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Pope urges 'hope and kindness' in Thought for the Day message

Listen: The Pope says "hope and kindness" leads to a more beautiful world

The Pope has called for "hope and kindness" in a message for Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Pope Francis emphasised the importance of humility in the recording broadcast on Saturday.

"A world full of hope and kindness is a more beautiful world. A society that looks to the future with confidence and treats people with respect and empathy is more humane," he said.

He also quoted British writer GK Chesterton, whom the pontiff says invites us to "take the elements of life with gratitude and not for granted".

The message - recorded in Italian and translated into English - marks the Catholic Church's Jubilee year, which began on 24 December.

A jubilee is a Church tradition which takes place only once every 25 years in which Catholics re-establish their relationship with God. This jubilee is also dedicated to the theme of hope and will involve special celebrations, including tens of millions of pilgrims travelling to Rome.

On Thursday, Pope Francis visited a prison in Rome where he opened a "Holy Door", part of a prison chapel, which is one of a number of doors only opened during Jubilee years.

In his message he said: "Even if we do not know what tomorrow may hold for us, we should not look to the future with pessimism and resignation.

"War, social injustices and the many forms of violence we are exposed to everyday should not dishearten us nor draw us towards scepticism and discouragement."

He added that kindness is not a "diplomatic strategy", or a "set of rules to ensure social harmony or to obtain other advantages."

The pontiff ended the Thought with his "wish for hope".

"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, fellowship and gratitude."

Pope Francis has appeared on Thought for the Day once before, in 2021, ahead of the COP26 climate summit.

He used that message to appeal for the world to take "an urgent change of direction" to preserve the planet for future generations.

His predecessor Pope Benedict XVI was the first to appear on Thought for the Day, broadcasting a pre-recorded message on Christmas Eve in 2010.