Pope Francis at Q and A with Children Says "When you pray, God looks at you" and Speaks of a Possible Visit to Ukraine
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MEETING OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
WITH THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE "TRAIN OF CHILDREN" OF THE "CORTILE DEI GENTILI"
Courtyard of San Damaso
Saturday, June 4, 2022
WITH THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE "TRAIN OF CHILDREN" OF THE "CORTILE DEI GENTILI"
Courtyard of San Damaso
Saturday, June 4, 2022
Questions and Answers with Children and Pope Francis:
____________________________________
Boy
Pope Francis, I'm Mattia Mordente, I'd like to ask you a question. I know that you have visited many countries abroad, especially poor countries, to speak with the heads of state and also to pray for those countries, to improve them. But in your opinion, which country you visited has improved the most thanks to you?
Pope Francis
I'll tell you one thing: each country has its own peculiarity, and I wonder what is the richest peculiarity of a country. And do you know what is the richest peculiarity of a country? People. People are always people, they are the same in a certain point, but each person is different, they are distinct, they have their own wealth, and what impresses me is to see how the different peoples are rich with a special wealth for that country. Here too, of you: each of you has your own wealth, the wealth of your soul. Because the heart of each of us, the soul of each of us is not the same as the other, no! There are no equal hearts, equal souls, each of us has their own wealth. And this also applies to countries. In the countries I visit, I have always seen special riches: this in a certain way, this in another ... It is the beauty of creation. And we must see it in each of us. If we learn to see people with the heart, to look with the heart, to feel with the heart, to think with the heart, we will find this wealth of each person, which is different from each other, is always beautiful and different. Understood?
Boy
OK yes.
Pope Francis
Go, you're good, come on!
Boy
I am Edgar Murario, child and twin brother of a child also present here. I don't have many things to say to you but only one question to ask you: how does it feel to be Pope?
Pope Francis
The important thing, in any job in which life puts you, is that you do not stop being you, with your own personality. If a person, to enter a place, or if life has put him in that place, changes his personality, he is an artificial person, and in this he gets lost. We must always feel things as they come, with authenticity: never, never disguise feelings. So how do I feel as Pope? As a person, like each of you in your profession, in your work. Because I too am a person like you, and if I have this job I have to try to do it in the humblest way and according to my personality, without trying to do things that are foreign to who I am. For example, I ask you: "How do you feel, or your twin brother, how do you feel?" - “I feel like this”. This is important not to lose it. Even when a person grows up and then finds himself with this charge, with this job or that other, don't forget that you are this person, and don't lose that feeling.
Answering your question: how do I feel with this office, with this service as Pope? I try to be myself, not to take artificial positions. I don't know if this is for you.
Boy
OK thanks.
Girl
Good morning, Holy Father. My name is Nicole Malizia and I have a question for you. I would like to know: what responsibilities do you feel you have to be Pope or in any case the most important person in the world?
Pope Francis
This feeling of responsibility is something that we must all feel, each one of us. Each of us has their own personality and also their own responsibility. You, now, you study, you have your responsibility to study, as a student; you also have your responsibility to bring certain things into the family. If we think that each of us has their own responsibility, we are thinking that our life is not for ourselves but for others and also for the service of others, to be close to others. Now I come to your question: how do I feel? It is true that it is a bit heavy responsibility at times, because it scares you. But I try to feel it in the most natural way, because if the Lord has asked me this, it is because He will give me the strength not to make mistakes, to be careful not to make mistakes. I feel my responsibility as a service, as you will feel yours as a service to others, to your family, and when you get married, to your family, to everyone. Service: the responsibility to serve others, to be of help to others; not to be above others, like a person who commands, no, no. Like one of the others who, if he has the office to command, does it like each of us. Did you understand?
Girl
Yes: Thank you very much.
Pope Francis
Because of you.
Girl
Good morning. I'm Caterina Lastorza. I wanted to ask you: but is it tiring to be Pope?
