Papal Nuncio to youths: Free yourselves from cellphone addiction
By AJ Siytangco
Published Apr 29, 2019 04:28 pm
By the Philippine News Agency
CEBU CITY –The apostolic nuncio of the Vatican to the Philippines on Sunday prompted the Filipino youth participating in the six-day National Youth Day to free themselves from cellphone addiction and find peace in silence.
(PIXABAY / MANILA BULLETIN)
Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia hailed the relevance of mobile phones to the youth, however, he said that when “one becomes a slave to the phone, you lose your freedom.”
Caccia, in his 20-minute homily during the closing mass of the National Youth Day 2019 at the Cebu City Sports Center, called on the young pilgrims “not to be afraid of silence.”
The event was organized by the Roman Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Cebu.
“It’s necessary to take care one’s own interiority and listen to one’s conscience. Carved out spaces of silence. Don’t be afraid of silence, of being alone. But take some time (to be) alone,” he said, quoting Pope Francis.
The Papal Nuncio said the “truth lives within the person and only in inner silence can the voice of conscience be grasped and distinguished from the voice of selfishness and hedonism, which are different voices.”
“So the first step to reach peace is to start (it) with silence,” he added.
The head of the apostolic nunciature in the country also prodded the youth pilgrims to spend time in silence alone, without the mobile phone.
“I invite you. Every day, put a timer in the mobile phone for 10 minutes alone, in the room, or could be in open, until your phone rings,” he said. “And listen to the voices of conscience. Think – what is life. What is just and what is wrong.”
He reminded the youth of St. Teresa of Calcutta’s expression on silence that the “fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, and the fruit of service is peace.”
The “substituto” of Pope Francis here in the Philippines was joined by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president, Archbishop Romulo Valles, and around 20 more bishops and hundreds of members of the clergy in the closing mass attended by 12,000 delegates.
On Saturday, the delegates started to gather at the biggest sports center here for the final activities of the youth meet which was started with a holy mass and commitment rite and recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Eucharistic adoration.
(PIXABAY / MANILA BULLETIN)
Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia hailed the relevance of mobile phones to the youth, however, he said that when “one becomes a slave to the phone, you lose your freedom.”
Caccia, in his 20-minute homily during the closing mass of the National Youth Day 2019 at the Cebu City Sports Center, called on the young pilgrims “not to be afraid of silence.”
The event was organized by the Roman Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Cebu.
“It’s necessary to take care one’s own interiority and listen to one’s conscience. Carved out spaces of silence. Don’t be afraid of silence, of being alone. But take some time (to be) alone,” he said, quoting Pope Francis.
The Papal Nuncio said the “truth lives within the person and only in inner silence can the voice of conscience be grasped and distinguished from the voice of selfishness and hedonism, which are different voices.”
“So the first step to reach peace is to start (it) with silence,” he added.
The head of the apostolic nunciature in the country also prodded the youth pilgrims to spend time in silence alone, without the mobile phone.
“I invite you. Every day, put a timer in the mobile phone for 10 minutes alone, in the room, or could be in open, until your phone rings,” he said. “And listen to the voices of conscience. Think – what is life. What is just and what is wrong.”
He reminded the youth of St. Teresa of Calcutta’s expression on silence that the “fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, and the fruit of service is peace.”
The “substituto” of Pope Francis here in the Philippines was joined by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president, Archbishop Romulo Valles, and around 20 more bishops and hundreds of members of the clergy in the closing mass attended by 12,000 delegates.
On Saturday, the delegates started to gather at the biggest sports center here for the final activities of the youth meet which was started with a holy mass and commitment rite and recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Eucharistic adoration.