50 Pope Francis Quotes That Will Inspire You

Pope Francis is well-known for his contemporary approach to the papacy, but he never comes up short when it comes to faith, mercy, hope, and charity.

Read these Pope Francis quotes and be inspired.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis found his faith at age 24.

He was born in Argentina and worked as both a bouncer and a janitor before joining the Society of Jesus in 1958.

Francis dedicated his life to his faith and steadily rose in the ranks of his church.

He became Argentina’s provincial superior in 1973 and archbishop of Buenos Aries in 1998.

In 2001, Pope John Paul II made Francis a cardinal.

In 2013, Francis succeeded Pope Benedict XVI as the new head of the Catholic Church.

Worldwide, Francis has been acknowledged for his faith, compassion, love, and international visibility as a pope.

Enjoy these Pope Francis quotes!

Don’t forget to also check out these Pope John Paul II quotes to gain wisdom from one of the longest-serving Popes in modern history.

If you enjoy this article, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily motivation. 

Browse our entire collection of inspirational quotes for more motivating ideas and concepts.

Best Pope Francis quotes on faith

1. “He who doesn’t pray to the Lord prays to the devil.” — Pope Francis

2. “Since God created the world, He also created reality.” — Pope Francis

3. “We will never be disillusioned or lose our way if we are guided by God.” — Pope Francis

4. “The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.” — Pope Francis

5. “A Christian who does not pray for those who govern is not a good Christian.” — Pope Francis

6. “Religion has the right to express its opinion in the service of the people, but God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person.” — Pope Francis

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Inspirational Pope Francis quotes on hope

7. “Let us pray for peace: peace in the world and in each of our hearts.” — Pope Francis

8. “Dear young people, do not be afraid of making decisive choices in life. Have faith; the Lord will not abandon you!” — Pope Francis

9. “Although the life of a person is in a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God.” — Pope Francis

10. “From my point of view, God is the light that illuminates the darkness, even if it does not dissolve it, and a spark of divine light is within each of us.” — Pope Francis

11. “God’s love calls us to move beyond fear. We ask God for the courage to put on faith, hope, and love as we go out into the world and become the word in body as well as spirit.” — Pope Francis

12. “Even hope, like all good things in this world, has enemies… Hope is the push in the heart of those who leave their home, and sometimes their family and relatives – I am thinking of migrants – to find a better life, with more dignity for themselves and their loved ones… It’s also the push in the heart of those who welcome: the desire to encounter, meet, dialogue… hope is the push to share the journey.” — Pope Francis

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Pope Francis quotes on life and loving our fellow humans

13. “We all have the duty to do good.” — Pope Francis

14. “A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.” — Pope Francis

15. “Let us care for one another and let us be loving custodians of creation.” — Pope Francis

16. “It is not ‘progressive’ to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life.” — Pope Francis

17. “Kindness is firm and persevering intention to always will the good of others, even the unfriendly.” — Pope Francis

18. “Situations can change; people can change. Be the first to seek to bring good. Do not grow accustomed to evil, but defeat it with good.” — Pope Francis

19. “We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.” — Pope Francis

20. “This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by roads that come closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they lead towards the Good.” — Pope Francis

21. “It’s hypocrisy to call yourself a Christian and chase away a refugee or someone seeking help, someone who is hungry or thirsty, toss out someone who is in need of my help… If I say I am Christian but do these things, I’m a hypocrite.” — Pope Francis

22. “Even in the developed world, the effects of unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and thus promoting the well-being of individuals and of peoples.” — Pope Francis

23. “Openness to God makes us open towards the marginalized of this world and gives us the courage to leave the confines of our own security and comfort to become bruised, hurting and dirty as we joyfully approach the suffering other in a spirit of solidarity.” — Pope Francis

24. “The faith we proclaim tonight makes us see God present in all those situations where we think he is absent… He is present in the unwelcomed visitor, often unrecognizable, who walks through our cities and our neighborhoods, who travels on our buses and knocks on our doors.” — Pope Francis

25. “Having doubts and fears is not a sin… The sin is to allow these fears to determine our responses, to limit our choices, to compromise respect and generosity, to feed hostility and rejection… The sin is to refuse to encounter the other, the different, the neighbor, when this is in fact a privileged opportunity to encounter the Lord … to overcome our fears so as to encounter the other, to welcome, to know and to acknowledge him or her.” — Pope Francis

