The pope greeted many pilgrims before beginning the General Audience.This woman was very emotional when explaining to Pope Francis the situation she is going through.
This group of Argentines prepared real mate for the pope. Also, this little boy made him laugh.
In his catechesis, the pope explained that God wants people to be happy, and that it is not Christian to despise life now and only aspire to eternal life. He asked not to fall into the temptation of pessimism before the problems of daily life and society, because God always helps people.
POPE FRANCIS
'I have greeted some people from Barcelona: there are so many sad stories there... I greeted many from the Congo, and how many sad stories are there, to just name a few. There are always problems: gossip, wars, diseases, problems... But the good grain grows, and in the end, evil will be eliminated.'
The pope confirmed that there are two attitudes in life. There are people of spring, who live waiting for fruit and flowers. Yet, there are also people of autumn, who are gray because they live in the nostalgia of looking back on dry leaves.
POPE FRANCIS
'Some think that life limits happiness to youth, to the past, and that life is a slow decline. Let us not confine ourselves to nostalgia, excuses, complaints: we know that God wants us to be heirs of a promise and tireless sowers of dreams.'
The surprise during the meeting was this Spanish choir that the pope thoroughly enjoyed.
POPE FRANCIS
'I thought that at the University of Salamanca they only taught them to study with books, but they sang well, congratulations.'
Before ending, the pope recalled those affected by the earthquake on the Italian island of Ischia, which caused two deaths and left 2,600 people homeless.
