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Commit yourselves to great ideals, to the most important things. We Christians were
not chosen by the Lord for little things; push onwards toward the highest principles.
Stake your lives on noble ideals, my dear young people!
We have 130 young people arriving from all parts of the world. Right now there are about
50 that have already arrived from America, South America, from Ireland, England. Young
people with huge enthusiasm firstly because they are coming to Rome for their first time,
secondly because of this extraordinary atmosphere given the election of Pope Francis. And then
of course, above all, for their participation in the First International Meeting of Young
Catholics for Social Justice! 130 young people who dedicate the vast majority of their time,of
their lives, of their abilities to spreading the Gospel in their society.
Finally, today, a dream is beginning to be realised becausethis can't just be defined
as a project; it's not like a project that is something mathematical or something that
is planned out, something that is dictated only by reason. It cannot be defined as "an
adventure" because an adventure is improvised. This is a journey, a journey together, a journey
that we will make together with these young people walking hand-in-hand and acting together
with definite action for the good of the Church and for the good of all young people all around
the world. I am convinced of this.The young people started arriving two days ago, others
arrived yesterday, many this morning and many more will come this afternoon, too. Tomorrow
the last few should arrive.
There are a few nerves because after so much time the moment has finally arrived to begin
the First International Meeting of Young Catholics for social justice. From here in, the journey
begins; the road is right ahead of us, we just have to start walking it.
Hi everyone. I'm Altair, in charge of Logistics and technical services for the Meeting. The
moment has nearly come now and we are preparing the last few things. "You must know the programme
almost off by heart. And as we are about to begin we are very happy because this is finally
becoming something real.
There are about 40 of us working as staff from PUL, 38 to be precise, to which all the
other young people who will carry out different tasks and assignments will also be added,
as well as the shuttle service. We tried to get together students who know a few languages
to demonstrate the best of the Pontifical Lateran University.
We are happy to be able to begin! The adrenaline is already running. Soon we will be welcoming
all these young people who are coming from all over the world.Among our expectations
we certainly hope to make a beautiful Church experience of profound faith, of encounter
of diverse cultures of our young people and at the same time it's about the lungs breathing
inafresh the clean air of the Church.
The young people who will join us today will be put to the test, will be tried, being able
to give their best. Finally we can do something beautiful for our Church, starting out from
the basics, starting out from young people, no longer are we doing something only celebratory
but finally an active stage.
The First International Meeting of Young Catholics for Social Justice -- a wonderful thing! Now
is the moment of truth, the moment in which, today, young people from different countries
are all at home here, at home at the Lateran University, where they can live a unique experience.
When several months ago, I dreamed of, above all else, this event, I never would have thoughtthat
it could be carried out like this, as we're seeing at this moment. I have to be honest,
there have been moments of strong discouragement in which I thought we would not be able to
do it and still the event has come about thanks to the helpers and above all thanks to the
power of God, who never abandons us and is always with us.
We have had a lot of fun providing different kinds of gadgets which are youthful, fresh,
almost original, because all the participants feel like an integral part of the machine
which is about to get going and we are very excited.
I am extremely happy and my heart is bursting with joy on seeing these young people who
have arrived, filled with enthusiasm, filled with the desire to meet each other and to
live these days together with great enthusiasm and it seems to me that we can say with a
certain excitement, even huge excitement, that a dream is becoming a reality.
What I would love to see out of this meeting is a celebration of the universality and the
diversity of our Roman Catholic Church. (già in inglese)
What I am hoping for from this meeting is that we, as the universal Church, can come
together in what we see as work with the youth ministry and the youth of the whole world.
