“What is happiness? Where can you buy it? How you do it?”. They are some questions addressed to children by the Popewhich is spoke today afternoon inNew Synod Hall by participating in one of the 12 tables set up by Fratelli tutti Foundation for the World Meeting on Human Fraternity (World Meeting of Human Fraternity).
“For me, happiness in the world is be all united and be one family of God”, “for me happiness in the world is peace”, “happiness cannot be bought”, some answers from dialogue, off the cuff, between the Holy Father and the children.
“If happiness cannot be bought, How can I be happy?”, Francis asked again. “When everyone is fine“, “when let’s make peace we are happy”, “with the kind words”, the children’s sentences. “If one insults another, can he be happy?”, Francis continued, receiving a chorus of “no” in response.
“You heard that there is a lot of war in the world”, the Pope said to the little ones: “Is there happiness in war?”, “No!”, the answer. “Do you know that there are children who are in the war?”, asked Francis: “Do you know this? Sometimes children don’t have anything to eat, children are afraid of bombs, of bad things. But if one child is from this side of the war and another is from that other side of the war, are they enemies? This is the difficult question. Why aren’t they enemies?” “It’s not their fault there’s war”, “all children are a family”, some answers.
“You you have grandparents? “, the Pope then asked a child who asked for a prayer for his grandmother. “Now let’s do something, all together, in silence, Let’s pray a Hail Mary for the grandparents”, Francis’ proposal: “Long live the grandparents!”.
“Thank you so much for what you do”, the words of the Holy Father: “Courage and forward!”. The last act is the signing of the Children’s Declaration by Francis.
