Pope asks people to consider what they desire most

Yearning and loving give people the strength to move forward and overcome obstacles, but Christians must ask themselves what really is their hearts' desire, Pope Francis said."All of us have a desire," the pope said Aug. 11 during his midday Angelus address. "Pity the person who doesn't have a desire. Desire moves us forward, toward the horizon, and for us Christians that horizon is an encounter with Jesus, who is our life, our joy, our happiness."Addressing thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square, the pope asked them to think about what Jesus said to his disciples in the Gospel of Luke: "Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.""Do you have a heart that desires or a closed heart, a sleeping heart, an anesthetized heart?" the pope asked. "And what, for you, is the most important, most precious thing, that which attracts your heart like a magnet?"Many people would respond that their family is the most important thing, he said. That's good, but "what is the force that holds your family together? It's love, and the one who sows love in our hearts is God."Pope Francis told the crowd that God's love gives meaning to all the daily tasks in a Christian's life, and it is what helps people face trials."To move forward in life with love, with that love that the Lord has sown in our hearts, with the love of God — that is a true treasure," he said.After reciting the Angelus with those in the square, Pope Francis told them he also wanted to extend his greetings to "Muslims throughout the world, our brothers and sisters, who have just celebrated the end of the month of Ramadan, which is dedicated in a special way to fasting, prayer and almsgiving."Pope Francis had written a message to the world's Muslims for their celebration of Eid al-Fitr Aug. 7-8, marking the end of the month of fasting.Echoing the theme of the message, he told the crowd in St. Peter's Square that he hoped "Christians and Muslims will work together to promote mutual respect," especially through the way they educate the younger generation.To parents: Teach children to respect, defend human lifeRespect for human life from conception until natural death is something children must be taught, not mainly with words, but by the example of their parents, Pope Francis said."Parents are called to pass on to their children the awareness that life must always be defended," Pope Francis wrote in a message to people joining in the Brazilian Catholic Church's celebration of Family Week, which began Aug. 11.The pope returned to his condemnation of the "throwaway culture," something he spoke against several times during his July 22-28 visit to Brazil. He had said that modern cultures tend to treat even human lives as disposable, pointing to the way people, societies and even governments tend to treat both the young and the old.In his message for Family Week, he said parents have a responsibility to fight that disposable culture by teaching their children that human life, "from the womb," is a gift from God. New life ensures the future of humanity, he said, while older people — especially grandparents — "are the living memory of a people and transmit the wisdom of life."The pope also charged married Catholic couples and their children with the task of recognizing they must be "the most convincing heralds" of the beauty and grace of Christian marriage.Pope, as soccer fan, asks players to be real role models With admiration and big smiles all around, the lifelong soccer fan Pope Francis met the star players and coaches of the Argentine and Italian national soccer teams hoping to compete for the World Cup in 2014. The teams were led to the Clementine Hall in the Apostolic Palace Aug. 13 by Argentine captain Lionel Messi, a forward currently playing for FC Barcelona, and Italian captain Gianluigi Buffon, a goalie currently playing for Juventus FC. The two teams were in Rome to play a "friendly" match in the pope's honor Aug. 14. Pope Francis said he was relieved it was a friendly, but it would still be difficult to know for whom to cheer. In a brief speech to the players, coaches and referees, he encouraged everyone involved with professional soccer to maintain the spirit and passion of it being a game, a team sport. "Even if the team wins" the game, he said, without beauty, graciousness and team work, both the team and the fans lose. "Before being champions, you are men, human beings with your talents and your defects, heart and ideas, aspirations and problems," Pope Francis said. "Even if you are stars, remain men both in your sport and in your life." —CNS{gallery width=100 height=100}gallery/2013/0816/popenews/{/gallery}