Milan, Italy, Mar 25, 2017 / 01:27 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In last meeting during his day trip to Milan, Pope Francis issued a harsh criticism of bullying in schools, asking youth to promise him and Jesus to never bully others, and telling teachers to be aware of the problem.
“There is an ugly phenomenon in education today: bullying. Please, be aware,” the Pope said during a March 25 encounter with youth in Milan.
He responded to a question posed by a catechist asking how to foster an open dialogue between educators, students and their parents. Among other points, he told teachers to watch out for bullying before addressing the youth about it themselves.
“I ask you, in silence: in your schools, in your neighborhoods, is there someone that you mock? That you make fun of because they look a little funny, because they are a little fat? That you like to embarrass and hit because of this?” the Pope asked.
“Think about this. This is called bullying,” he said, and asked the youth – many of whom will receive the sacrament of Confirmation this year – to use their Confirmation to “make the promise to the Lord to never do this” and to pray that it doesn’t happen in their schools, neighborhoods or parishes.
“Understood? Promise me: never, never make fun of, never mock a friend, a neighbor, etc. Do you promise this?” he said. Not satisfied with the strength of their answer, he again asked the youth the same question, which was then met with a roaring “yes”.
“Think in silence if you do this and if you are able to promise this to Jesus. Promise Jesus to never bully.”
Pope Francis spoke to a stadium filled with youth at the end of his March 25 daytrip to Milan.
The pope started his trip visiting the city’s impoverished “White Houses” complex greeting several of the families who live there, including a Muslim family.
He then headed directly to Milan’s cathedral where he met with the priests and religious before praying the Angelus and eating lunch with inmates at the city’s Casa Circondariale di San Vittore prison.
After lunch, he celebrated Mass at Milan’s Parco di Monza for the Feast of the Annunciation, traveling by car after to the Meazza-San Siro Stadium where he met with some 78,000 people, including catechists, volunteers and many of the 45,000 youth who have either received the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2017 or will receive it, along with their parents and family members.
After scripture readings and a series of performances by the youth, Francis responded to three of their questions, one of which was posed by a boy named Davide, one by a couple with three children and one by the catechist.
In his response to Davide’s question about what helped him to grow in friendship with Jesus when he himself was young, the Pope said it came down to three main things: his grandparents, playing with his friends and participating in groups at this parish.
Francis recalled how one grandfather had told him to “never go to bed without saying something to Jesus; tell him goodnight.” This reinforcement combined with the prayers he learned from his grandmothers and his mother helped reinforce the faith, he said.
“Grandparents have the wisdom of life, and with that wisdom they teach us to grow closer to Jesus,” he said, urging the youth to talk to their grandparents, “ask them whatever questions you want. Listen to what they say.”
Playing with friends also helps, he said, because in knowing how to play well with others, “without insulting each other,” you learn “to respect others, you learn to make a team, to work together, and this unites us to Jesus. So play with your friends!”
Parish life is also crucial, he said, and jestingly encouraged the youth to have the same excitement about Mass as they do about their groups and activities.
When answering the couple’s question on how they can transmit the beauty of the faith to their children without sounding boring, annoying or authoritarian, Pope Francis advised them to think of who helped them to grow in the faith.
He asked the stadium to take a moment and ponder the answer in silence, explaining that an important figure for him was the priest who baptized him and who was then present throughout his life until he entered the novitiate with the Jesuits.
“I never, never forget that priest. He was an apostle of the confessional; merciful, good, a hard worker. And so he helped me to grow,” the Pope said, explaining that he asked for this reflection because “our children watch us constantly; even when we are not aware.”
On this point, as he often has in the past, Francis warned against the damage it can do to children when they see their parents fight.
“You don’t understand the suffering a child experiences when they see their parents fight, they suffer. And when their parents separate, they pay the price,” he said, explaining that when parents bring a child into the world, “you must be aware of this.”
“We take responsibility to help this child grow in the faith,” he said, and suggested that the couple reach Chapters 1 and 4 of his post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, a fruit of the 2014 and 2015 Synod of Bishops on the Family.
Dedicated to love in marriage and in the family, the Pope told them the chapters, particularly the first, would be helpful, and told them to never forget that “when you fight, children suffer and they don’t grow in the faith.”
He also stressed the importance of playing with their children and practicing the works of mercy together, which help nourish faith and family life.
Sunday’s are an especially good day to spend together as a family, he said, but noted that for some this is hard to do, since many have to work on weekends in order to provide for their families.
