The Pope says people should not fear tattoos as they can help build communities.
Speaking during a meeting with young people at The Vatican, Pope Francis gave the example of Christian girls in Eritrea where a tattoo of a cross on their forehead were used as a symbol of beauty and religious faith.
He said: “The Eritreans for years made the cross here (the forehead). Also today we see them. The cross was tattooed.”
He added: “Don’t be afraid of tattoos.”
The pontiff said tattoos could be used by young priests to connect to people they were trying to reach out to because the tattoos often communicated information about a person.
The tattoo could spark conversation and provide a way for a priest to find out more about an individual and connect with the “culture of the young”, he explained.
