During his pontificate, Pope Francis has placed young people at the centre of his pastoral attention, recognising them as key players in building a better future. He has sought a sincere and profound dialogue with new generations, addressing their challenges and encouraging them to be agents of change in society and the Church.

Below are a few thoughts, among many, that Pope Francis has left for young people.

“Walk. If you fall, get up, get help, and don’t stay on the ground. Get up and walk towards a goal; train yourself every day of your life. Nothing in life is free, everything is paid for. Only one thing is free, the love of Jesus. Therefore, with this gift that we have, the love of Jesus, and with the desire and will to walk, let us walk in hope. Let us look at our roots, without fear, do not be afraid!”.

“Know that you are not alone. You know Jesus will never turn away from you but walks alongside us in our suffering, in our anxieties and in our loneliness. Young people are called to realize how Jesus gives himself and does so on the cross, on the various crosses of our lives
and of our world.”

“I would encourage you to keep seeking and to be ready to take risks. Let us find the courage to see our world not as in its death throes, but in a process of giving birth, not at the end, but at the beginning of a great new chapter of history. We need the courage to think like this. So, work to bring about a new “choreography”, one that respects the “dance” of life by putting the human person at the centre.”

“The Church and the world need you, the young, as much as the earth needs rain. Jesus now speaks to you, who are the present and the future of our world… do not be afraid….Dear friends, allow me, as an older person, to share with you, young people a dream that I carry within me: it is the dream of peace, the dream of young people praying for peace, living in peace and building a peaceful future…. What is more, you are a sign of peace for the world, showing how different nationalities, languages and histories can unite instead of divide. You are the hope of a different world. Thank you for this. Onwards!”

“God loves by surprise. It is not programmed. And to allow ourselves to be surprised, it is important not to become fixed on convincing and proselytizing answers to all of life’s questions, to the doubts of faith and to the challenges that today’s society brings to us”

“We must care about what is happening in the world” and about “the fate of millions of people, of so many children, who have no water, no food, no medical care, while the rulers seem to be competing to see who can spend the most on the most sophisticated armaments… We care about everything, including all of creation and the digital world, which we are challenged to change and make more and more humane.”

“To dream, to take a risk, to be committed to changing the world, to rekindle your hopes and aspirations, and to contemplate the heavens, the stars and the world around you. Give their passions and dreams free rein, and, through them, offer the world, the Church and other young people something beautiful, whether in the realm of the spirit, the arts or society… Make your voices heard.”

“Dear friends, I remind you of the great mission you have received to bear witness before everyone to the joy born of friendship with Christ.
I remind you to make your voices heard and “¡Hagan lío!”
(to make a mess,).

“I invite you to be the voice of all, especially of those who have no voice. And today some so many people have no voice, so many who are excluded, not only socially, due to problems of poverty, lack of education, drugs, dictatorship… but also of those who do not know how to dream. Network to dream, and do not lose this ability. Dream…”

“Our life is a pilgrimage, a journey that pushes us beyond ourselves, a journey in search of happiness; and Christian life, in particular, is a pilgrimage toward God, our salvation and the fullness of every good.

However, it is normal that, even though we begin our journeys with enthusiasm, sooner or later we begin to feel tired… The solution to tiredness, paradoxically, is not to stay still to rest. It is rather to set out and become pilgrims of hope. This is my invitation to you: walk in hope!

“Moments of crisis, which make life seem like a difficult journey through the desert. These times of crisis, however, are not lost or useless times, but can reveal themselves as important opportunities for growth. They are moments of purification of hope.”

“Dear young people, do not allow the spark of youth to be extinguished in the darkness of a closed room in which the only window to the outside world is a computer and smartphone. Open wide the doors of your life! May your time and space be filled with meaningful relationships, real people, with whom to share your authentic and concrete experiences
of daily life”

“Each young person’s heart should thus be considered ‘holy ground,’ a bearer of seeds of divine life, before which we must ‘take off our shoes’ to draw near and enter more deeply into the mystery.” (Photo: CNS)