Pope stresses importance of dialogue to Japanese students
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with students and Staff from "Gauken Bunri Seibu
Junior High School, in Tokyo Japan. Speaking to the Japanese students in the Courtyard
of St Damaso in the Vatican, Pope Francis underlined the importance of discussion
and dialogue as a means of bringing about understanding and peace.
The Pope
told the students that we can never grow culturally if we are isolated. Instead, he
said if we go out and discover other cultures, other ways of thinking and other religions,
we emerge from ourselves and “begin the beautiful adventure that is called dialogue.”
Dialogue,
stressed Pope Francis is very important because in relation to other cultures and
religions, it matures and grows.
But closed minds, continued the Pope can generate
misunderstandings and quarrels. All the wars, and problems that are not resolved,
happen because of a lack of dialogue.
The Holy Father, said that meekness
was an important attribute in dialogue because one listens first and then speaks.
“This
is the dialogue that makes peace”, he said.
A Japanese student then thanked
the Pope and said the students would put into practice the words they had heard from
him.
The meeting concluded with the students singing the anthem of their school.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s report