Voracious consumerism kills the soul. This was the message of the pope during the Angelus prayer.
Pope Francis reflected on the first beatitude, who praises those who live in moderation, because they know how to live without being dominated by material goods. He said that these people have a special ability. ;
POPE FRANCIS
'...The ability to renew wonder every day for the goodness of things, without weighing the blindness of voracious consumerism. The more I have, the more I want, the more I have, the more I want. This is voracious consumerism. And this kills the soul.'
He also remembered those affected by the earthquakes in central Italy. The low temperatures in the mountains are forcing them to spend the night in shelters. ;
POPE FRANCIS
'Do not fail these brothers and sisters in the constant support of institutions and the solidarity of all. And please, that any kind of bureaucracy does not make them wait and suffer.'
The Pope also recalled World Day for Leprosy sufferers, a disease that, he explained, affects the poorest. It is not a disease of the past. Since the late 1990s, more than 16 million people received treatment. In 2015, 215,000 new cases were detected.
Next to Pope Francis were two children from Italian Catholic Action. They participated in an act for peace that culminated at the Vatican with launching all these balloons. ;
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