Athens: Greece, Pope Francis ended his visit to Greece on Monday by encouraging his young people to take part in their dreams and were not tempted by “sirenen” consumeris today that promised easy pleasure.
Francis struggled for a while to maintain his balance in the steps while riding a plane to Rome when arrested by wind gusts, and helped on the board’s board.
Previously, Francisk met with students in a Catholic school in Athens at his last event from a five-day visit to Cyprus and Greece which was dominated by his concern for the fate of migrants who were looking for Europe.
He echoed the general theme that had been raised with young people, encouraging them to stay fast in their faith, even in the midst of doubts, and resist the temptation to pursue materialist goals.
He quotes the epic poet Homer “The Odyssey” and the temptations caused by the sirens “by their songs fascinating the sailors and made them hit the rocks.” “Today’s sirens want to captivate you with tempting messages and insist on the focus on easy advantage, fake needs of consumerism, health cult, entertainment by all means,” he said.
“All of this is like fireworks: they lit up for a moment, but then turn to smoke in the air.” Two immigrant students were among those who greeted the Pope, including a 18-year-old Syrian refugee, Aboud Gabro, who told the Pope out of his family from Aleppo in 2014 after a bomb exploded in their homes.
They finally arrived in Greece after a dangerous boat from Turkey.
“It’s hard to be on a stone without water or food, waiting for dawn and a coast guard ship to save us,” Gabro said.
Francis listened to the story, “a true modern Odyssey,” and expressed his gratitude that he and his family had made him safe after “so many rejection and a thousand difficulties, you landed in this country.” But he suggested it also showed a sense of adventure and people followed their dreams.
“The meaning of life was not found by living in the beach waiting for the wind to bring something new.
Safety is located in the open sea, sailing, in search, in chasing dreams, real dreams, which we pursue open eyes, those involving efforts, struggles, headwinds , Hurricane suddenly, “he said.
“So don’t be paralyzed for fear: a big dream! And dreaming together!” Francis returned to the Vatican with some of the important pre-Christmas events in his agenda: a scheduled meeting with members of the French Commission who investigated sexual harassment in the French Catholic Church, a meeting scheduled with Canadian indigenous peoples looking for papal apologies in Catholic school housing schools The 85th year Francis on December 17.