Pope’s arm out of sling as he tells seminarians that a life’s journey without hope in Jesus is ‘madness’

The Catholic Herald • January 17, 2025

Pope Francis spent the morning in an audience with a group of seminarians from Cordoba, Spain. He gave them advice regarding the journey of life they are embarking on, noting that setting out on such a journey without the hope that Jesus brings “would be madness”.

The meeting followed the Pope injuring himself after falling at his Vatican residence the day before on 16 January, after which he was wearing a sling for his right arm.

In a statement, the Vatican said the fall happened inside the Vatican’s Santa Marta guesthouse, where the 88-year-old pope lives. The fall resulted in a contusion (significant bruising) on the Pope’s right arm, without any fractures, though the arm was immobilised “as a preventative measure”.

Meeting the seminarians, the Pope – who appeared to no longer need the sling – explained to them that there are various signs of hope throughout the path of life, reports Vatican News.

The first sign on the journey is “direction”, the Pope said, adding that it should be “ towards heaven, to the ultimate encounter with Jesus”.

He then stressed that this direction does not lead to a comfortable life, because choosing comfort leads to “dead ends”; and hence if this path is chosen it requires turning back “with shame”.

The Pope described the second sign when continuing along the path of life as the dangers people might encounter along the way.

Using the example of the life of the seminarians’ hometown saint – Pelagius from Cordoba – the Pope then encouraged the seminarians to “persevere on the Lord’s path”, emboldened by the fact that Jesus will sustain and give them strength to “be sowers of hope”.

Though Pope Francis warned the seminarians that being sowers of hope does not mean “saying words of courtesy or opting for a sugary goodness”.

He underlined that everyone needs to feel Jesus’s presence in their lives, describing how through the Eucharist, “[Jesus] repairs us when we get a flat tire in the middle of the road”.

The Pope added: “He welcomes us when fatigue overcomes us, and we must stop to take a break.”

While the Holy Father told the seminarians that it is ultimately only through trust in Jesus that a man can be certain he will reach his destination, he added that the path of life is not one to be traveled alone.

It requires a “community, guiding, defending, assisting and blessing those whom the Lord entrusted to us as our task”, the Pope said.

Photo: Pope Francis greets members of the Seminary in Cordoba at the Vatican, Vatican City State, 17 January 2025. (VATICAN MEDIA Divisione Foto.)