Rome Reports August 13 2018

Pope in the Angelus: It's good not to do evil. But it's evil not to do good!

St Peter's square was packed as some 90,000 people came to see Pope Francis.

The pope ended the meeting with young Italians that began the previous evening at Circus Massimo in Rome. He passed through St Peter's square on the popemobile greeting and blessing the people.

Later, Francis reminded these boys and girls that to be a good Christian it is not enough not to do evil, it is necessary to fight it with acts of kindness. Therefore, he asked them not to be lukewarm and indifferent.

POPE FRANCIS: “This attitude is contrary to the Gospel, and it is also contrary to the character of you young people, who by nature are dynamic, passionate and brave. Remember this. If you remember, we can repeat it together:' It’s good not to do evil. But it’s evil not to do good!' This was what St Albert Hurtado said.”

The pope encouraged them to be protagonist of the good, because each one is culpable, he said, of the good that he could do and has not done.

POPE FRANCIS: “If we do not oppose evil, we feed it with silence. It is necessary to intervene where evil spreads; because evil spreads where there are no bold Christians to oppose it with the good.”

For this reason, he explained that it is not enough not to hate but to forgive, not enough not to speak badly about others, but rather to stop murmuring.

Before leaving, Pope Francis blessed this image of the Virgin of Loreto and the crucifix of St Damián. Two objects the young Italians will take with them to the 2019 World Youth Day in Panama.