In a speech filled with biblical and pastoral references, Pope Leo XIV received participants on Thursday in the fourth edition of the ” Chair of Welcome ,” a cultural and educational event promoted by the Fraterna Domus association, ecclesial movements, and the Pontifical Lateran University. The meeting, held in the Apostolic Palace, revolved around the theme “Youth and the Church: Welcome that fosters belonging,” and took place within the framework of the events being held until March 13 in Sacrofano, near Rome.

The Holy Father invited those present to become “educators of welcome,” promoting goodness and fraternity both within the Christian community and in society at large. He emphasized that the Christian vocation is oriented toward fostering communion among people through listening, hospitality, and assistance. “Communion is born from the capacity to welcome others,” he affirmed, highlighting that a true encounter transforms personal experience into communal experience.

With young people as the focus of this edition, Leo XIV described them as “the living and generative present” of society and the Church in times of profound cultural and social transformations. Welcoming them means “listening to their voices, meeting their gazes, and recognizing that, in their lives and languages, the Spirit continues to work,” suggesting renewed paths of presence and care in the face of their concerns.

The Pope delved into two inseparable dimensions:  presence  and  care . Being present means sharing time, experiences, and meaning in spaces such as family, parish, school, or work, offering “stable points of reference” so that others can recognize themselves and grow. However, he cautioned that presence is not automatic: it requires constant seeking, as the Gospel episode of Mary and Joseph losing Jesus in the Temple teaches (Lk 2:39-52). “Seeking Jesus implies moving from the security of our convictions to the responsibility of encounter, learning to discover the presence of God who always precedes and surpasses us.”

Saint Joseph emerges as a privileged icon of care: “Being attentive to others, respecting their decisions, and taking responsibility for them.” Presence and care go hand in hand: “You cannot care without being present, and you cannot be truly present without assuming responsibility for others.” This guardianship extends to preserving relationships, creation, and especially the lives of the most vulnerable.

The Pope presented hospitality as a “lamp” for paths of relational and fraternal holiness, inviting everyone to cultivate the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22). He thanked the participants for their “silent and discreet commitment” and blessed them, entrusting them to the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph.