CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Pope Francis handed out free pocket-sized copies of the gospels to crowds filling St. Peter\u2019s square for the Sunday Angelus , as an encouragement to read the Word of God.<\/p>\n\t\u201cLast Sunday I suggested that you get a little copies of the gospels, to carry with you during the day, to read often. Then I thought over the ancient tradition of the Church, during Lent, to give the gospel to catechumens preparing for baptism. So today I want to offer to you who are here in the piazza \u2013 but as a sign for all \u2013 a pocket-sized gospel. They will be distributed to you freely,\u201d the Pope explained on April 6.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cTake one, carry it with you: it is truly Jesus who speaks to you,\u201d he urged those packed into the square. \u201cThis is the word of Jesus!\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe Holy Father then asked that the faithful remember Christ\u2019s words, \u201cfreely have you received, freely give!\u201d so that they too would \u201cgive the message of the gospel\u201d to others.<\/p>\n
\tPope Francis acknowledged that some may be skeptical of a free gift, asking \u201chow much does it cost? How much must I pay, father?\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cBut let\u2019s do something,\u201d he suggested. \u201cIn exchange for this gift, do an act of charity, a free gesture of love for another: a prayer for a friend, a reconciliation, something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe pontiff\u2019s Angelus reflection focused on the story of Jesus\u2019 raising Lazarus from the dead, a sign of Jesus\u2019\u00a0 own resurrection and the hope for our eternal life.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe believe that the life of those who believe in Jesus and follow his commands, after death, will be transformed into a new life, full and immortal. As Jesus was resurrected with his body, but did not return to earthly life, so we will be resurrected with our bodies that will be transformed into glorious bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe Pope explained that Jesus\u2019 resurrection also affects our earthly lives by inviting us \u201cto get out of the tomb into which our sins have caused us to collapse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cHe calls us insistently to leave the darkness of prison in which we are confined, contenting ourselves with a false, selfish, mediocre life. \u2018Come out!\u2019 he says.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tJust as Lazarus was unbound from his burial clothes, \u201clet us be free from the \u2018bandages\u2019 of pride,\u201d urged Pope Francis.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cOur resurrection begins here: when we decide to obey the command of Jesus, coming to the light, to life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tPope Francis reminded his listeners that it is never too late to repent of sin and turn to Christ, because \u201cthere are no limits to the divine mercy offered to all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cRepeat it together with me!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cThere are no limits to the divine mercy offered to all!\u201d<\/p>\n
\tHe then led the crowds in the Angelus prayer and took a moment to remember the genocide in Rwanda, as April 7 marks its tragic 20th anniversary.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI want to express my paternal closeness to the Rwandan people, encouraging them to continue, with determination and hope, the process of reconciliation that has already manifested its fruit,\u201d said the Pope.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cTo everyone I say: Don\u2019t be afraid! Build your society on the rock of the gospel, in love and in harmony, because only like this can you build lasting peace!\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe Pontiff also recalled the earthquake that shook the Italian town of Aquila five years ago today, killing almost 300 people, injuring 1,500, and leaving nearly 65,000 homeless. \u201cAt this time we want to unite ourselves with that community which has suffered so much, and still suffers, struggling and hoping, with great faith in God and in the Virgin Mary.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tHe also went on to pray for the victims of the Ebola virus that is spreading in Guinea and neighboring countries. \u201cMay the Lord sustain the efforts to combat this epidemic and provide care and assistance to all those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tPope Francis concluded by greeting the various pilgrim groups who were present in St. Peter\u2019s square, and reminded everyone to read the gospels.<\/p>\n
\tWhether in a book or on a smartphone or tablet, said the Pope, \u201cthe important thing is to read the word of God, with all means, but read the word \u2013 it\u2019s Jesus who speaks there! And welcome it with an open heart. So the good seed bears fruit!\u201d
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
![](\"https:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\")
<\/a>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~r\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews\/~4\/j18177nmbZQ\")
<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vatican City, Apr 6, 2014 \/ 06:30 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis handed out free pocket-sized copies of the gospels to crowds filling St. Peter’s square for the Sunday Angelus , as an encouragement to read the Word of God.<\/p>\n
\t“Last Sunda…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vatican"],"yoast_head":"\n
Pope distributes free copies of Gospels<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vatican City, Apr 6, 2014 \/ 06:30 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis handed out free pocket-sized copies of the gospels to crowds filling St. Peter’s square for the Sunday Angelus , as an encouragement to read the Word of God. “Last Sunda...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pope distributes free copies of Gospels\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Vatican City, Apr 6, 2014 \/ 06:30 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis handed out free pocket-sized copies of the gospels to crowds filling St. Peter’s square for the Sunday Angelus , as an encouragement to read the Word of God. “Last Sunda...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-04-06T12:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/\",\"name\":\"Pope distributes free copies of Gospels\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2014-04-06T12:30:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2014-04-06T12:30:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\"},\"description\":\"Vatican City, Apr 6, 2014 \/ 06:30 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis handed out free pocket-sized copies of the gospels to crowds filling St. Peter’s square for the Sunday Angelus , as an encouragement to read the Word of God. “Last Sunda...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Pope distributes free copies of Gospels\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/\",\"name\":\"Catholic News\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\",\"name\":\"CNA Daily News\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"CNA Daily News\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Pope distributes free copies of Gospels","description":"Vatican City, Apr 6, 2014 \/ 06:30 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis handed out free pocket-sized copies of the gospels to crowds filling St. Peter’s square for the Sunday Angelus , as an encouragement to read the Word of God. “Last Sunda...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Pope distributes free copies of Gospels","og_description":"Vatican City, Apr 6, 2014 \/ 06:30 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis handed out free pocket-sized copies of the gospels to crowds filling St. Peter’s square for the Sunday Angelus , as an encouragement to read the Word of God. “Last Sunda...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/","og_site_name":"Catholic News","article_published_time":"2014-04-06T12:30:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA"}],"author":"CNA Daily News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CNA Daily News","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/","name":"Pope distributes free copies of Gospels","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website"},"datePublished":"2014-04-06T12:30:00+00:00","dateModified":"2014-04-06T12:30:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1"},"description":"Vatican City, Apr 6, 2014 \/ 06:30 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis handed out free pocket-sized copies of the gospels to crowds filling St. Peter’s square for the Sunday Angelus , as an encouragement to read the Word of God. “Last Sunda...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/pope-distributes-free-copies-of-gospels\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Pope distributes free copies of Gospels"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/","name":"Catholic News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1","name":"CNA Daily News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CNA Daily News"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5975\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}