(spagnolo)
What do I expect..? I expect a whole bunch of awesome, incredible people to come from
all over the world and to talk about how God can become more alive in what we do, whatever
it is that we do, so that he becomes more real, so that he becomes more of not just
a name, but a person, someone who is not just over there but right here and I hope that
this is going to happen just by the young people coming together, exchanging ideas,
seeing what somebody's doing, that is what I expect to happen. (già in inglese)
Well, from this meeting I hope to do a lot of networking, I hope to meet a lot of people
and also to have the opportunity to discuss how we can improve the involvement of our
young people in the Church, how we can make them aware of what is going on, of the real
Truth behind everything that goes on in the world. (già in inglese)
Well, I expect to meet a lot of young Catholics from all over the world. In Cyprus, Catholics
are a minority so it's important for us to meet each other and come close and share ideas,
to see how we can bring the youth back to the Church. (già in inglese)
Why am I here at this International Meeting? Because I like being a witness of the forest
that is growing and not of the occasional trees that fall. Because I believe strongly
in young people, probably most of these could be my children, and I like to think that they
are a great successas part of the new Catholic generation and if we can in any way start
to live our lives once more with Jesus at the centre.
I am very curious to find out what will emerge from the debates of these four days among
these one hundred young people coming from all over the world.The best one hundred catholic
minds in the world have been chosen, they are coming from so many countries, countries
so different such as from Asia, from Africa. Among other things, I am interested to know
what they think from the very beginning, because I will have to oversee a debate within two
days here at the meeting on the role of religion in civil society.
Good evening everyone! Welcome to everyone at this First International Meeting of Young
Catholics for Social Justice! This really is a day to remember, an important day, the
20th March 2013. Why? Because for the first time, there are 130 young people coming from
all parts of the world. You have all been chosen through social networks, Skype, Twitter,
Facebook, and you are here for the first time to confront the issues that concern us about
the world in which we are living, naturally, always in the light of the Gospel and the
social doctrine of the Church. And here is the person who has strongly pushed forward
this initiative and who has truly made everything possible - our Monsignor dal Covolo.
Dear brothers in the Episcopal and Priesthood Ministry, eminent authorities, professors,
students, dearest young men and women coming from all over the world. My heart, at this
very moment, is overflowing with joy and with excitement, a joy which can easily be imagined
but which is so difficult to express for it to be adequately demonstrated. Thank you for
being here! I love you dearly! Thank you, my dearest, above all for your service and
for your testimony as true heralds of faith in our hopes. I have been very impressed by
the address of the Rector Major who is here with us. At the Synod of Bishops at which
we participated together- this is the cross of the Synod- the Rector Major said let's
stop saying that young people are our future - young people are first and foremost our
present! I introduce to you our ninth successor of Don Bosco, the Rector Major of the Salesians,
Don Pascual Chavez.
Don Bosco used to say "I want to teach you to be happy while serving God. God is not
a threat to your happiness." But I think that a lot of young people don't think this. Maybe
it has been a mistake of the Church. Why? Because maybe in the past we have spoken too
much about happiness, too much about holiness being peripheral to happiness.And today it
is completely the opposite. Today we speak of a cheap happiness in false paradises yet
which is without free will.So now the great challenge is, I repeat, how to truly awaken
within young people the desire for God, the search for God. Christ not only is not a threat
to your happiness,it is He who can fulfil the deepest desires in your lives, your happiness
and love. And if we really want to become evangelising apostles of young people, create
a new "Spring" we need our testimonies not just to present God and Christ as spoken of
but as those that have personally met Him. Let's be, may we be disciples deeply in love
with Christ because we have understood that He will never betray our best expectations.
And above all, may we therefore become captivating and generous apostles in order to bring the
best thing that we can give to young people: Christ. Christ is a right for all and we can't
deprive a single person of this right, the greatest of all human rights.
Hi! Hi! Good evening all!
I would say that we are talking about a truly significant event, because it seems to respond
to this need for a new language that the Church must use when engaging with the youth, we
need it to be a different communication which truly respects the language of young people.
A Church which makes itself increasingly understood and becomes more appealing, more understandable.
We have endeavoured to do this, today.
Everyone is so welcoming and everything is prepared I think the best you can do and my
first impression of the university -- it's so amazing! Great people and the band, the
concert, the words that the Bishop said to us today are so encouraging and I think the
next few days we will all work on something really important and we will do everything
in our power to not let down those who count on us so I hope we can do that. (già in inglese)
From my point of view, this is a huge affair, I hope that it can be realised. It's a dream
- that of creating a permanent observatory for young people committed to Social Justice.
