• Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
The Texas Catholic
The Texas Catholic

Dallas, Texas

Today is Thursday, March 30, 2023
  • Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Instagram
Home
Pope Francis

Defend life, care for creation and give freely, pope says

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Pope Francis accepts a gift during an audience with members of the Italian Donation Institute at the Vatican Oct. 2. The institute promotes volunteering and giving to charities. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano)

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Everyone, but especially young people, should have the “wonderful experience of giving” of their time and resources; giving open hearts and minds to brotherhood and sharing and is essential for building “the civilization of love,” Pope Francis said.

Endorsing the celebration in Italy of “Giving Day,” which takes place Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis said all Christians should experience how giving a gift freely to others does not mean losing it, but “increasing its value.”

“Giving makes us and others happier,” he said. “Giving creates bonds and relationships that strengthen hope for a better world.”

Pope Francis met Oct. 2 at the Vatican with young people and members of the Italian Donation Institute, which promotes volunteering with and giving to charities, as well as working to ensure responsibility and transparency in the way funds are used.

Christians in particular should promote a culture of giving and serving others, he said. In imitation of Jesus, Christians should be capable of a love “that refuses every form of violence, respects freedom, promotes dignity and rejects all discrimination.”

Pope Francis encouraged his audience to be “defenders of life, protectors of creation and witnesses of love given, which generates fruits of goodness for all.”

In fact, he said, “the greatest gift God gave each of us is life, and life is part of another original divine gift: creation. We must all feel great responsibility to adequately safeguard creation and care for it,” ensuring that future generations also will be able to see the natural environment as a gift of God.

“The gift of life and the gift of creation come from God’s love for humanity,” he said. “And to the extent that we open ourselves and welcome” God’s love, “we can become gifts of love for our brothers and sisters.”

  • Tags
  • Pope Francis
  • The Texas Catholic
  • Vatican
Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Next article Bringing R-E-S-P-E-C-T to marriage
Previous article Father Gollob: Lock our lives together to be bubbles of hope

Related Posts

Pope hospitalized for respiratory infection, Vatican says Pope Francis
Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Pope hospitalized for respiratory infection, Vatican says

Confession is 'encounter of love' that fights evil, pope tells priests Pope Francis
Friday, March 24, 2023

Confession is 'encounter of love' that fights evil, pope tells priests

Pope asks Catholics to renew consecration of world to Mary every March 25 Pope Francis
Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Pope asks Catholics to renew consecration of world to Mary every March 25

Texas Catholic Classics

A look at the five Dallas law enforcement officers who gave their lives while protecting citizens during a mass shooting in downtown Dallas in July 2016.

 

How a child with special needs inspired a high school volleyball team, community and a family who heeded God’s call to protect life.

 

After a young runner collapsed at a Dallas marathon, grace and providence unfolded for those involved in the valiant effort to help her.

   

In the summer of 2016, 50 students and 25 chaperones from Dallas Catholic high schools traveled to Nicaragua for a 10-day mission trip.

 

Early on a November morning, Kenndrick Mendieta bounded from the gym at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep toward the campus’ athletic fields as clouds lifted on a fresh new day.

 

Subscribe

Get the award-winning Texas Catholic delivered to your door. Use the menu below to subscribe now.


Subscription length




 

Photo Gallery

Click here to find your favorite Texas Catholic photographs.

The Texas Catholic Newspaper

Catholic Diocese of Dallas
Michael Gresham, Editor

3725 Blackburn Street
Dallas, Texas 75219
(214) 379-2800

Our Affiliated Sites

Texas Catholic Youth

Revista Católica

Legal and Other

Contact us

Terms of service

Privacy policy

Site map

Site powered by TexasCatholicMedia

© 2013-2019 The Texas Catholic Publishing Company. All rights reserved.