"I would probably give him a high five"

Griffin Walsh

I come from a Catholic family, so it's really something I've grown up with. I try to be as involved as I can, I go to church, catechism, and summer camp to try and grow my faith. The first time I heard of the pope was when Francis became the new pope, and I remember when I first saw him that he seemed pretty cool. I think Francis is exactly what the church really needs right now, because he's embracing the world as it is now to bring new people to the church. I don't know much about him, but overall I think he is a super good leader! I think Francis has definitely had a positive impact on youth so far, because he is really focussing on bringing them into the church, and showing them reasons why they should be Catholic. If I met Pope Francis, I would probably give him a high five, and then thank him for being so open and encouraging to youth joining the church

Pope Francis does not have on rose coloured glasses when it comes to the state of the world. He knows the earth and humanity are wounded and is teaching ways for us to help. He calls out to his priests and bishops telling them to take on the smell of the sheep. He says to the Church at large to act as though they are in a field hospital and to treat the most pressing wounds. He gives the people a concrete way to live out the Church’s social teachings. The Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016 emphasized the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, many of them show how we can help the world around us; feed the hungry, visit the sick, and console the afflicted to name just a few. Pope Francis knows what the world needs now, he is embracing it and showing how we can work together to make it better.