Piotr Kowalczuk
Fun “without a phone”
Federico told the Pope about one of the camp games called „No Phone”, which he really liked. „For the rest of the year, when we go home” – said the young man – „it’s almost impossible to tear ourselves away from the screen. We often feel captivated by digital technology and are afraid of losing sight of our true friends”. The Pope commented: „Technology can be very good and useful for many things, but when we are together, we don’t need to have a mobile phone or tablet in our hands all the time. Such moments can be enjoyable”.
It is important to talk, meet with others, play
„It is very important” – emphasized Leo XIV – „to make friends, meet, play together, and even learn together as people, not as computers, machines, or robots. We are human. Contact with others is very important”.
The Pope, like his predecessor Francis, spoke about family gatherings where everyone, instead of talking to each other, stares at their phones.
„It is very important to learn the art of dialogue and conversation, playing together, and even praying together” – the Pope pointed out – „because even if we have the Bible and some prayers on our mobile phones, God does not want to look at our phones. God wants to look into our hearts, at our lives”. He encouraged young people to free themselves from these things, which in themselves can be fun, helpful, beautiful, because it is much more important to develop our humanity through friendship, conversation, and being with each other.
Warning against addiction
The Pope warned against applications deliberately placed in our phone programs to „addict” us to technology. He pointed out that it would be very important to set certain limits, for example, telling ourselves: „After a certain hour, I will no longer look at my phone, I will talk to my family, we will spend some time together. We are not all addicted to the cable, are we? We are human”. The Pope indicated that the spiritual dimension of our lives is very important, and therefore seeking God through prayer, seeking God together, in the family, and also not succumbing to technology addiction.
GPS error and wrong direction
Asked about his many travels and their organization, the Pope said that in the past, „as children, we all learned to read road maps. And if we had to go from Rome to Naples or from Rome to Tivoli, before leaving we would look at the map and see which was the best way to go. Today we all use GPS. But several times in my life in Italy, in other European countries, in Peru, and once even in the United States, I turned on the GPS, and it led me the wrong way, I got stuck and couldn’t reach my destination”.
Learn to think
Leo XIV pointed out that one cannot become too dependent on technology: „It is much better to learn to think and to have the critical ability to foresee where we are going in life, on a journey, or in anything else. Study diligently, use the abilities that God has given us! I don’t need a mobile phone if my brain works! Yes, the phone can help me, provide information, but it is also important to prepare well for the journey”. In conclusion, the Pope indicated that „God has given us a wonderful ability to think. So I would say that, generally speaking, it is something everyone needs”.
Finally, Leo XIV proposed a common prayer: „I thought it would be wonderful if you could tell your parents that you prayed with the Pope, because prayer is very important for us. We want Jesus to be here with us!”. Everyone recited the „Our Father” prayer.
