The Pope received college students in Lisbon, inviting them to be “the protagonists of a new dance drama centered on people”, calling on them not to replace real people with screens, but to become “entrepreneurs of dreams” rather than “managers of fear”, and to use education for Service to others, the overall ecology, and new politics and new economies.
(Vatican News Network) Pope Francis met with students on the campus of the Catholic University of Portugal on August 3. Facing the “great challenge”, the “cry of pain” of this historical moment, the Pope challenges young students to realize: “We are not in the throes of death, but in the throes of childbirth ; we are not the end, but the beginning of an important show”.
dream entrepreneur
The students warmly welcomed the Pope amid singing and cheers. The Pope invited them to be “entrepreneurs of dreams”, “not to be managers of fear”, not to be satisfied with those simple answers that numb people’s hearts, but to have “the courage to replace fear with dreams”. In universities, the Pope pointed out, self-preservation is a temptation, a conditioned reflex triggered by fear. It would be wasteful to “see universities as merely preparing new generations to perpetuate the current world’s meritocratic and unequal system in which higher education remains the privilege of the few”.
Education is for service
The Pope continued: “If people with higher education do not strive to give back what they have benefited from, they do not fully understand their benefit. In fact, a degree should not be seen only as a license to accumulate personal wealth, Rather, it should be seen as a mission to build a more just and inclusive society, a more progressive society.”
seek and adventure
“We are all pilgrims”, and every pilgrim is “seeking” and “adventuring”. The Pope warned against “prefabricated formulas, answers that seem to be at your fingertips, advice that seems to give everything without asking for anything”.
benign unease
Don’t be afraid to feel uneasy. In fact, dissatisfaction is a great antidote to fantasies of self-sufficiency and narcissism. Each of us is a pilgrim, a seeker, feeling incomplete, as Jesus said, “we are in the world but not of the world”. So, don’t panic if we find our heart longing.
“We are not morbid, we are living beings! What we should be worried about instead is: intentionally exchanging the road to be traveled for any break that gives us the illusion of comfort; replacing human faces with screens, virtual Truth; in the face of heart-rending questions, choosing simple answers that paralyze the soul.”
Don’t divide, have a holistic view
Now is the time to redefine what we mean by “progress” and “development” because “in the name of progress, too much has been gone back.” The Pope pointed out that we need a global perspective, not polarization.
“You are the generation that can win this challenge: you have the most advanced technological tools, but please don’t fall into the trap of one-sided vision. Remember, we need a holistic ecology that listens to the suffering of the planet and the suffering of the poor ; we need to juxtapose the tragedy of desertification with the issue of refugees; juxtapose the issue of immigration with the issue of low fertility; and deal with the physical aspects of life on a spiritual level.”
Dialogue with college students
During this gathering, the Pope had an in-depth dialogue with the four students. The pope’s speech was actually a response to the questions raised by four young people about the encyclical Laudato si, the Global Compact for Education, the Franciscan economy and the culture of encounter.
The Pope encourages them to be teachers of humanity, of compassion, of creating new opportunities for the Earth and its inhabitants, and of hope. The Pope called on all to study the Global Compact for Education enthusiastically to deal with the severe ecological damage and the sporadic threat of a third world war facing the world. The Pope emphasized the acceptance and tolerance of immigrants, noting that the act of acceptance brings about a transformation of the heart. The Pope also emphasized the importance of women, criticizing society’s widespread perception of women as second-class citizens, when in fact they play an integral role in the economy and the family. Finally, the Pope once again emphasized the connection between man and all things, and encouraged students to understand themselves and define their own life paths while acquiring scientific skills.
Link URL: www.vaticannews.cn
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2023-08-03 12:12:47