We are beginning the first day of concrete work and the second day of the Meeting. It
has started off very well with the welcome introduction, then with the speeches of the
Rector Major of the Salesians Don Pascual Chavez. There was the beautiful concert and
testimony of the group "The Sun" in which they told us about their first ten years of
activity, their conversion when Jesus came and the magnificent renewal of their lives.
The Lord of grace, the Lord of creation, the Lord of all history, the Lord of life has
come to live among us, forgive us and live life.
We begin the work with the address of His Eminence the Cardinal Maradiaga. Today we
will tackle the first of the three topics that we have chosen to deal with during this
journey of ours relating to social justice. Today, on this first day, we will look at
"work and youth poverty". The Church has always had a particular interest in work and poverty
and how they impact mankind. And this path started by His Holiness Leo 13th, with Rerum
Novarum followed straight away by Pope Paul 6th with Populorum Progressio and finally,
today, continued by our latest Pope Emeritus Benedict 16th. Here the peculiarities, characteristics
and problems which concern mankind personally are highlighted.
What went wrong? This is the topic that I was asked about. However, before the title
of this discussion may seem a little negative, in essence, what seems to me to be particularly
important is what ,in this prevailing spirit of Lent, we have already meditated upon with
these beautiful words which we have just heard which is now drawing to a close. Therefore
we should do a deep examination of conscience. I will dare to say it in the Salesian language,
the language of Don Bosco, almost an Exercise for a Happy Death, in order to arrive at a
life of Resurrection. How many times, he surprised us with his simplicity, with the truth of
his words, Pope Francis reminded us that we must walk, build and that we must profess
Christ, Christ crucified, but also the Resurrected Christ. The power of the cross, in the most
profoundly passionate sense, is what should make us reflect that, actually, it is inconsistent
elements in the way that we have wanted to present the Gospel that have resultedin many
distancing themselves. This is not because the Gospel does not have power in itself,
but many times because of the improper spreading of the message, the lack of witness, the lack
of transparency between what we present and what we are as the presenters; many times
this has diminished the strength of the cross, leaving it aside.
These are necessary things. University is not, as I sometimes say, it is not a "factory
of cold meats", but somewhere where we can give rise to ideas and form people with a
heart willing to act, to take action. What you learn at university we should be able
to see in society. If we want a better society we must have young people who are aware of
their role for the transformation of society.
I would say that there are two sides to highlight: there is one side which is the participation,
the joyous celebrations, moments of singing, of concert and of prayer which involve a great
emotional participation. Then there is the speech content which has been grouped together
in a special way, from the Rector Major Don Pascual Chavez yesterday afternoon and Cardinal
Rodriguez Maradiaga this morning. I would say that these two addressescombined, these
alone, already represent the agenda of the work of all the successive days. That is,
it is sufficient to recall themost important points which were given by the Rector Major
and Cardinal Maradiaga to have before us the whole spectrum of problems relating to the
commitment of young people to social justice.
So now, we have ahead of us the beginning of the work. The work has just begun, the
young people are divided into different groups.
By discussing and sharing diverse personal experiences from their own lands of origin
we could get to a concise, communal document which could help the other young people. It
is a wonderful experience of dialogue and of the sharing of Christianity; we are putting
everything into it. This is also an experience that makes part of the meeting.
After the fantastic and laborious day yesterday, we come to the third day of the meeting of
which the theme is the public sphere for believers in a secularised society because it's necessary
that these young catholic people ask themselves how to act in a society that has become increasingly
pluralistic -- pluralism of religion, pluralism of ethics, pluralism of philosophies and visions
of life. This is the question that the young people will look at today - how to act publically
in a society that has become increasingly complex, as everyone says.
The Mayor of the capital, Rome, has arrived!