Pope Francis quotes on protecting our environment

26. “Our common home is being pillaged, laid waste, and harmed with impunity. Cowardice in defending it is a grave sin.” — Pope Francis

27. “We received this world as an inheritance from past generations, but also as a loan from future generations, to whom we will have to return it!” — Pope Francis

28. “A Christian who doesn’t safeguard creation, who doesn’t make it flourish, is a Christian who isn’t concerned with God’s work, that work born of God’s love for us.” — Pope Francis

29. “God always forgives, we men forgive sometimes, but nature never forgives. If you give her a slap, she will give you one. I believe that we have exploited nature too much.” — Pope Francis

30. “The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth. In many parts of the planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful landscapes are now covered with rubbish.” — Pope Francis

31. “May the relationship between man and nature not be driven by greed, to manipulate and exploit, but may the divine harmony between beings and creation be conserved in the logic of respect and care.” — Pope Francis

32. “As stewards of God’s creation, we are called to make the earth a beautiful garden for the human family. When we destroy our forests, ravage our soil and pollute our seas, we betray that noble calling.” — Pope Francis

33. “We must not be indifferent or resigned to the loss of biodiversity and the destruction of ecosystems, often caused by our irresponsible and selfish behavior… Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence … We have no such right.” — Pope Francis

More inspiring Pope Francis quotes

34. “Money has to serve, not to rule.” — Pope Francis

35. “Work ends up dehumanizing people.” — Pope Francis

36. “No one can grow if he does not accept his smallness.” — Pope Francis

37. “Life is a journey. When we stop, things don’t go right.” — Pope Francis

38. “Life is a journey. When we stop, things don’t go right.” — Pope Francis

39. “Grace is not part of consciousness; it is the amount of light in our souls, not knowledge nor reason.” — Pope Francis

40. “Too often we participate in the globalization of indifference. May we strive instead to live global solidarity.” — Pope Francis

41. “We must always walk in the presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, always trying to live in an irreprehensible way.” — Pope Francis

42. “Among us, who is above must be in service of others. This doesn’t mean we have to wash each other’s feet every day, but we must help one another.” — Pope Francis

43. “We have to work harder to develop a profound theology of women within the church. The feminine genius is needed wherever we make important decisions.” — Pope Francis

44. “Politics is a noble activity. We should revalue it, practice it with vocation and a dedication that requires testimony, martyrdom, that is to die for the common good.” — Pope Francis

45. “Solidarity, as a moral virtue and social attitude born of personal conversion, calls for commitment on the part of those responsible for education and formation.” — Pope Francis

46. “It is impossible for peace to exist without dialogue. All the wars, all the strife, all the unsolved problems over which we clash are due to a lack of dialogue. When there is a problem, talk: this makes peace.” — Pope Francis

47. “Dialogue, in fact, educates when the person relates with respect, esteem, and sincere listening, and is expressed with authenticity without obscuring or softening one’s own identity nourished by evangelical inspiration.” — Pope Francis

48. “Together with a culture of work, there must be a culture of leisure as gratification. To put it another way: people who work must take the time to relax, to be with their families, to enjoy themselves, read, listen to music, play a sport.” — Pope Francis

49. “Education is not about knowing things or taking lessons but about being able to use three lingos: those of the head, the heart, and the hands… learning so that you can think about what you feel and do, can feel what you think and do, and can do what you feel and think. Unity within a person.” — Pope Francis

50. “How do we help our young people not to see a university degree as synonymous with higher status, with more money or social prestige? It is not synonymous with that. How can we help make their education a mark of greater responsibility in the face of today’s problems, the needs of the poor, concern for the environment?” — Pope Francis

What did you learn from these Pope Francis quotes?

When was the last time you practiced unconditional love for your fellow humans, no matter what walks of life they come from?

When was the last time you honored the animals we live among or thanked the earth for the wonderful planet we live on?

Whether or not you are a person of religious faith, we can all be inspired by the work of Pope Francis.

We don’t all need to dedicate our life to faith in order to change the world.

But we can all stand to live with a little less judgment and a little more love.

Be kind to all you meet.

Live green and recycle.

Follow your dreams.

Those things alone can make all the difference.

We hope you enjoyed these Pope Francis quotes and sayings.

Let us know your favorite in the comments below!