Put away phones at mealtimes and talk to each other, says pope

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS DECEMBER 29, 2019 / 10:08 AM / UPDATED 5 HOURS AGO

Put away phones at mealtimes and talk to each other, says pope

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday urged people to talk to each other at mealtimes instead of using their mobile phones, citing Jesus, Mary and Joseph as an example for families to follow.

They “prayed, worked and communicated with each other”, the pope told the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square during his weekly Angelus address.

“I ask myself if you, in your family, know how to communicate or are you like those kids at mealtables where everyone is chatting on their mobile phone ... where there is silence like at a Mass but they don’t communicate,” the pope said.

“We have to get back to communicating in our families,” Francis said in his unscripted remarks. “Fathers, parents, children, grandparents, brothers and sisters, this is a task to undertake today, on the day of the Holy Family.”

Reporting by Gavin Jones; Editing by Alison Williams

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-families-phones/put-away-phones-at-mealtimes-and-talk-to-each-other-says-pope-idUSKBN1YX0D5

[redstatebluegirl]

1. I am a recovering catholic, but I really like this Pope.

Francis may bring people back to the Church who have been gone for a long time.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

3. As long as Francis promotes the same old misogynistic and homophobic policies his

predecessors did, which he does, he'll never get me back.

[redstatebluegirl]

4. Agreed.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

2. How does the pope know what JJ&M did for dinner?

[Voltaire2]

5. He knows they didn't use their phones

Last edited Mon Dec 30, 2019, 02:42 AM - Edit history (1)

during meals. That part is obvious. The rest is idle speculation.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

6. For all he knows, Jesus whomped up some phones for them.

[MissMillie]

7. It just wasn't that long ago

that we were all out and about in the world w/o being attached to an electronic device.

And when I was growing up, the only time we would answer the phone during meals was when one of us wasn't home... just in case there was an emergency. Heck, back then we didn't even have voicemail, or answering machines.

Someone's kind enough to put a plate of food in front of you... be respectful enough to eat it w/o unnecessary distraction.

[AtheistCrusader]

8. I see (and people in my family use) phones out sometimes in public restaraunts when waiting for food

or whatever,

but I have NEVER seen this happen in my, or any other family I have eaten with's dining room, or even when eating in the living room. It's just not done.

[Cartoonist]

9. I've seen it on TV

I bet the Pope has too.

[Mariana]

10. When I was growing up, my father put the TV on during supper.

At least there wasn't any Fox News then.