It'swonderful to see that it's possible to have a meeting for young people of all peoples
and of all nations. To do good, to create the common good we must
all get engaged. But who has the greater responsibility; because having received the chance, the fortune
or the ability to study, to get to know more, and become the leading elite, who has greater
responsibility of giving something more. We learn from the parable of talents. Many of
you have talents in abundance and so can give more to society. But today, you must tell
us, that right now we have to determine what is the voice of young people. What is the
voice of students? What are the deepest hopes which come from these hearts? Because without
this message we will be lacking at the moment of having to decide, at the moment when we
must seek to steer our nation of Italy, all nations of the world, out of this terrible
crisis, that is, a moral crisis and a social crisis. But I want to highlight, to conclude
with my last point,since I am engaged in politics: when we speak of politics we still hear, even
today, incredibly, people including Catholics, who say that religion should stay out of the
public sphere, out of political debate. This grave falsehood, which continues to be spread
in newspapers, in so many places of information should be rejected...should be rejected because
seeking a person of faith, in politics, who is committed to society, overlooking the deepest
values is like seeking a person who is broken in half. We don't want this being broken in
half . You don't want this being broken in half. I am convinced that only men and women,
whole, complete people can really change our society and change the whole world. This mission
is yours. Thank you. Only with this significant dialogue and with
the great leadership of young people we can find new ideas to escape from the social and
moral crisis that we are experiencing at the moment not only in Italy, in Europe but in
the whole world. We need more energy, more creativity, more leadership from young people.
The Catholic world which speaks of deep values, which speaks to people's hearts can provide
a huge drive to make into greater protagonists young people and students,who are really able
to create a new class of leadership.
We are in a time in which there is the submission of the role of religion in politics. In others
there was the submission of politics to religion. Times at which there was a clear and rather
negative separation of politics and religion, a separation which the mayor Alemanno condemned
in his introductory address. And then, there were times of a more flexible separation like
the one that came in the past century, in the Anglo-Saxon world, in the world of the
German language. Today from a point of view of the Christian religion, the Second Vatican
Council, through the important document of Gaudium et Spes, which looks at the topic
of the relations among religions and politics, speak of mutual independence and healthy collaboration.
So, we will start right away giving the floor to the first of our speakers Father Laurent
Maas, the Director of the Courts of the Gentiles.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks to you all. It's great to be together with you
all here. I wasn't expecting to have the first word but I do so gladly. We need you in order
to understand the world of young people, the expectations of young people.We also need
you in order to use the language of young people. And we also need you in order get
a bit of a grasp of the whole world in order to open the hearts of Christians, Catholics
to others.
My understanding is that of offering you some general words about the tackling of the fundamental
problems- which have already been introduced- which are at the root of the problems of socio-political
character. I believe that within this communication that
the Church for centuries now calls the mission, there is room for all responsibilities, as
I said, that includes the more analytical ones, the more specific ones, like politics
which has its methodology, which has an ability for dialogue, for meeting. That no longer
exists in Italy. In Italy, politics is no longer a place of meeting or of dialogue but
always, always of reactions which demonstrate the sense of strong consensus. Because strong
unity is not shown by shouts. Strong unity is reached when you show a big motivation...
First of all, I obviously unite myself to this applause because you are speaking of
serious things which make part of our prayer. I just wanted to say that one does not dialogue
with religions, one dialogues always with people. And to dialogue with people we need
to walk to meet these people. The first observation that was made, I wanted to respond saying
that it's not about us imposing our truth because the truth is greater than men and
this truth is not ours. We have received it humbly. We are lowly and servants of this
truth. And truth is imposed, it is imposed on another not because I want to impose it
on another but, it is imposed because it is truth. Therefore, when a person is distanced
from faith we also need to put them in a situation where they are capable of welcoming this truth.
And this is not done with pride, it is done precisely as in the life of the Pope, Bergoglio,
being servants of the truth. And the truth presents itself in a humble way, which is
a lot more effective. And what you are saying... - from a point of view perhaps a little diplomatic...
