Panama City, Panama, Jan 24, 2019 / 10:37 am
At World Youth Day Thursday, Pope Francis told the bishops of Central America to be close to the people, and to let their wounds and suffering be the drive behind the bishops' actions and priorities.
"It is important, brothers, that we not be afraid to draw near and touch the wounds of our people, which are our wounds too, and to do this in the same way that the Lord himself does," the pope said Jan. 24.
"A pastor cannot stand aloof from the sufferings of his people; we can even say that the heart of a pastor is measured by his ability to be moved by the many lives that are hurting or threatened."
"To do this as the Lord does," he added, "means allowing this suffering to have an impact on our priorities and our preferences, on the use of our time and money, and even on our way of praying."