3/22/2015

PopeFrancisinNaples:Meetingwithyouth

Pope Francis in Naples:

Meeting with youth
20150321VaticanRadio
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis denounced
a hidden euthanasia of elderly telling
thousands of young people gathered on
Naples waterfront that family affection is
the best medicine for the elderly, solitude
theirworstpoison.
Some 100 thousand young people gathered on Naples waterfront in what was
PopeFrancislastappointmentonhisbusyonedaypastoralvisittothesouthern
ItalianCampaniaregion.
Greeted to cheers shouted in the local dialect on arriving on the stage the Pope
took the microphone to encourage the crowd to shout the name of Jesus and
proclaimtheirfaithinHimandnotthatofthePope.
Then in what has become the Popes preferred form of encounter, people were
invitedtoposequestionsforhimtoanswer.Asherespondedtothefirstquestion
on how to recognize God in todays world, he apologized for reaming seated,
confessinghistirednessafterahecticday.
Our God is a God of words, gestures and silences, he replied pointing to the
parableoftheGoodShepherd.HeisaGodwhoknowsusbetterthenweknow
ourselves,whospeakstousinthesilenceofourhearts.ButGodcantspeakto
usifwearenotsilent,ifwedonotsilentlygazeattheCrucifix.Wecandrawnear
tothesilenceofGodbycontemplatingChristcrucifiedabandoned.
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3/22/2015

PopeFrancisinNaples:Meetingwithyouth

Goddidcreateustobehappy,butthatdoesnotmeanthateverythinginlifewill
be perfect if we believe in Him. The Pope said one of the great silences of God
regardswhydochildrensuffer.Wecan'talwaysunderstandthesilenceofGod,so
"wehavetogetclosertoChristonthecross.
Thesecondquestion,posedbyanelderlywomen,wasabouttheintegrationofthe
elderlyintosocietytodaysotheyarenotleftaloneorabandoned.
InhisresponsePopeFrancisroundlycondemnedthethrowawaycultureoftoday
with discards not only the elderly but also children and the unborn, which
considerschildrenuselessandtheaffectionofacatordogpreferable.
Healsoclearlycondemnedasocietywhichseeseuthanasiaasasolutiontothe
ills of old age. However, not just technical euthanasia administered with an
injection, the Pope also spoke of a hidden euthanasia, when old people are
deniedmedicine,food,theaffectionoftheirfamily.Solitude,saidPopeFrancisis
the great poison of the old. And he urged all present with elderly parents to
examine their conscience, and think of when was the last time they phoned or
visitedthem.
TheThirdquestionregardedideologicalattacksonfamily,towhichPopeFrancis
replied "The family is in crisis. It's true. But it's not new. He said marriage and
familylifeisn'tlikelearningalanguageeightlessonsandyou'refluent.Ittakes
time.Andmustbewellprepared.Aboveallheconcludeditrequiresthewitnessof
marriedcouples,whocanteachyoungpeoplehowtofaceandresolveproblems
together.
Taking his leave of the crowds as the sun set over the Bay of Naples, the Pope
saidthatyouthandelderlymustremainunited.Theyouthhavethestrength.The
elderlyhavethememoryandthewisdom.
TodayisthefirstdayofSpring.Prayforyoungpeople.Fortheirfuture.Forhope.

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3/22/2015

PopeFrancisinNaples:Meetingwithyouth

(fromVaticanRadio)

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