Pope Francis held an online dialogue with 12 students from Catholic universities in India, Nepal, Pakistan and other places to discuss issues such as religious freedom and witness, bullying and youth suicide.
(Vatican News) Female Catholic university students from India, Nepal and Pakistan spoke to the Pope in English about the prejudice and persecution they suffered in society. Pope Francis said in Spanish that the Christian testimony of these three young people touched his heart and reminded him of the innocent victim of Pakistani woman Asia Bibi. The Pope had this conversation online on September 26 with young people from Asia participating in the third “Building Bridges” event. This event originated from the cooperation between the Pontifical Council for Latin America and Loyola University of Chicago in the United States. Following the event in the Americas in February 2022 and Africa in November of the same year, it has now come to South Asia.
Asia Bibi: a victim of fanaticism
The Pope admitted that the Christian testimony of these three young women reminded him of the “suffering story” of Asia Bibi. Asia Bibi was an innocent victim because the fear of differences inspired fanaticism and produced unfriendly discrimination, which reduced “social values to fantasy.” The only solution, the Pope pointed out, is to bear witness and to firmly believe that “God has plans for Himself.” The pope urged young people to remember the courage of their ancestors to recognize Jesus as their savior, to dream of the harmonious coexistence of different ideas, and to know how to reach out. “This will allow everyone to grow.”
express beliefs and understand each other
A young woman whose family immigrated to the United Arab Emirates confided to the Pope that she was worried about losing her cultural and religious identity. The Pope reminded that on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit made it possible for all people to understand each other. The Pope invited the young woman to “express her faith” and to have the courage to “understand others” in the midst of tension.
The pope emphasized that his father was also an immigrant. People who live in a foreign country start a new journey, “without forgetting their roots.”
Say no to bullying
Three other university students raised issues such as bullying, social networking and youth suicide. A young girl recounted being teased as a child because her “body shape did not meet society’s beauty standards.” The Pope recalled that there used to be a fat boy in his class who was often teased by his classmates. “Once,” the pope said, “he fell to the ground and we all laughed at him. But when my father found out about it, he asked me to go to his house to apologize.”
Years later, when Bergoglio became a priest, the classmate became an evangelical pastor and “transcended the trauma of bullying.” “He is a wonderful person because he has a harmonious attitude. Everyone has his beauty, which needs to be recognized in inner and outer harmony.” “You in Asia know how to create this,” the pope said. The beauty of difference. Don’t fall into the temptation of sameness over and over again.”
Supporting young people to overcome failure
The Pope went on to say that when a young person feels that his future is bleak and the door to his dreams is closed, it is easy to commit suicide. Therefore, he should be supported to overcome failure. The Pope advises young people never to lose their sense of humor, which is linked to mental health.
Make the Internet world a better place
Afterwards, the two young people unanimously mentioned the challenges of the Internet, its advantages and dangers, and the issue of the digital divide. To overcome the challenges, the Pope noted that “language of the mind, heart and hands” is needed. “When ideology causes limitations in the brain, the mind becomes narrow and the hands become useless. You must escape ideology and work hard to promote equal access to technology. This will make the Internet a better place.”
Stay true to the facts and resist fake news
When it comes to communication, the Pope pointed out the danger of “one-sided truth”: “The news cannot be reduced, but it must provide complete news to everyone. It is necessary to be loyal to the news and the facts!” However, fake news sometimes appears, that is ” News that creates monsters and walks on an unreal path”.
The Pope finally reiterated that the prerequisite for true democracy is dialogue, but “consensus” is needed between each other, which is very consistent with human nature. “It’s wrong to use words that separate each other. If two people think differently, they have to think about the common ground they can rely on to move forward. This is the secret of reaching out.”
Link URL: www.vaticannews.cn
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2023-09-27 09:44:45
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