Pope Francis
In life, there are always moments of fatigue. Every job, every job we take on always has a part of effort. It is hard to study, for example, it is hard to do this office, that other, that other, that service ... And the Pope also has his own efforts, right? The road to bring the hardships must be a normal road, like every person: each of us brings their own hardships; and solve the labors in a human way, in a normal way. But if you ask me: is it too much more tiring than the work of a father and a mother? Ninth. God gives the strength to bring his own efforts to each of us, and it is no longer a thing. But it must be done with honesty, sincerity and work, as dad and mom carry on the job of dad and mom. Did you understand?
Girl
Yes, thank you very much.
Boy
Hi, my name is David Murario and I have only one thing to ask you: how does it feel to be so much in contact with the Creator of the Earth, that is, God?
Pope Francis
This is a beautiful thing that you ask, you know ?, because in life there is the danger of forgetting God, and not being in contact. "No, but I manage by myself and do things ...". Eh, this road is dangerous! Always, once or twice a day, we must remember that the Lord is with us, that the Lord accompanies us, that the Lord is watching us. And feeling guarded by the Lord is important to carry on doing your job with sincerity and strength. The Lord looks at you too, he looks at you and looks at your little brother. The Lord is close to each of us and he looks at us, and with this feeling of the Lord close we can go on well. But the bad thing is when we don't want to feel the Lord close, and our preference is to feel this, this, this close, but to distance the Lord. No. The secret is to feel the Lord close. And this accompanies you throughout your life.
Boy
OK thanks. And I also wanted to ask you something else. When you see children with problems, disabilities of senses, how do you feel? Does he go to help them and give them advice, or does he follow his path?
Pope Francis
When we look at a person, we must never feel superior to that person. For example, if I look at you and think what advice I have to give you, that's not good. First I have to listen to you, first to hear you and then to say what comes from the heart. I looked at you next to your little brother, your twin; I looked at you and saw how you moved there and it occurred to me: “This guy is good. What advice should I give to a good guy? Be humble and thank God who gave you this strength and this skill ”. And when I look at children, as you say, who have some limitations, some disabilities, I think the Lord has given them other things, other beautiful things. One of the things that, I confess, touches my heart when I am with blind people, many times, many times they say to me: "Can I look at you?". At first, I didn't understand, but then I said: "Yes", and they, with their hands, touched my face and looked at me. What do I see there? Creativity: a person who has a limitation always finds the strength to go beyond the limitation and this is a creativity, a capacity to be creative that is a challenge to that child, to that child who has that limitation. And this must be praised. And you, who have no limitations, also try to be creative: don't get used to doing things, no, try to be creative, because creativity is what looks like God to us. Got it?
Boy
____________________________________
Boy
Pope Francis, I'm Mattia Mordente, I'd like to ask you a question. I know that you have visited many countries abroad, especially poor countries, to speak with the heads of state and also to pray for those countries, to improve them. But in your opinion, which country you visited has improved the most thanks to you?
Pope Francis
I'll tell you one thing: each country has its own peculiarity, and I wonder what is the richest peculiarity of a country. And do you know what is the richest peculiarity of a country? People. People are always people, they are the same in a certain point, but each person is different, they are distinct, they have their own wealth, and what impresses me is to see how the different peoples are rich with a special wealth for that country. Here too, of you: each of you has your own wealth, the wealth of your soul. Because the heart of each of us, the soul of each of us is not the same as the other, no! There are no equal hearts, equal souls, each of us has their own wealth. And this also applies to countries. In the countries I visit, I have always seen special riches: this in a certain way, this in another ... It is the beauty of creation. And we must see it in each of us. If we learn to see people with the heart, to look with the heart, to feel with the heart, to think with the heart, we will find this wealth of each person, which is different from each other, is always beautiful and different. Understood?
Boy
OK yes.
Pope Francis
Go, you're good, come on!
Boy
I am Edgar Murario, child and twin brother of a child also present here. I don't have many things to say to you but only one question to ask you: how does it feel to be Pope?
Pope Francis
The important thing, in any job in which life puts you, is that you do not stop being you, with your own personality. If a person, to enter a place, or if life has put him in that place, changes his personality, he is an artificial person, and in this he gets lost. We must always feel things as they come, with authenticity: never, never disguise feelings. So how do I feel as Pope? As a person, like each of you in your profession, in your work. Because I too am a person like you, and if I have this job I have to try to do it in the humblest way and according to my personality, without trying to do things that are foreign to who I am. For example, I ask you: "How do you feel, or your twin brother, how do you feel?" - “I feel like this”. This is important not to lose it. Even when a person grows up and then finds himself with this charge, with this job or that other, don't forget that you are this person, and don't lose that feeling.
