During his flight to Rio de Janeiro, the pope spoke to reporters about the world crisis, which "is not treating young people well". We must go past our "disposable culture," which is now applied to people, especially the elderly, but also the younger generations, who are "isolated".

Rio de Janeiro (AsiaNews) - "The world crisis is not treating young people well" and "We are running the risk of having a generation that does not work," Pope Francis told reporters as he spoke about the prospects young people face today on board the plane taking him to Rio de Janeiro for the 46^th World Youth Day.

The Pope underlined the seriousness of the employment situation in various countries and its moral as well as economic consequences. "From work comes a person's dignity through earning one's bread," he said.

Speaking about recent unemployment data that indicate that it will be hard for many of the jobless to find work, Francis said, "We are used to this disposable culture-it happens all too often to the elderly." But in doing so, we "do them an injustice because we leave them on the sidelines as if they had nothing to give us. Instead, they pass onto us wisdom and the values ​​of life, love of country, love of family. All of which are things we need. But now, it is young people's turn to be discarded. [. . .] We have to do away with this habit of discarding people," and replace it with "a culture of inclusion" and "encounter" and make "an effort to bring everyone into society."

To reporters, he said, "I ask you to help me and work for the good of the society of young people and the elderly."

"In Brazil," the pope went on to say in referring to World Youth Day, "I'm going to meet with the youth of the world. I would like to find young people who are not isolated from their lives, but part of the social fabric, in society, because when we isolate them, we take away their sense of belonging to a family, a country, a culture, a faith." Their isolation is "an injustice."

"We must not isolate them from society. They are the future because they have the strength, and will go ahead. But at the other end, the elderly are the future of people. With young people who have the strength, we must also include the elderly who have the wisdom of life. "

"A people has a future if it goes ahead with the strength of youth and the elderly.

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