jesus states: “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth” (v. 5). Brothers and sisters, meekness! Meekness is characteristic of Jesus, who said of Himself: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29). The meek are those who know how to control themselves, who leave space for the other, they listen to the other, respect the other’s way of living, his or her needs, and requests. They do not intend to overwhelm or diminish the other, they do not want to be on top of or dominate everything, nor do they impose their ideas or their own interests to the detriment of others. These people, not appreciated by the world and its mentality, are, instead, precious in God’s eyes. God gives them the promised land as an inheritance, that is, life eternal. This beatitude also begins here below and is fulfilled in Christ. But meekness… At this moment in life, even in the world, there is so much aggressivity, in everyday life as well, the first thing that comes out of us is aggression, defensiveness. We need meekness to progress on the path of holiness. To listen, to respect, not to attack: meekness.

Dear brothers and sisters, choosing purity, meekness, and mercy; choosing to entrust oneself to the Lord in poverty of spirit and in affliction; dedicating oneself to justice and peace – all this means going against the current in respect to this world’s mentality, in respect to the culture of possessing, of meaningless fun, of arrogance against the weakest. This evangelical path was trodden by the Saints and Blesseds. Today’s solemnity that honors All Saints reminds us of the personal and universal vocation to holiness and proposes sure models for this journey that each person walks in a unique way, an unrepeatable way. It is enough to think of the inexhaustible variety of gifts and real-life stories there are among the saints: they are not equal, each one has their own personality and developed their own life of holiness according to their own personality, and each one of us can do it, taking this path: meekness, meekness, please, and we will head toward holiness.

This immense family of faithful disciples of Christ has a Mother, the Virgin Mary. We venerate her under the title Queen of All Saints, but she is first of all the Mother who teaches everyone how to welcome and follow her children. May she help us nourish the desire for holiness, walking the way of the Beatitudes.

After the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:

Yesterday, in Hartford, in the United States of America, Michael McGivney was proclaimed blessed: diocesan priest, founder of the Knights of Columbus. Dedicated to evangelization, he did everything possible to provide for the needs of those in need, promoting reciprocal aid. May his example be an impetus for us to always be witnesses of the Gospel of charity. Let’s give a round of applause to this new blessed.

On this feast day let us not forget what is happening in Nagorno-Karabakh where the armed clashes are taking place amid a fragile truce, with the tragic increase in victims, destruction of homes, buildings, and places of worship, with increasing massive involvement of the civil population. It’s tragic.

I would like to renew my heartfelt appeal to the parties responsible in the conflict so that they intervene as soon as possible to stop the shedding of innocent blood. May they not think of using violence to resolve the controversy, but dedicate themselves to sincere negotiation with the help of the international community. On my part, I am near to all those who are suffering and I invite [everyone] to ask the intercession of the Saints for a stable peace in that region.

Let us also pray for the population in the area of the Aegean Sea who, two days ago, was hit by a strong earthquake.

I greet all of you from Rome and pilgrims from various countries. In particular, I greet the participants of the Race of the Saints promoted by the Don Bosco Foundation throughout the world. This year they are racing from a distance as well as individually. Even though it is taking place in small groups to respect the distancing imposed because of the pandemic, this sporting event offers a popular faith dimension to the religious celebration of All Saints. Thank you for your initiative and for your presence.

Tomorrow afternoon, I will celebrate Mass in suffrage for the deceased in the Teutonic Cemetery, a burial place in Vatican City. I unite myself spiritually to those who, while observing the health regulations which are important, go to pray near the tombs of their dear ones in every part of the world.

I wish all of you a Happy Feast in the spiritual company of the saints. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your meal and arrivederci.

© Libreria Editrice Vatican

Pope Francis today noted the October 31, 202 Beatification of Fr. Michael McGivney. 

The Holy Father’s comments came after praying the noonday with the limited crowd in St. Peter’s Square.

“Yesterday, in Hartford, in the United States of America, Michael McGivney was proclaimed blessed: diocesan priest, founder of the Knights of Columbus. Dedicated to evangelization, he did everything possible to provide for the needs of those in need, promoting reciprocal aid,” Pope Francis said. “May his example be an impetus for us to always be witnesses of the Gospel of charity. Let’s give a round of applause to this new blessed.”

FEATURE: Who Was Fr. Michael McGivney and What Could Make Him a Saint?

Pope Francis renewed his plea for peace in Nagorno-Karabakh in the Caucasus with remarks following the Sunday praying of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square.

“On this feast day let us not forget what is happening in Nagorno-Karabakh where the armed clashes are taking place amid a fragile truce, with the tragic increase in victims, destruction of homes, buildings, and places of worship, with increasing massive involvement of the civil population,” the Pope said. “It’s tragic.

“I would like to renew my heartfelt appeal to the parties responsible in the conflict so that they intervene as soon as possible to stop the shedding of innocent blood. May they not think of using violence to resolve the controversy, but dedicate themselves to sincere negotiation with the help of the international community. On my part, I am near to all those who are suffering and I invite [everyone] to ask the intercession of the Saints for a stable peace in that region.”

Armenia and Azerbaijan have again accused each other of bombing residential areas in defiance of a pact to avoid the deliberate targeting of civilians in and around disputed Nagorno-Karabakh, according to Vatican News.

Shelling was reported by both sides on Saturday within hours of the latest agreement to defuse the conflict, reached after talks in Geneva between the two countries’ foreign ministers and envoys from France, Russia, and the United States.

The death toll in the worst fighting in the South Caucasus for more than 25 years has surpassed 1,000.

“Let us also pray for the population in the area of the Aegean Sea who, two days ago, was hit by a strong earthquake.”

These were the words of Pope Francis after praying the Angelus on November 1, 2020 – the Feast of All Saints – with the faithful in St. Peter’s Square.

At least 27 people were killed in Turkey and Greece when the quake struck on the afternoon of October 30, 2020, causing buildings to collapse and triggering a mini-tsunami. More than 800 people were injured and a total of 470 aftershocks have been recorded in the area, reported Vatican News.

On a visit to Kingsthorpe Cemetery in Northamptonshire, the Bishop of Northampton, England, the Right Reverend David Oakley “called to mind all those who have died in the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the world.”

He said that “memory is fundamental to our human experience.”  And that “during the month of November, we remember those who have gone before us, our loved ones in particular.”

This year, the bishops said “we remember the faithful departed at a particularly challenging time…. As the Body of Christ, we intercede for them and their loved ones.”

Bishop David visited the Cemetery on the eve of All Saints Day, 1 November – a feast day which reminds us “that we were created for heaven.”

He encouraged others to visit their local cemetery and “to pray with the conviction of hope for those who have died and rest there until Christ returns in glory.”