Pope Francis has often lamented that the newspapers are too full of crime and destruction, when the reality of life is very different. In fact, life is full of the people he calls the "saints next door."
On February 6, after praying the midday Angelus, Pope Francis shared two news items. Even though both end in tragedy, they reflect the goodness of people, even complete strangers.
#SaveRayan
First, the Pope recounted:
The Pope is talking about the story of Rayan Oram, age 5, who fell some 100 feet into a well shaft that his father was repairing on Tuesday afternoon in Tamorot, Morocco. For several days, #SaveRyan was trending around the world.
The boy was extracted on Saturday afternoon, but unfortunately died shortly afterward. Morocco's royal palace responded, saying, "His Majesty King Mohammed VI called the parents of the boy who died after falling down the well."
Pope Francis visited Morocco in 2019.
To die embracing my father
The other story that the Pope shared involved a migrant to Italy from Ghana:
Reflecting on these two testimonies, Pope Francis expressed his gratitude and encouraged hope:
