MANILA – Pope Francis has warned the Filipino youths on the risk being in the age of information.
During his speech before the strong 134,000 youth delegates at the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Sampaloc, Manila, the Pope advised the young generation not to have a “computer mentality,” in which they think they already know everything.
“Let us not have a computer psychology, [which is] to think that we know it all,” Pope Francis said.
The head of the 1.2 billion Roman Catholics said though the world is overloaded with information, it is not necessarily a bad thing since “it can help,” but the Pope caution the youth on the ways of accumulating the information they want to know.
“We have so much information, but maybe we don’t know what to do with that information, and on the risk of becoming young museums, young people,” the Pope said.
“When you have too much information, you lose the element of surprise because it decreases the dialogue of this two, of loving and being loved.”
He challenged the present generation to let God surprise them and allow the Creator’s will to prevail.
“We say that God is the God of surprises, because he always loves us first and he waits us, awaits us with surprise. God surprises us, [and] let us allow ourselves to be surprise by God,” he said.
Pope Francis said “all the responses in the computer screen, is not the real surprise.”
“The challenge of love, God reveals himself through surprises,” the Pontiff said.
The Pope also said real challenge to the youth is no less than love “which is the most important subject” people will not learn in school.
“To learn how to love and this is the challenge that might offer you: “To learn how to love.” Through that love, that information bears fruit,” the Pope said.
The Pope finished his activity at the university’s grandstand and parade grounds by praying the Angelus and proceeds back at the Apostolic Nunciature along Taft Avenue by lunch time.
The Manila Police District (MPD) said close to 200,000 faithful attended the Pope’s interaction with the youth, including those standing outside the UST premises.(John Carlo M. Cahinhinan)