Pope Francis on Security, Tranquility, Prosperity & Fraternity

I met these young men at today’s meeting between President Shimon Peres of Israel and the Holy Father. I loved the true brotherhood I saw in the boys who sat in the row in front of us. They kept asking us to write a story about them (they are from a school near Mount Carmel). They told us they love footbol (soccer) and one hopes to convince the Holy Father to begin a Vatican futbol team. At the very moment I snapped this picture, Pope Francis was saying these words and I had a visible manifestation of that fraternity sitting right in front of me. (If you would like to read the full speech, go to http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-to-israeli-president-peres-jerusalem-must-be

“Mr President, you know that I pray for you and I know that you pray for me, and I assure you of my prayers for the institutions and the citizens of the State of Israel. I likewise assure you of my constant prayer for the attainment of peace and all the inestimable goods which accompany it: security, tranquillity, prosperity – and that which is most beautiful – fraternity.”