Observing with great concern the social unrest unfolding in the United States, Pope Francis said no one can claim to defend the sanctity of every human life while turning a blind eye to racism and exclusion.

Just as the apostles were united once they received the Holy Spirit, the church is united by that same spirit and not by keeping company just with those who agree on a certain interpretation of Christian teaching, Pope Francis said on Pentecost.

Sports can offer a unique witness of unity that can build a “bridge of peace” between men and women of different religions and cultures and promote solidarity, Pope Francis said.

St. John Paul II was a man of deep prayer, who loved being close to people and loved God’s justice and mercy, Pope Francis said.

At a time of global “tragedy and suffering” because of the coronavirus, and in view of the long-term impact it will have, believers of every religion should beg mercy from the one God and father of all, Pope Francis said.

The coronavirus pandemic has drawn well-deserved attention to nurses and midwives, who are among “the saints next door,” dedicated to helping people in some of the most joyful or painful moments of their lives, Pope Francis said.

In a newly published biography, Retired Pope Benedict XVI said the Catholic Church is threatened by a “worldwide dictatorship of seemingly humanist ideologies.”

Priests and doctors who gave their lives caring for the spiritual and physical well-being of others during the coronavirus pandemic are like Jesus, the good shepherd, who laid down his life for his flock, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis approved the establishment of the John Paul I Vatican Foundation to preserve and promote the writings, thinking, example and study of “the smiling pope.”

Pope Francis prayed for families struggling economically during the COVID-19 pandemic and for the conversion of loan sharks who prey on them.