When we journey without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, when we profess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord, we are worldly: we may be bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord.
Be merciful to souls who come to you. They need you. Mercy, mercy, mercy.
Let us never yield to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day; let us not yield to pessimism or discouragement: let us be quite certain that the Holy Spirit bestows upon the Church, with his powerful breath, the courage to persevere and also to seek new methods of evangelization, so as to bring to Gospel to the uttermost ends of the earth.
At your disposal you have the means to hear and to give voice to people’s expectations and demands, and to provide for an analysis and interpretation of current events. Your work calls for careful preparation, sensitivity and experience, like so many other professions, but it also demands a particular concern for what is true, good and beautiful. This is something which we have in common, since the Church exists to communicate precisely this: Truth, Goodness and Beauty “in person.” It should be apparent that all of us are called not to communicate ourselves, but this existential triad made up of truth, beauty and goodness.
We ask for the grace of never tiring of asking pardon, for He never tires of pardoning.
Let us not forget this word: God never tires of forgiving us, but we sometimes tire of asking Him to forgive us. Let us never tire of asking.
We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness! Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!
In order: to the Cardinals Electors; to the Confessors in St. Mary Major Basilica; to the College of Cardinals; to 5,000 journalists and media; to the parishioners of the parish of St. Anna in the Vatican; to the crowds at the Angelus; at the Mass for the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry of the Bishop of Rome
With Open Doors 
In these pictures, look at Pope Francis’ smiles. He is so genuine. This is a man who lets his joy with the Lord show always to all people. May his joy heal us all.
Healing joy … I love it!