杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

杏MAP导航 Francis met with the Youth of Catholic Action (Azione Cattolica Ragazzi, ACR) on Saturday at the Vatican. In what has become a Christmas tradition, the Holy Father received a delegation that included boys and girls, accompanied by their teachers, from 12 different Italian dioceses.

The national President of Italian Catholic Action, Matteo Trufelli, with other clerical and lay leaders of the movement, also took part in the event.

Particularly joyful

In his address to the children, 杏MAP导航 Francis said the annual meeting with the young people of Catholic Action is 鈥減articularly joyful,鈥� especially because it serves as an occasion for them to 鈥渦pdate鈥� the Holy Father on their activities 鈥渙f solidarity in favour of the poor and of the most disadvantaged.鈥�

A heritage of wisdom and faith

This year marks the 150^th anniversary of the foundation of Catholic Action, and 杏MAP导航 Francis expressed his deep appreciation for the series of encounters that have been organized for the youth of Catholic Action to meet with the 鈥済randparents鈥� of the movement. 鈥淭his is something very beautiful and important,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ecause the elderly are the historic memory of every community, a heritage of wisdom and faith to be heard, preserved, and valued.鈥�

"These are your peripheries!"

The Holy Father encouraged the young people to 鈥渇ix [your] attention on the decisive events of the life of Jesus, to seek to become ever more like Him, your greatest and most faithful friend.鈥� Drawing on their slogan 鈥渞eady to shoot鈥� 鈥� a metaphor taken from photography 鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis invited them to 鈥渂e good photographers, both of the things that Jesus has done, and of the reality鈥� of the world around them. In particular, he called on them to be attentive to those who are forgotten, to 鈥渢he poorest, the weakest, those relegated to the margins society because they are considered as a problem.鈥� He told the children, 鈥淭hese are your peripheries鈥�, and he encouraged them to seek out those who 鈥渘o one ever sees,鈥� and to 鈥渄are to take the first step to meet them, to give them a little bit of your time, a smile, an act of tenderness.鈥