Feelings, treasures that we keep within ourselves, are always a true and profound expression of our state of mind and our spirit. Many of us express them easily; others less so, given that they feel inhibited. We have a propensity to experience some feelings more than others.

Our society accepts as normal tears shed in certain circumstances; it expects to see them on the faces of women but censures them when they on the faces of men. In our lives there persists a macho culture where tears on the faces of men are seen as signs of weakness. We urgently need to change this culture which involves the repression of the feelings of human sensitivity.

During his visit to the Philippines in January 2015 Pope Francis, at a meeting with young people at the St. Thomas University of Manila, was moved during a meeting with Glyzelle Palomar. This twelve-year-old girl, who had been looked after by a Catholic foundation after being abandoned in the street, as she was weeping asked the Pope why God allows so much suffering.

The Pope answered: “you have asked a question that men cannot understand This girl has asked the only question that cannot be answered. And given that I cannot find an answer with words, I will speak with tears”.

  “We need ‘to learn to weep’ as she (Glyzelle) has taught us today. Do not forget this testimony. The great question, why children suffer, was made as she cried and the great answer that all of us can give is that we must learn to weep. When the heart is able to weep we can understand something”, answered the Pope.

“Jesus in the Gospel wept for his dead friend, he wept in his heart for the family that had lost their daughter, he wept when he saw the poor widow burying her only son, he was moved to tears when he saw the multitude of people without a shepherd. If we do not learn to weep, we will not be good Christians. This is a challenge. Some facts of life can be seen only through the wet eyes of tears. Let us learn to weep as she has taught us today”, emphasised the Supreme Pontiff.

“Today’s world lacks weeping! The marginalised weep, those who are put to one side weep, the despised weep, but those of us who have lives where more or less there are no needs do not know how to weep. Certain realities of life are seen only with eyes cleaned by tears. I invite each one of you to ask yourselves: have I learnt to weep? When I see a hungry child, a child who takes drugs in the street, a child without a home, an abandoned child, an abused child, a child used as a slave for society? Or is mine the capricious weeping of those who would like to have more? This is the first thing that I would like to say to you: let us learn to weep as she has taught us today. Do not forget this testimony. The great question: why do children suffer? she asked when she was weeping and the great answer that all of us can give is to learn to weep” (Pope Francis).

Leocir Pessini

The Superior General of the Camillian Religious