(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 16.04.2025).- «It would be good if large companies could establish bonuses for family reunification, at least for the Christmas and Easter holidays. It would be an act of humanity and fraternity, to which the world of economics and business is also called.” Pope Francis wrote this in the pages of “Piazza San Pietro”, a monthly magazine that explores current affairs, spirituality, and culture, responding, as he does every month, to one of the letters sent to him. It’s about a Sicilian mother with two children who work outside the region and who considers the increase in flight and train fares during the holidays to be unfair. This phenomenon doesn’t always allow for family gatherings during religious holidays.
«In this time of change, many young people, many children, have found work far from their parents and cannot even spend the Christmas and Easter holidays with them. Sometimes even distance weakens relationships, creates misunderstandings and difficulties,» writes the Pontiff, who invites to help young people and parents to be together, convinced that «these holidays and those days spent with parents and grandparents can be moments of unique happiness.» They become memories that give us serenity and joy throughout our lives, memories that generate trust and hope because they show us that goodness and kindness are always possible and that there is a greater Love that awaits us and forgives us.
Below is the question addressed to the Pope by the Mrs Santa and the Pontiff’s full response translated into English.
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Question:
Dear Pope Francis,
I write to you from Palermo. I’ve been married to my beloved Francesco for 42 years. We have two wonderful children that, for reasons of work, live away from Sicily.
Mine is simply the observation of a phenomenon that I believe is extremely unjust, in detriment of families such as ours. During the holidays, planes and means of transportation reach incredibly high figures for those living on pensions. And meeting family members is sometimes a problem.
Even for children who want to return to their parents’ home for a while, the cost of flights is extremely expensive. Sometimes we give up on being together.
But couldn’t we take this into account and establish reduced fares for those whose parents are far away?
Everything is complicated now, everything really! Young people go to work elsewhere, and fortunately, they can do so . . . But at least at Christmas and Easter, we should help a little more families who finally want to be together for a few days, without having to spend an absurd amount of money on the trip.
Solidarity also includes these small concessions.
My best wishes for the magazine and good work to all.
Santa
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The Pope’s Answer: We help young people and families with concrete measures so that they can share the joy of Easter
Dear Santa,
I’m aware, and I have said it many times, that families need support to be together, to enjoy each other’s company, to accompany one another on life’s journey, to dialogue, and to seek the Lord’s will together. In this time of change, many young people, many children, have found work far from their parents and cannot even spend the Christmas and Easter holidays with them. Sometimes even distance weakens relationships, creates misunderstandings and difficulties.
It would be good if large companies could establish bonuses for family reunification, at least for the Christmas and Easter holidays. It would be an act of humanity and brotherhood, to which the world of economics and business is also called.
I recall an effective expression of Saint John Paul II: work is for man, not man for work. We always think of Our Lady at Cana when she said to Jesus: «They have no wine,» referring to the wedding banquet of the young spouses. So, let us help young people and families to be together, at least during the holidays, to share, helping to create the conditions for people to meet, love, and care for one another.
Those vacations and days spent with parents and grandparents can be moments of unique happiness. They become memories that give us serenity and joy throughout our lives, memories we can cling to in the most difficult and hardest moments, memories that generate confidence and hope because they show us that goodness and love are always possible and that there is a greater Love that awaits us and forgives us.
The experience of God’s love is a grace that can be experienced within the family and that no artificial intelligence could reproduce. Therefore, in the encyclical Dilexit Nos, which I dedicated to the human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus, I emphasized what no algorithm could ever reproduce. For example, «using a fork to seal the edges of those homemade panzerotti our mothers or grandmothers made» or «making smiles bloom with a joke.» All of this can be experienced within the family. We help young people and parents when they want to be together! At the same time, we also look for other ways when we are far away, using technology. We can use video calls, during which we can also pray together remotely, interact with the Word of God, and grow in communion.
It can’t be the rule, but in some cases we can make use of these new tools, for example, through a family chat, in which we share and meditate on a Gospel passage each day, to sustain us, even from a distance, on the journey of faith.
I remember you in prayer, and don’t forget to pray for me.
Francis
Translation of the Italian original into Spanish by ZENIT’s Editorial Director and, into English, by Virginia M. Forrester
