Pope Francis held an online meeting with young people from South Asia under the theme “Building Bridges”. The meeting, which took place through the Zoom platform, was attended by young people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.

Pope Francis began the meeting by greeting the young people and expressing his joy at being able to be with them. He then spoke about the importance of building bridges between the different cultures and religions of South Asia.

“In South Asia, there are many different cultures and religions,” Pope Francis said. “But we are all children of God, and we are all called to live together in peace and harmony. We must build bridges between us to build a better future for all.”

Pope Francis also spoke about the importance of education and training for young people in South Asia. “Education is the key to development,” he said. “We must ensure that all young people have access to quality education.”

The meeting concluded with a moment of prayer, in which the young people of South Asia asked the Lord to help them build bridges among themselves and to build a better future for all.

The following are some of the issues that were addressed during the meeting:

The importance of education and training for young people in South Asia.
The need to build bridges between the different cultures and religions of South Asia
The challenge of poverty and inequality in South Asia
Hope for the future of South Asia.
The meeting was a significant event for the youth of South Asia. It was an opportunity to listen to the words of Pope Francis and to reflect on the challenges and opportunities they face in their region.

Below are some of the comments from young people who participated in the meeting:

“It was an amazing experience to be able to talk to Pope Francis,” said a young man from India. “His words inspired me to keep working to build a better future for all.”
“It was very moving to hear Pope Francis talk about the importance of education,” said a young woman from Pakistan. “I am committed to continue studying so that I can contribute to the development of my country.”
“Pope Francis gave us a lot of hope for the future of South Asia,” said a young man from Sri Lanka. “I am confident that we can build a more just and equitable world”.