“Parents at this time can’t or have lost the virtue of playing with their children,” he said, explaining that whenever when he hears a parent complaining about their children’s behavior, he often asks if they take time to just sit and play with their children.
Many parents “don’t know how to respond,” he said, recalling how he once spoke with a father who only saw his children on the weekends, since he left for work while they were still asleep and came back after they were already in bed.
“It’s this life that takes your humanity,” he said, and told parents to “play with your children, and transmit the faith.”
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I wish two things:
1. That the Vatican cease defining itself as a State. We are a Church. We exist in the world but are not of this world. States are creations of this world.
2. Stop interfering in the temporal affairs of the United States. As a Catholic, I find the Vatican’s statements unwelcome.
The Vatican has been both the Church and a city-state ever since the 1929 Lateran Treaty recognized the papacy as more than a “prisoner of the Vatican” (a consequence of the revolutionary loss of the Eternal City and the historically curious papal states to the new and larger nation-state of Italy, in 1870). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_City
The status as a state among states renders possible an ear and a voice among the current political idiom of nation-states, although membership in the United Nations remains that of a non-member Permanent Observer State, since 1964.
This distinctive membership restriction is surely a good thing, since it protects the Vatican and the universal Catholic Church from being identified as just another member among the 193 member states–as you correctly argue should never be the case.
Cardinal Parolin, the architect of Communist-Party-Secret-Accords is a man who should not be posturing about governing with “wisdom,” etc.
And citizens faithful to Christ have no interest in getting “dialogued” by the apostate-and-homosexual-art-curator Spadaro.
The word obtuse seems apt.
CHRIS: You say it better than I. Thanks
@ Peter Beaulieu. Always thought it curious too that the Church became the equivalent of a nation. Although the title was modified to papal states. Certainly an oddity on the surface.
You’re probably aware that Pippin King of the Franks ceded the territories it had wrenched from the expanding Germanic Lombards. At the time during the 8th century it also benefited the papacy to rely on Frankish protection rather than the Eastern Byzantine empire due to imposition of taxes, and growing disagreement on doctrine examples, iconoclasm, filioque clause.
It can be argued either way whether Italian unification during the late 19th century resulting in the loss of the papal states benefited Catholicism. The transition from a temporal power [we even had a warlord Pope Julius II expanding territory] to a visibly more spiritual authority. From the day of revolutions of Pius IX to the despotic political movements of Pius XII the greatly territorially reduced Vatican State seemed a greater presence for the advocation of justice.
Deacon, I’m not sure if my understanding is correct. If you have time, please clarify for me. Thanks. My understanding is that Vatican City is a “state” like any other nation–a very tiny State, but still a state with a seat and vote at the United Nations and the right to offer opinions, defend itself, send troops to war, provide aid for nations experiencing a disaster or conflict, etc.
But Holy Mother Church is a Church, THE Holy Catholic Church that Jesus Christ Himself founded.
One question that I have–is the Pope the “president” or “mayor” of Vatican City, or are other leaders, perhaps even non-clergy or non-religious, elected or appointed? Or is Vatican City a monarchy with no other leadership than a king (the Pope?).
The latter Mrs. Whitlock. The Pope is the Head of State. He probably has infinitely more power when it comes to the Vatican City/State than the King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland who is a Head of State. He can name and depose at will. He answers to no human person.
Yes “ in the World but not of the World” I’ve been saying this for a long time, but that said the reality is that the Vatican IS a state and as such must operate as one. Unfortunately the Pope has to wear two hats as both head of State and head of Church. Not an easy task and not of his making. Thus he has an obligation to act as a voice and mediator in temporal affairs. Not to take sides or make alliances like other nations do is very difficult. To study the position of the Papacy during the Second World War illustrates how difficult this can be.
Perhaps one day we will have to abandon the Vatican and become a pilgrim people, but until then we must operate within this very messy and imperfect arrangement and allow the Pope to make mistakes just like any other temporal ruler.
And, yet, there’s a difference between the Vatican and the Holy See.
These two terms are not interchangeable. Here are the new details about how all this fits together: https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2023-06-05/vatican-city-state-pope-francis-issues-new-constitution/
I wouldn’t advocate abandoning the Vatican. The Vatican is no larger than any major university campus in the USA. I just think we need to stop thinking of the Pope as Head of State. He is a moral/spiritual leader of Catholics and the Catholic Church. He should be seen as if he were a CEO. There are probably bishops in the USA who have control over large swarths of real estate but have no temporal authority. The Pope is simply Bishop of Rome – primus inter pares.
