Don't fear conflict, Pope tells young audience

August 07, 2015

“We are in the midst of a war,” Pope Francis told an audience of young people on August 7; “but there are signs of hope and joy.”

The Pope told 1500 members of the Eucharistic Youth Movement, who were celebrating their organization’s 100th anniversary, that they were among the signs of hope for the Church and for the future. He exhorted them: “Be courageous, and go forward.”

The Pontiff answered several questions posed by members of the young audience. In response to a question about conflicts in family life, he said, that a conflict-free situation is found “only in a graveyard.” He encouraged young people “not to be afraid of conflict,” although he also cautioned against seeking conflict for its own sake.

In answering a question about religious pluralism, the Pope said that the keys to coexistence are continuing dialogue and mutual respect. As an example of failure to accept other faiths, he cited the case of the Rohingya people, who have been driven out of Bangladesh and Myanmar and refused entry into other countries around the Pacific. “They were chased from one country and from another and from another,” Francis said, decrying the unwillingness to receive the boat people.

When asked about discernment of spirits, the Pope said that it is always a challenge to recognize God’s promptings. He remarked that the devil offers attractive possibilities, but “there’s a catch… the devil is a crook.”

 

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Further information:

• Pope Francis meets with Eucharistic Youth Movement (Vatican Radio)
• Pope: "In a world at war, you are a sign of hope" (AsiaNews)
• Francis: Burmese treatment of Rohingya minority a form of ‘war’ (La Stampa)