Responding to an Italian grandmother who was worried because her grandson had not been baptized, Pope Francis said that “free love is more powerful than many words.”
Vatican News
The short letter written by Oliva from Bergamo is published in the first edition of the new magazine Piaatsa San Pietro (St. Peter’s Courtyard), published by St. Peter’s Basilica.
In the message, Oliva said that his daughter and son-in-law’s decision not to baptize their grandson is “a cause of great sadness” for him.
She asks, “What would Jesus think of this?”
In his response, the Pope says that he understands Oliva’s suffering and feels close to her.
They say that baptism is “a great gift.” Since his election as Pope, he has baptized many children and has always considered it a moment of “great joy.”
The Pope added that when a loved one loses faith, “hope should never be lost,” citing the example of Saint Monica, who prayed for decades for the conversion of her son, Saint Augustine.
He also stressed that “baptism cannot be imposed on parents who do not want it for their children.” That is why he urged Oliva to “be with his children, talk to them, but not insist on baptism.”
The Pope writes: “Free love is more inspiring than many words.” “Love for God sows seeds of the future, of friendship and of discovery of God.”
