Pope asks young Koreans to pray for unity

(Vatican Radio) On the second day of his visit to South Korea, Pope Francis asked young people from across the Asian Continent to pray for the unity of the Korean family. His words came as he greeted an enthusiastic, cheering crowd of participants at the 6th Asian Youth Day gathered outside the Shrine of the Korean Martyrs at Solmoe. Pope Francis responded to a series of questions posed to him by some of those present, including the question of a Korean girl who spoke of the suffering of her nation caused by the separation between North and South. 

Listen to this report from our correspondent in Korea, Sean Patrick Lovett: 

At a certain point during the Pope’s meeting with the youth of Asia at the Solmoe Shrine it was clear he’d had quite enough of reading off a prepared text in English. But first he asked the young people if they were tired and whether or not he could continue speaking to them (off the cuff, of course) in Italian. “A friend of mine”, he confided (improvising in English), “told me that you can’t talk to young people reading off a paper. You need to speak from the heart”. The thunderous applause that followed was all he needed by way of encouragement to launch into one of his familiar dialogue-style deliveries.

All of a sudden his demeanour changed and, along with him, the whole atmosphere of the gathering. The young people appeared to listen more intently – and Pope Francis did indeed begin to speak “from the heart”. He answered their questions honestly and sincerely – and then he invited everyone to “pray in silence for the unity of the two Koreas…because you are one family”, he said, “you speak the same language”. Those who were there say you couldn’t hear a proverbial pin drop.

Part of the entertainment prepared by the young people for the Holy Father was a dramatized sketch illustrating the parable of the Prodigal Son. Pope Francis picked up on this theme to illustrate his own message of a God who “awaits our return…and welcomes us home”. “None of us know what life has in store for us”, he continued, “but never despair because our Father never tires of waiting for us”.

The other surprise of the afternoon was Pope Francis’ promise to a young girl from Cambodia that, when he gets back to Rome, he will “talk to Angelo” (that would be Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints) and ask him to “do something” about moving ahead with the cause of beatification of the Cambodian martyrs.   

There’s definitely something energizing about being among so many cheering, chanting, excited, exuberant young people. Pope Francis certainly looked recharged as he happily posed for the inevitable “selfie” at the end of the encounter,  beaming and waving his way towards the small, Korean-made utility vehicle he has been using to get around since he arrived.

The word out on the street is that the car will be auctioned when the Pope leaves – and the money given to a charity of the Pope’s choice. Naturally.

In Seoul, I’m Seàn-Patrick Lovett.  

Below please find the complete text of Pope Francis’ prepared remarks to the young people of Asia at the Sanctuary of Solmoe:

Dear Young Friends,

“It is good for us to be here!” (Mt 17:4). These words were spoken by Saint Peter on Mount Tabor as he stood in the presence of Jesus transfigured in glory. Truly it is good for us to be here, together, at this shrine of the Korean Martyrs, in whom the Lord’s glory was revealed at the dawn of the Church’s life in this country. In this great assembly, which brings together young Christians from throughout Asia, we can almost feel the glory of Jesus present in our midst, present in his Church which embraces every nation, language and people, present in the power of his Holy Spirit who makes all things new, young and alive!

I thank you for your warm welcome, and for the gift of your enthusiasm, your joyful songs, your testimonies of faith, and your beautiful expressions of the variety and richness of your different cultures. In a special way, I thank the three young people who shared with me your hopes, your problems and your concerns; I listened to them carefully, and I will keep them in mind. I thank Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik for his words of introduction and I greet all of you from my heart.

This afternoon I would like to reflect with you on part of the theme of this Sixth Asian Youth Day: “The Glory of the Martyrs Shines on You”. Just as the Lord made his glory shine forth in the heroic witness of the martyrs, so too he wants to make his glory shine in your lives, and through you, to light up the life of this vast continent. Today Christ is knocking at the door of your heart. He calls you to rise, to be wide awake and alert, and to see the things in life that really matter. What is more, he is asking you to go out on the highways and byways of this world, knocking on the doors of other people’s hearts, inviting them to welcome him into their lives.

This great gathering of Asian young people also allows us to see something of what the Church herself is meant to be in God’s eternal plan. Together with young people everywhere, you want to help build a world where we all live together in peace and friendship, overcoming barriers, healing divisions, rejecting violence and prejudice. And this is exactly what God wants for us. The Church is meant to be a seed of unity for the whole human family. In Christ, all nations and peoples are called to a unity which does not destroy diversity but acknowledges, reconciles and enriches it.

How distant the spirit of the world seems from that magnificent vision and plan! How often the seeds of goodness and hope which we try to sow seem to be choked by weeds of selfishness, hostility and injustice, not only all around us, but also in our own hearts. We are troubled by the growing gap in our societies between rich and poor. We see signs of an idolatry of wealth, power and pleasure which come at a high cost to human lives. Closer to home, so many of our own friends and contemporaries, even in the midst of immense material prosperity, are suffering from spiritual poverty, loneliness and quiet despair. God seems to be removed from the picture. It is almost as though a spiritual desert is beginning to spread throughout our world. It affects the young too, robbing them of hope and even, in all too many cases, of life itself.

Yet this is the world into which you are called to go forth and bear witness to the Gospel of hope, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the promise of his Kingdom. In the parables, Jesus tells us that the Kingdom comes into the world quietly, growing silently yet surely wherever it is welcomed by hearts open to its message of hope and salvation. The Gospel teaches us that the Spirit of Jesus can bring new life to every human heart and can transform every situation, even the most apparently hopeless. This is the message which you are called to share with your contemporaries: at school, in the workplace, in your families, your universities and your communities. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know that he has “the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68), that his word has the power to touch every heart, to conquer evil with good, and to change and redeem the world.

Dear young friends, in this generation the Lord is counting on you! He entered your hearts on the day of your Baptism; he gave you his Spirit on the day of your Confirmation; and he strengthens you constantly by his presence in the Eucharist, so that you can be his witnesses before the world. Are you ready to say “yes” to him? Are you ready?

Now it is time for me to go. I look forward to seeing you in these days and speaking to you again when we gather for Holy Mass on Sunday. For now, let us thank the Lord for the blessings of this time together and ask him for the strength to be faithful and joyful witnesses of his love throughout Asia and the entire world.

May Mary, our Mother, watch over you and keep you ever close to Jesus her Son. And from his place in heaven, may Saint John Paul II, who initiated the World Youth Days, always be your guide. With great affection I give you my blessing.