Today’s quotes and taken from speeches Pope Francis give during his visit to South Korea last week.

Guardians of hope

Addressing the bishops of South Korea, the Pope said: “As pastors, you are responsible for guarding the Lord’s flock. You are guardians of the wondrous works he accomplishes in his people. Guarding is one of the tasks entrusted to the bishop: looking after God’s people… guardians of memory and guardians of hope.

“You are the children of the martyrs, heirs to their heroic witness of faith in Christ. You are heirs to a tradition which began and grew through the fidelity, perseverance and work of lay persons.

“You are also called to be guardians of hope. The hope held out by the Gospel of God’s grace and mercy in Jesus Christ, the hope which inspired the martyrs.

“Solidarity with the poor has to be an essential element of the Christian life; through preaching and catechesis grounded in the rich patrimony of the Church’s social teaching, it must penetrate the hearts and minds of the faithful and be reflected in every aspect of ecclesial life.”

Treasure the young

Addressing South Korean political and civil leaders, the Pope said:

“Korean culture understands well the inherent dignity and wisdom of our elders and honours their place in society. We Catholics honour our elders who were martyred for the faith because they were willing to give their lives for the truth which they had come to believe and by which they sought to live their lives.

“A wise and great people do not only cherish their ancestral traditions; they also treasure their young, seeking to pass on the legacy of the past and to apply it to the challenges of the present. Whenever young people gather together, as on the present occasion, it is a precious opportunity for all of us to listen to their hopes and concerns.”

Resist materialism

In his homily on the Feast of the Assumption in Korea, the Pope said:

“May the Christians of this nation be a generous force for spiritual renewal at every level of society. May they combat the allure of a materialism that stifles authentic spiritual and cultural values and the spirit of unbridled competition which generates selfishness and strife.

“May they also reject inhumane economic models which create new forms of poverty and marginalise workers, and the culture of death which devalues the image of God, the God of life, and violates the dignity of every man, woman and child.

“The hope held out by the Gospel is the antidote to the spirit of despair that seems to grow like a cancer in societies which are outwardly affluent, yet often experience inner sadness and emptiness. Upon how many of our young has this despair taken its toll!

“May they, the young who surround us in these days with their joy and confidence, never be robbed of their hope!”

The witness of charity

While visiting the shrine of the Martyrs of Seo So mun, the Pope said:

“It was the purity of their witness to Christ which led [the Korean martyrs] to a fraternal life that challenged the rigid social structures of their day.

“It was their refusal to separate the twin commandment of love of God and love of neighbour which impelled them to such great solicitude for the needs of the brethren.

“Their example has much to say to us who live in societies where, alongside wealth, dire poverty is growing; where the cry of the poor is seldom heeded; and where Christ continues to call out to us to love and serve him by tending to our brothers and sisters in need.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)