Pope Francis to youth: On loving and receiving love

MANILA, Philippines – Following an emotional encounter with former street children, the down-to-earth Pope speaks to an estimated 24,000 youth delegates, Pope Francis talks to the youth about loving, receiving love and loving the poor. 

Buena Bernal reports.

Adoring chants, gestured songs and thunderous shouts… despite the rain. Tens of thousands of young people welcome Pope Francis at the University of Santo Tomas.

It’s a display of the youth’s devotion to the charismatic pontiff.

But the Pope shares a lesson of love with the youth.

POPE FRANCIS: This is the challenge that life offers you: to learn how to love. Not just to accumulate information without knowing what to do with it… But through that love let that information bear fruit.

Francis defines this love. He says it’s about allowing God to love you.

Learning to weep for others… and humbly receiving from others.

Sister Marita Palma says young people can learn from the Pope.

SISTER MARITA PALMA, LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN DIOCESE CAMPUS MINISTRY: Actually ang Papa ay pumunta dito upang ipadama niya yung mery and compassion  ni God. Para sa kanya, ang kabataan ay mahalaga dahil sila ang kinabukasan ng simabahan. Our goal is to be holy, to be like Christ.” (The Pope is here to let us feel God’s mercy and compassion. For him, the youth is important because they are the future of our church. Our goal is to be holy, to be like Christ.)

The Pope distills the concept of love into three acts.

POPE FRANCIS: Can you repeat this? To think, to feel and to do. And all that harmoniously.

Francis wants the youth to move in the right path but not be afraid to shake the ground beneath their feet.

Pope Francis is himself known as the Pope of surprises. Moving testimonies of young people including an out of school youth, an abused 12-year-old, a youth leader and aspiring lawyer, and an innovator touched the visiting Pope’s heart that he ditches a prepared speech to respond to the young people’s questions.

It is a day of love put into action.

Buena Bernal, Rappler, Manila. – Rappler.com