Vatican City, May 15, 2020 / 04:30 am
Pope Francis prayed for the world's families to grow in love and respect for one another at his morning Mass Friday.
At the start of the Mass in the chapel at Casa Santa Marta, he noted that May 15 is the International Day of Families, an annual observance instituted by the UN General Assembly in 1993.
He said: "Let us pray for families so that the Spirit of the Lord -- the spirit of love, respect, and freedom -- may grow in families."
In his homily, the pope reflected on the day's first reading, Acts 15:22-31, in which the apostles write to the troubled community in Antioch, advising them that pagans are not required to follow Jewish customs in their entirety in order to become Christians.