The Pope's Catechesis with 100,000 Children
The expected outcome was 10,000 but by the time October 15 came around, a crowd of 100,000 turned up and "spilled out of the confines of St. Peter Square into the surrounding streets".
During the Saturday evening event, seven children were asked to pose a question for the Holy Father. As each of them took their turn, each approached the microphone, then stopped in front of the Pope, bowing to him in reverance. The Pope was always smiling and visibly touched by their openness, sometimes chuckling at the innocence of their inquiry.
Out of the seven questions, three of them highlighted the theme of the catechesis, the Eucharist.
Even with children, the Holy Father manages to convey the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. His answers were simple yet profound. Below is an excerpt taken from Catholic World News.
The first questioner-- 10-year-old Emmanuele Roccasalvo-- asked the Pontiff if he remembered his own First Communion. The Pope replied: "It was a Sunday in March 1936, 69 years ago," he said, "the sun was shining, the church was beautiful, and there was music playing." He recalled that he had prayed that day: "Lord, I always want to be with You, but above all I want You to be with me."
The next question was why it is important to go to Confession before Mass, when one's sins are always the same. Smiling, the Pontiff answered: "Don't we clean our houses-- every room-- once a week or more, even though the dirt is always the same?"
In reply to another question, asking for an explanation of Christ's presence in the form of bread, the Pope said: "We cannot see our own reason and intelligence…, We cannot see electricity, but we feel its effect." He reminded the children that Jesus is "the light and the guide of our lives, which we truly need."
During the Saturday evening event, seven children were asked to pose a question for the Holy Father. As each of them took their turn, each approached the microphone, then stopped in front of the Pope, bowing to him in reverance. The Pope was always smiling and visibly touched by their openness, sometimes chuckling at the innocence of their inquiry.
Out of the seven questions, three of them highlighted the theme of the catechesis, the Eucharist.
Even with children, the Holy Father manages to convey the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. His answers were simple yet profound. Below is an excerpt taken from Catholic World News.
The first questioner-- 10-year-old Emmanuele Roccasalvo-- asked the Pontiff if he remembered his own First Communion. The Pope replied: "It was a Sunday in March 1936, 69 years ago," he said, "the sun was shining, the church was beautiful, and there was music playing." He recalled that he had prayed that day: "Lord, I always want to be with You, but above all I want You to be with me."
The next question was why it is important to go to Confession before Mass, when one's sins are always the same. Smiling, the Pontiff answered: "Don't we clean our houses-- every room-- once a week or more, even though the dirt is always the same?"
In reply to another question, asking for an explanation of Christ's presence in the form of bread, the Pope said: "We cannot see our own reason and intelligence…, We cannot see electricity, but we feel its effect." He reminded the children that Jesus is "the light and the guide of our lives, which we truly need."
2 Comments:
What beautiful answers he gave! we are so blessed to have our Holy Father, the more he says the happier I am to be Catholic!
Amen Carmel! How wonderful to be Catholic!
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