Speaking to the youth and the cybergeneration, Pope Francis (inset) urged the faithful who attended his Final Mass for the World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, on聽July 31, 2016, to make the Gospel as their GPS in trying and troubled times.聽AP
BRZEGI, Poland 鈥� Pope Francis celebrated mass Sunday with over 1.5 million pilgrims in a vast sun-drenched field in Poland, wrapping up an emotionally charged trip with some choice technological metaphors.
In a nod to today鈥檚 internet-dominated world, Francis urged the faithful, who had traveled to Poland from all over the world, to 鈥渄ownload the best link of all, that of a heart which sees and transmits goodness without growing weary鈥�.
鈥淢ake the Gospel your own, so that it can serve as a satnav for you on the highways of life,鈥� he said during the service.
High-spirited teenagers, boy scouts, priests and families had camped under the stars in the vast 鈥淐ampus Misericordiae鈥� (Field of Mercy) near the city of Krakow ahead of the final mass of a week-long Catholic festival.
Francis encouraged the assembled worshipers to be dreamers who believe 鈥渋n a new humanity鈥�, one that 鈥渞ejects hatred between peoples鈥� and 鈥渞efuses to see borders and barriers鈥�.
Wave of terrorism
In the plane on his return trip to Rome, the pontiff refused to equate Islam with violence, saying Catholics could be just as deadly and warning Europe was pushing its young to terrorism.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it is right to equate Islam with violence,鈥� he said, defending his decision not to name Islam when condemning the brutal murder of a Catholic priest in France in the latest of a string of recent attacks in Europe claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group.
鈥淚n almost every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists. We have them too,鈥� he said.
The trip鈥檚 final festivities were attended by 鈥渂etween 2.5 and 3.0 million people,鈥� 2016 World Youth Day spokesperson Anna Chmura told AFP. Polish police put the number at 鈥渙ver 1.5 million鈥�.
Hundreds of thousands of people had streamed to the grassy site on Saturday with folding chairs, sleeping bags, umbrellas and sun-hats.
鈥淭his is the trip of a lifetime, for me and my whole family,鈥� said 29-year-old Mexican pilgrim Isaac Victoria, as volunteers handed out bottles of water to the thirsty crowd.
At the evening vigil on Saturday, Francis warned that today鈥檚 technology had its dangers, chastising 鈥渄rowsy and dull kids who confuse happiness with a sofa鈥�, and urging them to get out and live life rather than spending it glued to their smartphones.
Francis announced that the next World Youth Day would be held in Panama in 2019.
Latin America鈥檚 first pontiff had faced stiff competition at the start of his five-day trip with the memory of immensely popular Polish pope John Paul II, whom Catholics recognize as a saint. But Francis quickly made the festivities his own.
After a somber and silent visit to the Nazi death camp in Auschwitz, he warned that the cruelty seen there 鈥渄id not end鈥� with World War II.
The 鈥渨orld is at war鈥�, Francis said, but the way to 鈥渙vercome fear鈥� was to welcome people fleeing conflicts and persecution 鈥� a message with particular resonance in Poland, which has taken a hard line against refugees.
On Saturday he prayed for God to rid the world of the 鈥渄evastating wave of terrorism鈥�.
鈥淚n these dangerous times, he is convincing people not to be afraid to open up,鈥� pilgrim Kasia Czajka, 40, said.
鈥淲hile John Paul II was especially focused on the young, Francis is for all people in need鈥�.
鈥楳ulticulturalism as opportunity鈥�
The medieval center of Krakow has been overrun all week by flag-waving groups from China to Samoa and Mexico, who were entertained between masses with concerts, break-dancing and football matches.
But Friday was a day of mourning as Francis walked silently through the notorious wrought-iron 鈥淎rbeit Macht Frei鈥� (Work Sets You Free) gate at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, where 1.1 million people were murdered.
Freeing himself from the imposing security laid on for his visit, Francis sat on a bench among the trees and bowed his head in prayer before meeting Holocaust survivors and Catholics who had helped save Jews.
鈥淟ord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty,鈥� the pope wrote in a memorial book.
In a heartfelt appeal to the world鈥檚 young, he said it was up to them to fight xenophobia and 鈥渢each us how to live in diversity, in dialogue, to experience multiculturalism not as a threat, but an opportunity鈥�.