Most Catholics do not know tht DT saved the NY Catholic schools. During the Wuhan virus crisis, the NY Catholic schools were dire need of funds. They needed billions to survive. The Cardinal called DT for help to save the Catholic schools: “We need billions or we will have to close.” President DT picked up the phone and in 15 minutes he raised billions. Thus he saved the Catholic schools. Amazing. See his speech at the annual Al Smith Catholic dinner for October 2024 in the presence of the Cardinal. His speech starts at min. 29:00; during the speech he looks at the Cardinal and recollects this episode at min 56ff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAwbHmrplak
Okay let’s ignore his lack of morals; his admiration of dictators; his desire to become one; his racist attitude; his threats of violence toward those who disagree with him;
May God have mercy on him and all of us who will lose precious rights under his presidency. I pray for his soul and all who voted for him
Dont bother praying for me, darling. I will pray for you. How sad that you have swallowed whole all of the untrue and slanderous propaganda about Trump which was spread around by the DEMs and their media minions. This is my third time voting Trump , and I am thrilled that he won. I have a Masters Degree,live in an urban area of a blue state, and am not remotely uninformed. Had more people not believed the untruths about him the last election, the country and the world would have likely been saved a lot of pain these last 4 years.
In this election, Trump gathered not only an electoral win but ALSO the popular vote by close to 5 million votes people who are sick of being disparaged and demeaned. A joke about being a dictator is just that–a joke. If you imagine its ok to disparage half the population of the country you need to check your thought processes. I have NEVER heard Trump make a racist remark ( another lie). And if by your fear of “losing precious rights” you are talking about the preservation of abortion, you are on the wrong forum. Trump has never suggested taking away ANY rights from any citizen( unlike the Dems, who have used censorship and lawfare with abandon and continue to do so with abandon against Trump and his lawyers). Maybe Dem governors could speak to their people about the recent election results, and liberal loss, with a tad less hysteria. It might help them.
silly and untrue description of the president. He never threatened violence against those who disagreed with him.. where did you get that? Peace? .. only under him has there been peace, not under biden or obama. How is he racist? He funded black universities, which obama refused to do. Admiration of dictators? I don’t even know how to deal with that one… check your facts.
Well, 72 million people disagree with you. What’s the probability that they’re all wrong and you are right? That would be zero according to my math.
Wisdom? We shall see. All this talk of revenge and retribution is hardly wise. Trump has an opportunity to be statesmanlike. Let’s hope that he takes the high road for a change.
I have never heard Trump talk about revenge. Although, WINNING is the best revenge I suppose. The only people talking about revenge and fighting are the democrats right now. Like the govs of California, NY and Illinois. What news media are you watching?? Take a look at something with more balance.
What virtue postering from the morally bankrupt socialist left!
I’d be happy if the Vatican tended to its own wisdom instead of lecturing others.
Given their Marxist march towards a full embrace of moral relativism, wisdom is something they they can’t even stumble over.
silly and untrue description of the president. He never threatened violence against those who disagreed with him.. where did you get that? Peace? .. only under him has there been peace, not under biden or obama. How is he racist? He funded black universities, which obama refused to do. Admiration of dictators? I don’t even know how to deal with that one… check your facts.
Did Pope Francis not call to congratulate Pres Trump? Why not?..he called Biden, and on other occasions too.
I don’t want to be negative. Lord forgive me.
Who cares if the Vatican is a state or a reclgious conclave of murmuring old MEN? We need to focus and renew our hopes for a saner world. I hope Trump will forge that new path , but his vial rhetoric and actions cause me pause. I may need help from God.
Cardinal Prolin: ““We wish him great wisdom, because this is the main VIRTUE of RULERS according to the Bible,” Note the word VIRTUE. Colossians 3:12 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” UNfortunatly, I saw none of this during Trump’s campaign or in his daily life. “VIRTUE”?
I still remain hopefull that November 5, 2024 will not be “a day that will live in infamy”. FDR
Colossians 3:12 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Unfortunately, I saw none of this during Trump’s campaign or in
his daily life.”
To be fair, regular readers here have not witnessed any of those qualities in your hateful TDS posts either. Maybe people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
So the countless acts of personal charity by Trump, to total strangers as well as friends, do not count as any sort of virtue in your applied understanding of scriptual admonishments? And is virtue better served by your propensities for insulting characterizations that seem to infect most of your commentary?
Enough with the hand-wringing; it’s unbecoming for a man.