Author Tom Hoopes encouraged Catholics to take three steps when the pope’s words trouble or confuse them: Double-check the Catechism, check the context, and “follow the pope, adding whatever details of the faith you think are important.”
“If you think that the Pope left something out or said something unclearly, then maybe the Holy Spirit is urging you to action,” Hoopes wrote. “Go and do what the Pope did: Encounter people who don’t know Jesus Christ, and share your love of Christ with them, adding the teachings of the Church you think he missed.”
After the interfaith youth gathering, Shukul Raaj Kumar, a 28-year-old Hindu, said the presence of Pope Francis “served as a bridge, fostering deeper relationships between Christian and non-Christian communities. By recognizing our shared humanity, we can work together toward collective social upliftment, benefiting everyone within our diverse society.”
