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Through My Eyes

Through My Eyes

Author: Kasia Yoko
Date: 2015-10-02
The Pope's visit to America was a tremendous success. There is something magical about the new Pope Francis that draws people closer to their faith and to each other.

Pope Francis has won the hearts of millions of people throughout the world by leading through his example. His humble ways and love for those who have very little, are a breath of fresh air that has invigorated the Catholic Church. I admire this man even though I no longer consider His faith as mine.

I grew up Catholic. It was a faith that encompassed so much of my early heritagemy ancestors were highly religious and Catholicism was something we inherited not really earned.

It was Pope John Paul II who changed the course of my life, the Polish Pope was instrumental in abolishing communism in my birth country and allowing us to escape Poland in 1981 under the pretext that we were going to Rome.

We never got to Rome, instead we asked for Political Asylum in Austria and the rest as they say is history. Last week in Philadelphia Pope Francis said that everyone should be open to miracles of love for the sake of families around the world.

He stated that happiness and holiness are tied to little gestures, like those done by mothers and grandmothers, fathers and grandfathers, and children.

Speaking to inmates, he encouraged them to use their time in jail to get their lives on track, urging renewal and rehabilitation. He said the journey of life means getting dirty feet and that everyone needs to be cleansed.

The Pope also told the bishops that he has met with clergy sex-abuse victims on Sunday before calling for those responsible for Philadelphia's own scandal to be held accountable for the 'suffering' and 'great pain' they caused.

'God weeps for the sexually abuse of children,' he said during his address. 'I commit to the zealous oversight to ensure that youth are protected and that all responsible will be held accountable.'

In recent months Pope Francis created a new Vatican tribunal to prosecute bishops who failed to protect their flock by covering up for paedophile priests, rather than reporting them to the police.

What I love about Pope Francis is that he is a family man. A man that understands the real life, in his sermon he said, "Families have the difficulties. As families, we quarrel, and sometimes plates can fly. And children bring headaches - I won't speak about mother in laws," He even has a sense of humour.

The Pope's spiritual message touched a lot of people, in spite of his naysayers. Oh and there are so many who hate him the internet is abuzz with all sorts of shenanigans.

For me cynicism nurtures nothing...heals nothing. Not all of us have been spiritually buried by this terribly flawed, earth bound material world.

Instinctively, our souls cry out in recognition of a power greater then humanity. For those of you who get it twisted, I'm not referring to the pope but what he represents. You don't have to be Catholic or Christian to appreciate his message - an open heart will do.

For those of you who don't believe, try a little experiment and see if this doesn't change your mind...Open your heart and your mind. Help your fellow man and do no harm to anyone. Be a force for good and fight evil.

Do the right thing, even when no one is watching. But mostly it's about loving your neighbour and treating each other with kindness and respect and love. Try this experiment for one year and then tell me that you do not believe in the existence of a Higher Power. What have you got to lose?