Pope Francis records BBC Radio 4 Thought for the Day message
The pope urged “hope and mercy” in a message recorded for “Thoughts of the Day” for BBC Radio 4’s “Today” programme.
Pope Francis will also emphasize the importance of humility in a recording to be broadcast on December 28.
“A world full of hope and goodwill is a better world. A society that looks to the future with confidence, respects others, and is empathetic is a more humane society.”
He will also quote the British writer Chesterton, who the pope said invites us to “accept elements of life with gratitude rather than for granted.”
The message, recorded in Italian and translated into English, marks the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, which begins on December 24.
The Jubilee is a tradition of the Church that takes place every 25 years and is a celebration in which Catholics renew their relationship with God. The theme of this jubilee is hope and will involve special celebrations, including tens of millions of pilgrims traveling to Rome.
Pope Francis visited a prison in Rome on Thursday, where he opened a “Holy Door” that is part of a prison chapel, one of many. The door is only open during the Year of Jubilee.
Pope Francis has previously appeared on Daily Thoughts ahead of the 2021 COP26 climate summit.
He used the message to call on the world to “urgently change course” to protect the planet for future generations.
His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, was the first to appear on Thought Today, airing a pre-recorded message on Christmas Eve 2010.
