As he visited the death camp in Auschwitz, he warned that the cruelty seen there “did not end” with World War II. Pope Francis was set to celebrate mass on Sunday with some 1.6 million pilgrims in a vast plain outside Krakow, wrapping up a emotionally-charged trip which took him to Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz. At the evening vigil, his main address to pilgrims, Francis chastised “drowsy and dull kids who confuse happiness with a sofa”, urging them to get out and live life rather than spend it glued to smartphones. “While John Paul II was especially focussed on the young, Francis is for all people in need”. The “world is at war”, Francis said, but the way to “overcome fear” was to welcome people fleeing conflicts and persecution — a message with particular resonance in Poland, which has taken a hard line against refugees.

Source: Indian Express July 31, 2016 07:18 UTC