India
During the virtual session, a young woman from India recounted her experiences as a teenager, expressing feelings of embarrassment and inferiority due to her weight and body shape. She also revealed her struggles with bullying.
Pope Francis responded empathetically to her story, emphasizing the importance of embracing diversity and self-acceptance. He stated, “Regardless of you being fat, thin, short, or tall, the important thing is to live in harmony, harmony in your hearts… Every man and every woman has their beauty, and we have to learn how to recognize it.”
In a moment of vulnerability, the Pontiff shared a personal anecdote from his past, admitting his involvement in body shaming. He recounted an incident involving a friend who was overweight and revealed, “I recall a friend of mine who was a bit fat, and we actually mocked him, I dare say bullied him, we once shoved him and he fell.”
The Pope continued by recounting how his father, upon learning of the incident, took him to the schoolmate’s home to apologize, highlighting the importance of acknowledging one’s mistakes and making amends.
In a touching revelation, Pope Francis revealed that he reconnected with this friend in recent years and learned that he had become an Evangelical pastor. Sadly, the man passed away recently.
The conversation with the university students also touched on the topic of cosmetic surgery, with Pope Francis expressing a philosophical perspective. He asserted, “Plastic surgery serves no purpose because its beauty is going to fade eventually,” and quoted the well-known words of 20th-century Italian actress Anna Magnani, who said, “Please don’t retouch my wrinkles. It took me so long to earn them.”
Pope Francis’ candid and empathetic discussion with the students serves as a reminder of the importance of promoting self-acceptance and kindness towards others, particularly among young people facing the pressures of body image and social media in today’s society.
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