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 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.
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.