After his speech on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Gypsies, Sinti and Nomads; The Holy Father answered the questions of four pilgrim children, who were in the Paul VI Hall this Saturday.
1. How can young people be better friends of Jesus?
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Pope Leo XIV said that this question “helps open the heart” and explained that “being a friend of Jesus begins by being a friend.”
“It is very important to learn to be friends, all of us, to respect each other and see how beautiful it is to have a true friendship. Being a friend of Jesus means knowing him. We cannot be friends with someone we do not know. Being a friend means trying to know the other and for the other to know me,” the Pope responded, in Italian.
To this end, he highlighted the importance of constant and sincere dialogue with the Lord through prayer, because “no friendship is good if there is no truth and sincerity.” Young people, he continued, must learn to “always be honest with the truth” in their lives and with their friends.
“Being honest with Jesus means being humble, dialoguing with Jesus in prayer, with the Word of God. And this is an important value for our reality: seeking Jesus also in community. Jesus, through the Church, presents himself to us, and therefore, loving Jesus, being a friend of Jesus, means being a friend in the Church: and thus life in the Church, the Sacraments, the Holy Mass. Seeking the help of the Church is also a very important path to always be a friend of Jesus,” he said Pope Leo
2. Can children grow up in a world without war? How do they contribute to it?
The Pope said that this question is also very important for adults, because we all “want to live in a world without wars.” In that sense, he called to be “peace promoters” and “bridge builders,” convinced that “it is not just a dream, that we can live in peace.”
“So, to live in peace, we too must find a way to be people of peace. If we want to change the world, we must start with ourselves, with our friends, our classmates, in our families, between families,” he said.
“It is very important that we always seek this capacity for dialogue, mutual respect and promoting the values that help us build a world of peace. I believe it is possible, and I hope that one day we will all find and see a world where peace reigns and where we can all live in peace,” he added.
3. How to overcome prejudices against disadvantaged minorities?
Leo XIV once again assured that this was a question for adults, because “children are not so concerned about differences.”
He pointed out that the children’s attitude is correct, always trying to “put aside this distinction of who is different” and begin “by respecting all human beings.”
“Every human being is born in the image of God. Whether someone is poor, comes from a wealthy family, has property or not, we are all brothers. So let us respect this brotherhood and we will see that the world can change there too,” he responded.
4. What should children do to love the poor more?
The Pope answered this question in Spanish, once again emphasizing that it is the adults who make the distinctions.
“We are all human beings, rich and poor. Loving the poor is loving a man, a woman, without making these distinctions and respecting the person as a man of God,” he indicated.
Pope Leo also said that Jesus never made distinctions, but rather loved and wanted to be a friend to all.
“By deciding that all people are good, we can discover slavery in each person. Let us walk with others — with this respect for the dignity of the person — and recognize that in the eyes of God there is no such distinction,” he said.
“The Lord taught us to love everyone, to be friends with everyone, and not to eliminate or avoid those who, due to economic or other poverty, are a little more difficult. What we learn is this: to love everyone, as brothers and sisters,” added the Holy Father.
Andres Henriquez
I was born in Caracas in 1996. I have been a writer for ACI Prensa and a correspondent for EWTN since 2023. Since then, I have covered events in the Catholic Church in Venezuela, Latin America and the world. I have more than 6 years of experience in bilingual media. Furthermore, in Venezuela I have worked in various areas in favor of freedom and respect for fundamental rights in the country. I have been a member of the Regnum Christi Federation since 2014.