Addressing a crowd at the Cathedral of Rome, the Pope recounted a recent visit involving a gathering of young people. Instead of greeting the Pope, those in the crowd held up their phones to take selfies and photos of him.
“It worries me that they communicate and live in the virtual world,” The Pontiff said.
“We have to make young people land in the real world. Touch reality. Without destroying the good things the virtual world can have,” he said before reiterating that there are elements of the “virtual world” which need to be acknowledged as positive and productive.
Pope Francis spoke at the Archbasilica of St John Lateran and, following a moment of prayer, answered four questions. One of these was on the topic of young people and what his thoughts were with regard to the 300-person pre-synod meeting which took place earlier this year in March. The pre-synod meeting consisted of young people in the Catholic faith and was held in advance of the Synod of Bishops on young people and discernment.
Speaking about the pre-synod meeting, the Pope said that the hard work of those involved in creating the pre-synod document which he described as: “very beautiful and strong.”
He praised the young people involved in the pre-synod for having “courage to speak” and said they “really wanted to speak seriously.”
Following the brief question and answer period, Pope Francis delivered a speech about what can be learned from the story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt into the promised land.
To read more about Pope Francis’ visit to Rome, visit the Catholic News Agency’s website here.