Tracking
Archives
Pope Francis: Care for those without families, such as orphans and the elderly
(Updated 8:28 p.m.) Pope Francis on Friday asked Filipinos to go out of their comfort zones and care for those who have no families, particularly the elderly and children without parents.
“Never let them feel isolated, alone and abandoned, but help them to know that God has not forgotten them. You may be poor yourselves in material ways, but you have an abundance of gifts to offer when you offer Christ and the community of his Church,” the pope said during a well-attended Meeting with the Families event at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay on Friday.
He said Christians should be like Joseph, who cared for Mary and Jesus.
“In this way he [Joseph] played his part in God’s plan, and became a blessing not only for the Holy Family, but a blessing for all of humanity. With Mary, Joseph served as a model for the boy Jesus as he grew in wisdom, age and grace,” he said.
Pope Francis noted that there may be many pressures on family life nowadays, but Christians should not let these threaten and destroy theirs.
“Our world needs good and strong families to overcome these threats! The Philippines needs holy and loving families to protect the beauty and truth of the family in God’s plan and to be a support and example for other families. Every threat to the family is a threat to society itself,” he said.
“Families will always have their trials, but may you never add to them! Instead, be living examples of love, forgiveness and care. Be sanctuaries of respect for life, proclaiming the sacredness of every human life from conception to natural death. What a gift this would be to society, if every Christian family lived fully its noble vocation!” he added.
Some of the threats to the family mentioned by Pope Francis were natural disasters, economic conditions that result in family members leaving in search of employment, and financial problems.
“While all too many people live in dire poverty, others are caught up in materialism and lifestyles which are destructive of family life and the most basic demands of Christian morality. The family is also threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral, by a lack of openness to life,” he said.
The Pope said what the Filipinos can do is to pray and seek the Lord.
“Pray often and take the fruits of your prayer into the world, that all may know Jesus Christ and his merciful love. Please pray also for me, for I truly need your prayers and will depend on them always!” he said.
During the event, the mall proper was almost empty as visitors milled in front of the Arena's giant screens and scattered around the mall complex.
On roads leading to the venue, devotees, standing behind barricades, waved at Pope Francis as the Popemobile made its way to and from the Arena.
While throngs trooped to SM MOA for the event, only ticketholders were allowed entrance at the Arena to join the Pope for the Liturgy of the Word.
Each diocese were only allowed 100 individual ticketholders, while Caritas Manila picked 300 individuals from urban poor families to participate in the event. — Amita Legaspi with Rie Takumi/BM, GMA News
“Never let them feel isolated, alone and abandoned, but help them to know that God has not forgotten them. You may be poor yourselves in material ways, but you have an abundance of gifts to offer when you offer Christ and the community of his Church,” the pope said during a well-attended Meeting with the Families event at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay on Friday.
He said Christians should be like Joseph, who cared for Mary and Jesus.
“In this way he [Joseph] played his part in God’s plan, and became a blessing not only for the Holy Family, but a blessing for all of humanity. With Mary, Joseph served as a model for the boy Jesus as he grew in wisdom, age and grace,” he said.
Pope Francis noted that there may be many pressures on family life nowadays, but Christians should not let these threaten and destroy theirs.
“Our world needs good and strong families to overcome these threats! The Philippines needs holy and loving families to protect the beauty and truth of the family in God’s plan and to be a support and example for other families. Every threat to the family is a threat to society itself,” he said.
“Families will always have their trials, but may you never add to them! Instead, be living examples of love, forgiveness and care. Be sanctuaries of respect for life, proclaiming the sacredness of every human life from conception to natural death. What a gift this would be to society, if every Christian family lived fully its noble vocation!” he added.
Some of the threats to the family mentioned by Pope Francis were natural disasters, economic conditions that result in family members leaving in search of employment, and financial problems.
“While all too many people live in dire poverty, others are caught up in materialism and lifestyles which are destructive of family life and the most basic demands of Christian morality. The family is also threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral, by a lack of openness to life,” he said.
The Pope said what the Filipinos can do is to pray and seek the Lord.
“Pray often and take the fruits of your prayer into the world, that all may know Jesus Christ and his merciful love. Please pray also for me, for I truly need your prayers and will depend on them always!” he said.
During the event, the mall proper was almost empty as visitors milled in front of the Arena's giant screens and scattered around the mall complex.
On roads leading to the venue, devotees, standing behind barricades, waved at Pope Francis as the Popemobile made its way to and from the Arena.
While throngs trooped to SM MOA for the event, only ticketholders were allowed entrance at the Arena to join the Pope for the Liturgy of the Word.
Each diocese were only allowed 100 individual ticketholders, while Caritas Manila picked 300 individuals from urban poor families to participate in the event. — Amita Legaspi with Rie Takumi/BM, GMA News
Go to comments
advertisement
We welcome healthy discussions and friendly debate! Please click Flag to alert us of a comment that may be abusive or threatening. Read our full comment policy here.
Comments Powered by Disqus 
