Pope Benedict ventured where no pope has gone before on Friday when he answered questions on an Italian television programme – and was stumped by the first. A Japanese girl asked the pope, who, she said, "speaks with God", why she was having to suffer so much as a result of the earthquake and tsunami that had struck her country.
"I am very frightened because the house where I felt safe really shook a lot and many children my age have died. I cannot go to play in the park. I want to know: why do I have to be so afraid? Why do children have to be so sad?" said seven-year-old Elena.
YouTube link.
Benedict admitted: "I also have the same questions: why is it this way? Why do you have to suffer so much while others live in ease? And we do not have the answers, but we know that Jesus suffered as you do, an innocent, and that the true God who is revealed in Jesus is by your side."
Whether Elena was satisfied with that answer was unclear. But the studio audience gave the pope a hearty round of applause.
4 comments:
Faith is supposed to be able to move mountains but when you need the mountains to stop moving, faith seems to do you little good. The man who knows the will of the Mountain Mover does not know why mountains move.
Jesus suffered, and he was an innocent, unlike little Elena, so why should she not suffer?
I always got the answer "it's god's will and we're not meant to understand." Didn't take me long to become an atheist.
if nihilism is true, then there is no Real meaning so then her suffering is meaningless, which makes her question meaningless so we can disregard what she says and the question.
I prefer a view that she does have a Real value with meaningful questions...
Me too
Post a Comment