Vatican

Pope Francis encouraged youngsters to put down their phones to spend time praying and looking at other people to see their needs.

Recent popes have used the concept of a “Petrine principle” and a “Marian principle” to describe the important role women and men together play in the Catholic Church, but a biblical scholar writing in the Vatican newspaper said it is time to talk about the discriminatory and stereotypical notions behind it.

Christians working with people who have a physical disability must be motivated by a sense of solidarity, not pity, and they should promote people’s active participation, not their passive reception of assistance, Pope Francis said.

Even the most fervent believers go through moments of doubt and questioning about God, and it is a good thing, Pope Francis said, because it helps one see that God does not fit into the little box people make for him.