Pope Francis: A world full of hope and goodness is a more beautiful world

Pope Francis assured that “a world full of hope and goodness is a more beautiful world. A society that looks to the future with confidence and treats people with respect and empathy is more humane.”

This is what he said in an audio message in Italian translated into English for the program “Thought for the Day”, on the British BBC network, which was broadcast on December 28.

Remembering the recently begun Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis reiterated his call to be “pilgrims of hope,” and noted that “although we do not know what tomorrow may bring, we should not look at the future with pessimism and resignation.”

“War, social injustices and the multiple forms of violence to which we are exposed every day should not discourage us or lead us to skepticism and discouragement,” he expressed.

The Holy Father also assured that “kindness is not a diplomatic strategy, nor a set of rules to ensure social harmony or to obtain other advantages,” but rather it is “a form of love that opens hearts to welcome and helps everyone to be more humble.”

Remembering the British Catholic writer GK Chesterton, Pope Francis noted that “at the end of his autobiography, Chesterton wisely invites us to ‘take the things of life with gratitude and not take them for granted.’”

At the end of his message, the Pontiff expressed “a desire for hope, which is a theological virtue, along with faith and charity”: “I hope that during this Jubilee we can practice kindness as a form of love to connect with others . May the new year bring us peace, camaraderie and gratitude.”