Pope Francis:

Thank you for your visit, I am pleased to see you – and so many of you, many! I am happy. Welcome! I wish you a good stay in Rome: getting to know things, strolling, visiting the gardens… so many beautiful things. And above all, being united, not arguing among yourselves. Do you know who invented quarrelling?

Confirmands:

The devil.

Pope Francis:

The devil. The devil wants us to quarrel, and he is happy about it. No. We must be friends and never gossip about one another. Do you know what gossip is? What is it?

Confirmands:

Speaking badly of others.

Pope Francis:

Speaking badly of others. Gossip is a bad thing, a very bad thing. And people who gossip are people who lose their dignity, because they are occupied with sullying other people. Gossip means to sully other people. So, what is gossip?

Confirmands:

To sully other people.

Pope Francis:

Is it nice to sully others?

Confirmands:

No!

Pope Francis:

“Oh, Father, I don’t know how to stop myself from gossiping”. But I have a very good medicine for this, you know? Bite your tongue, you know? And then you will not gossip.

Thank you, thank you for this visit. Now I invite you to pray to Our Lady, and then I will give you my blessing. Let us pray to Our Lady.

Hail Mary…

[Blessing]

Enjoy your stay!

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 20 May 2023