Pope Francis delivered his general audience today about the theological virtue of hope. Francis said that if Christians have hope for the future, it is because “Christ died and rose again and gave us His Spirit.”

In Venice, Pope Francis visits a Vatican-sponsored exhibition at a women’s prison, meets with inmates and presides at Mass.

Pope Francis wrote a letter of encouragement to parish priests, who were largely missing from the first synod session.

The great enemy of faith is not intelligence, nor is it reason, as some continue obsessively to repeat, Pope Francis said in his general audience today. The great enemy of faith is fear.

Regardless of what one thinks of the advisability of a pope known for his off-the-cuff remarks partaking in long interviews, the fact remains that Pope Francis is more willing than both candidates to sit down one-on-one in front of a camera.

During his visit to Venice, Pope Francis encouraged young people to embrace their worth, urging care for one another's vulnerabilities and emphasizing the importance of remaining connected to God to bear fruits of justice, peace, and solidarity.