Life after the Pandemic with Pope Francis

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

Pope Francis did not remain silent or unseen while the world was overtaken by a silent and unseen virus. He immediately made his voice heard through various ways and allowed the entire world to see their shepherd at prayer.

“­In the early months of 2020, Pope Francis frequently reflected on the coronavirus ­pandemic as it took hold on the human family.” Thus says Cardinal Michael Czerny in the preface to Life after the Pandemic which offers “eight significant spoken and written texts” of Pope Francis from 27 March to 22 April.

Direction and hope

This book responds to two objectives, writes Cardinal Czerny. “The first is to suggest direction, keys, ­­­and guidelines for rebuilding a better world that might be born from this crisis of humanity. The second objective is … to sow hope.”

The silent and the unseen

Included in this collection are words directed to many who are usually silent and unseen. On Easter Sunday, Pope Francis was thinking of people engaged in “Popular Movements”, at the grassroots levels on the “peripheries of humanity”. To him, they are “social poets because, from the forgotten peripheries where you live, you create admirable solutions for the most pressing problems afflicting the marginalized.”

Another precious message included in this collection is his message to “the world of street newspapers and especially their vendors.”

We find a precious pearl in his Easter Urbi et orbi address where we can all find ourselves in one way or another reflected in the Pope’s thought.

Pope’s homilies also available

Strong in the Face of Tribulation, is a companion volume and contains all of Pope Francis’s homilies delivered daily from 9 March to 18 May.

Both of these books can be purchased through Amazon.com.

Click here to order Life after the Pandemic.

Click here to order Strong in the Face of Tribulation.

New Catechesis on healing the world

Pope Francis has again picked up the theme of healing. On 5 August, he resumed his weekly Wednesday General Audience by introducing a new theme: “To heal the world.”

We continue to be blessed with Pope Francis’s ongoing vision regarding our contribution as disciples of Christ to the healing of all the world’s infirmities.

This series will continue for several weeks. The live transmission of the General Audience can be picked up on the Vatican News web portal, Facebook Live feed, Vatican News app and YouTube Channel