Universal Call to Holiness

The Existence of Free Choice:
Defined Church Teaching 
A central truth of divine revelation is that human persons, created in the image and likeness of God, have the power of free choice. In order to create beings to whom he could give his very own life, God created persons (angelic and human) who have the power to make or break their own lives by their own free choices. Persons are of themselves, sui iuris, i.e., in their own power or dominion. Their choices and actions are their own, not the choices and actions of others. If the Triune God’s offer of his own life and friendship is to be a gift, it must be freely received; it cannot be forced on others or settled by anything other than the free choice of the God who freely gives himself and the free choices of created persons who freely accept this gift.

Pope Francis: God's Love is the
'Beating Heart' of the Church
VENICE, FL, February 26, 2016 -- Pope Francis marked the 10th anniversary of Benedict XVI’s encyclical “Deus Caritas Est” by telling participants in a conference commemorating the document that not only is love God’s identity, but it’s also the very heart and life of the Church. 

Pope Francis' Message for Lent
VATICAN, Lent 2016 -- Cardinal Francesco Montenegro, a member of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", explained that the Holy Father's Lenten Message is divided into three parts, focusing mercy in the light of the Word of God, insistence on the works of mercy and the relationship between Lent and the Jubilee itinerary. It is a short but inspiring document.

Pope Francis:
"The grace of God can ... offer mankind
a way out of humanly insoluble situations."
VATICAN, December  25, 2015 -- Read and share the Holy Father's beautiful words of hope and mercy. This is a wonderful reflection for times of darkness, as well as times of light.

Pope: In Confession
We Encounter God's
Immense Mercy
VATICAN, August 2, 2015 -- Delivering his weekly Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Pope Francis said that while everyone feels shame before going to Confession, this grace helps us to be open to God’s forgiveness.

Cardinal: Divorced, Remarried Catholics
Need Support for Conversion,
Not Changes on Communion
VATICAN, June 11, 2015 -- Catholics who have divorced and remarried need help for the “difficult climb” of conversion and spiritual growth, not a change in Church practice on the reception of Holy Communion, a prominent cardinal said.

Pope Francis--
The Eucharist:
Practice What We Celebrate
VATICAN, June 7, 2015 -- In his Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis focused on the recent feast of Corpus Christi, saying the Eucharist is a “school of solidarity and charity,” which inspires us to care for the most vulnerable.