Two young people joined Pope Francis after today’s praying of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square. The Holy Father explained:
Today, for the first time on the Solemnity of Christ the King, World Youth Day is being celebrated in all the particular Churches. This is why there are two young people from Rome beside me, representing all the young people of Rome. I cordially greet the young boys and girls from our Diocese, and I hope that all the young people in the world might feel that they are a living part of the Church, protagonists of her mission. Thank you for coming! And do not forgive that to reign is to serve. What was that? To reign is to serve. All together: to reign is to serve. Just like our King teaches us. Now I ask these young people to greet you. Say something [he says to the young woman].
Young woman: Happy World Youth Day to all of you!
Pope: Say something creative [to the young man].
Young man: Let us testify that believing in Jesus is beautiful!
Pope: See that! This is beautiful! Thank you. Remain here [to the two young people].
The Holy Father also had words of encouragement for young people in his homily for the Feast of Christ the King this morning in St. Peter’s Basilica, reminding them to be positive and dream.
“Never stop seeking the light amid whatever darkness we may often bear in our hearts or see all around us,” the Pope said in his homily, addressing youth. “Lift your gaze from earth to heaven, not in order to flee but to resist the temptation to remain imprisoned by our fears, for there is always the danger that our fears will rule us
“You have been entrusted with an exciting but also challenging task: to stand tall while everything around us seems to be collapsing; to be sentinels prepared to see the light in night visions; to be builders amid the many ruins of today’s world; to be capable of dreaming. This is crucial: a young person unable to dream has sadly become old before his time! To be capable of dreaming, because this is what people who dream do: they do not remain in the darkness, but light a candle, a flame of hope that announces the coming of the dawn. Dream, make haste, and look to the future with courage.”