Answering your question: how do I feel with this office, with this service as Pope? I try to be myself, not to take artificial positions. I don't know if this is for you.
Boy
OK thanks.
Girl
Good morning, Holy Father. My name is Nicole Malizia and I have a question for you. I would like to know: what responsibilities do you feel you have to be Pope or in any case the most important person in the world?
Pope Francis
This feeling of responsibility is something that we must all feel, each one of us. Each of us has their own personality and also their own responsibility. You, now, you study, you have your responsibility to study, as a student; you also have your responsibility to bring certain things into the family. If we think that each of us has their own responsibility, we are thinking that our life is not for ourselves but for others and also for the service of others, to be close to others. Now I come to your question: how do I feel? It is true that it is a bit heavy responsibility at times, because it scares you. But I try to feel it in the most natural way, because if the Lord has asked me this, it is because He will give me the strength not to make mistakes, to be careful not to make mistakes. I feel my responsibility as a service, as you will feel yours as a service to others, to your family, and when you get married, to your family, to everyone. Service: the responsibility to serve others, to be of help to others; not to be above others, like a person who commands, no, no. Like one of the others who, if he has the office to command, does it like each of us. Did you understand?
Girl
Yes: Thank you very much.
Pope Francis
Because of you.
Girl
Good morning. I'm Caterina Lastorza. I wanted to ask you: but is it tiring to be Pope?
Pope Francis
In life, there are always moments of fatigue. Every job, every job we take on always has a part of effort. It is hard to study, for example, it is hard to do this office, that other, that other, that service ... And the Pope also has his own efforts, right? The road to bring the hardships must be a normal road, like every person: each of us brings their own hardships; and solve the labors in a human way, in a normal way. But if you ask me: is it too much more tiring than the work of a father and a mother? Ninth. God gives the strength to bring his own efforts to each of us, and it is no longer a thing. But it must be done with honesty, sincerity and work, as dad and mom carry on the job of dad and mom. Did you understand?
Girl
Yes, thank you very much.
Boy
Hi, my name is David Murario and I have only one thing to ask you: how does it feel to be so much in contact with the Creator of the Earth, that is, God?
Pope Francis
This is a beautiful thing that you ask, you know ?, because in life there is the danger of forgetting God, and not being in contact. "No, but I manage by myself and do things ...". Eh, this road is dangerous! Always, once or twice a day, we must remember that the Lord is with us, that the Lord accompanies us, that the Lord is watching us. And feeling guarded by the Lord is important to carry on doing your job with sincerity and strength. The Lord looks at you too, he looks at you and looks at your little brother. The Lord is close to each of us and he looks at us, and with this feeling of the Lord close we can go on well. But the bad thing is when we don't want to feel the Lord close, and our preference is to feel this, this, this close, but to distance the Lord. No. The secret is to feel the Lord close. And this accompanies you throughout your life.
Boy
OK thanks. And I also wanted to ask you something else. When you see children with problems, disabilities of senses, how do you feel? Does he go to help them and give them advice, or does he follow his path?
Pope Francis
When we look at a person, we must never feel superior to that person. For example, if I look at you and think what advice I have to give you, that's not good. First I have to listen to you, first to hear you and then to say what comes from the heart. I looked at you next to your little brother, your twin; I looked at you and saw how you moved there and it occurred to me: “This guy is good. What advice should I give to a good guy? Be humble and thank God who gave you this strength and this skill ”. And when I look at children, as you say, who have some limitations, some disabilities, I think the Lord has given them other things, other beautiful things. One of the things that, I confess, touches my heart when I am with blind people, many times, many times they say to me: "Can I look at you?". At first, I didn't understand, but then I said: "Yes", and they, with their hands, touched my face and looked at me. What do I see there? Creativity: a person who has a limitation always finds the strength to go beyond the limitation and this is a creativity, a capacity to be creative that is a challenge to that child, to that child who has that limitation. And this must be praised. And you, who have no limitations, also try to be creative: don't get used to doing things, no, try to be creative, because creativity is what looks like God to us. Got it?
Boy
Yes thanks.
Ukrainian child (translation)
My name is Sachar, I come from Ukraine. I don't have a question but rather a request: can you come to Ukraine to save all the children who are suffering there now?
Pope Francis
[Ukrainian greeting] Glad you are here. I think a lot about children in Ukraine, and for this I have sent some Cardinals to help there and be close to all the people, to the children. I would like to go to Ukraine; I just have to wait for the moment to do it, you know, because it's not easy to make a decision that can do more harm to the whole world than good. I have to look for the right time to do it. This next week I will be receiving representatives of the government of Ukraine, who will come to speak, also to talk about my possible visit there. Let's see what happens.
Boy
Thank you.
Boy
Ukrainian child (translation)
My name is Sachar, I come from Ukraine. I don't have a question but rather a request: can you come to Ukraine to save all the children who are suffering there now?
Pope Francis
[Ukrainian greeting] Glad you are here. I think a lot about children in Ukraine, and for this I have sent some Cardinals to help there and be close to all the people, to the children. I would like to go to Ukraine; I just have to wait for the moment to do it, you know, because it's not easy to make a decision that can do more harm to the whole world than good. I have to look for the right time to do it. This next week I will be receiving representatives of the government of Ukraine, who will come to speak, also to talk about my possible visit there. Let's see what happens.
Boy
Thank you.
Boy
Pope Francis, I would like to ask you two things: you are passionate about football, you have four brothers; your dad was a railway worker and your mom was a housewife. I would like to ask you one thing, another: how was your life? How did you live? Happy?
Pope Francis
All right. You talked about dad, mom: dad worked, mom was a housewife, we are five brothers. And then, when we were kids, we all went together, with mum and dad, to the stadium on Sundays to watch the game, because we liked football a lot. I used to play soccer, but you know, I wasn't good and my teammates called me pata dura, that is, hard leg, because I couldn't. And that is why they asked me to be a goalkeeper, because I didn't have to move, and as a goalkeeper I was more or less successful. This has been my relationship with sport in the family. My brothers are all dead, except the last one, who is still alive; I am the biggest and the smallest still lives. These are good family memories.
Girl
Holy Father, pray for me, for the sick children.
Pope Francis
It's nice what ... What's your name, you?
Girl
Ludovica.
Pope Francis
What Ludovica said is beautiful: “Pray for me”. It is something that we must ask for each other, that they pray for each of us. Prayer. Because praying for one of us is like drawing God's gaze on us. Prayer is attracting God's gaze. When you pray, God looks at you. And what you asked for is a beautiful thing. You also pray for others, you know? You pray for me and I will pray for you, and this relationship of asking for prayers is a relationship of brotherhood, of friendship, of two or three people asking God to look at them. To pray is to attract God's gaze to us, and this is beautiful. Come on!
Pope Francis
All right. You talked about dad, mom: dad worked, mom was a housewife, we are five brothers. And then, when we were kids, we all went together, with mum and dad, to the stadium on Sundays to watch the game, because we liked football a lot. I used to play soccer, but you know, I wasn't good and my teammates called me pata dura, that is, hard leg, because I couldn't. And that is why they asked me to be a goalkeeper, because I didn't have to move, and as a goalkeeper I was more or less successful. This has been my relationship with sport in the family. My brothers are all dead, except the last one, who is still alive; I am the biggest and the smallest still lives. These are good family memories.
Girl
Holy Father, pray for me, for the sick children.
Pope Francis
It's nice what ... What's your name, you?
Girl
Ludovica.
Pope Francis
What Ludovica said is beautiful: “Pray for me”. It is something that we must ask for each other, that they pray for each of us. Prayer. Because praying for one of us is like drawing God's gaze on us. Prayer is attracting God's gaze. When you pray, God looks at you. And what you asked for is a beautiful thing. You also pray for others, you know? You pray for me and I will pray for you, and this relationship of asking for prayers is a relationship of brotherhood, of friendship, of two or three people asking God to look at them. To pray is to attract God's gaze to us, and this is beautiful. Come on!
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