Pope Francis today had a brief meeting with religious leaders of Korea at the Myeong-dong Cathedral in Seoul.
After greeting them individually and receiving various gifts from some of them, the Pope gave a simple message in Spanish, communicated in Korean by the Jesuit who has been translating for him since the beginning of the trip.
“Life is a journey, a long journey, but a journey that cannot be traveled alone,” the Holy Father said. “Rather it must be traveled with our brothers in the presence of God.
“I thank you for this gesture of journeying together in the presence of God, which was what God asked of Abraham.
“We are brothers. We recognize that we are brothers. We journey as brothers. May God bless us and please, I ask you to pray for me.”
In an address yesterday to Asian bishops, Francis noted that in the countries of the continent, the Christian communities are a “little flock,” but one guarded by the Good Shepherd.
He spoke to the bishops about the need for a strong Christian identity as the starting point for dialogue. He also emphasized the need to listen with empathy, thus enabling “a genuine encounter in which heart speaks to heart.”