- it is sometimes very difficult to know whether, for example... - now I am speaking as the
Vatican, I am no-one at the Vatican but anyway... - to publically denounce, taking the risk
of creating even worse situations. The famous diplomacy of silence is sometimes more effective
and it's not because you don't know that the Church does this or that, nor is it worthless.To
finish off I wanted to add one more thing: I remember a Belgian cardinal who used to
say to young people like you: You are extraordinary, you are truly eager for brotherhood and above
all you are capable of loving the handicapped but there is one handicapped that you don't
love enough -- the Church. The Church is handicapped because it lacks men. So don't always condemn
the Church, love this Church. Sure, if there is something that you don't understand, ask
questions, the Pope is the first to have understood that we need to change things. We all know that first of
all we must change our lives. But love this Church.
I'm sorry to have to leave because the addresses have shown a great intellectual strength and
great moral capacity.
The public role of believers in secularised society, because it is necessary that these
catholic young people ask themselves how to act in a society that has become increasingly
pluralistic, pluralism of religions, pluralism of ethics, pluralism of philosophies and visions
of life. This is the question that the young people will look at today - how to act publically
in a society that has become increasingly complex, as everyone says. But today a day
of relaxation so to speak: we will leave the university at eleven o'clock to go to the
Vatican where we will visit the Sistine Chapel, St Peter's Basilica, together with our guide
Cardinal Comastri. And after we will return here, they still don't know this, but to present
and to put into their hands our great dream, an international organisation of young Christian
leaders and we will ask them to take hold of this shared dream --what form could it
take, how could it work?So, all this is ahead of us during another fantastic day.
Young people are certainly the future of the world, but not in the sense of, let's say,
very appealing slogans, but in the sense of which Young people are capable of dreaming
up a new world, are capable of dreaming of a more original world, are capable of dreaming
of a world more faithful to the great ideals that Jesus has brought to the world. Georges
Bernanos , one day, came out with a slightly peculiar exclamation: "Young people are the
fever of the world", that is, giving fervour to humanity and moreover, they have the ability
to break the old models in order to open themselves to the news of the Gospel.Today we see in
the world so many things that aren't working, we see so many things that aren't going right,
we see so many signs of injustice, we see so many signs against the dignity of the person
and even against the dignity of the integrity of creation because a world which is deranged,
a person that is "liberated" barely even respects creation. I think that young people have the
huge possibility of bringing older generations back to dreaming, to bring the exhausted and
tired generations back to dreaming so thaht all together we can create a world worthy
of God, and when it is worthy of God, worthy of men too because God is FOR men, and when
man joins forces with God he also finds all the reasons for his dignity. I also send my
best wishes to this meeting of young people on whose faces I truly see the signs of daylight,signs
of hope and I long for them to be able to make this grow, for them tospread it in their
environments where He will soon return.
I hope that today's experience was enjoyed by all of you. It was a beautiful moment:
the words of Cardinal Comastri enlightened every one of us.
Tomorrow we want to put this dream into your hands, which is a dream of an international
entity of young Christian leaders who are the bridge between the world of the youth
and the Holy See and between the Holy See and the youth world.
Yesterday was a day of great emotion.
We visited the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel a few days after opening, where a few
days before, the Meeting of the Cardinals elected, chose Pope Francis as the successor
of Peter, as our new guide -- this extraordinary Pope who is exploding with such strong, such
intense gestures, whom they have chosen to bring a great good to our Church and to the
glory of God.
The visit to the Basilica of Saint Peter, but especially the pause at the tomb of Blessed
Pope John Paul II, called the Great; Cardinal Comastri gave at that moment a truly touching
reflection -- I saw several of our young people's faces tear-stained.
The greatest emotion, which struck me profoundly and which led me to tears,was seeing the young
people, the deep emotion of the young people, the deep emotion of the priests, who in front
of the tomb of John Paul II gave way to tears of joy, tears of deep emotion, tears of remembrance.
For sure yesterday was a day of great emotion but also of great obligation. I was looking
at the Facebook pages and quite a few of our participants had put on their own page the
words of John Paul II "Do not be afraid!"
We have received the blessing of the Holy Father. Yesterday the Holy Father sent us
a fax message, in which he gave us his blessing and his encouragement for us to proceed with
our work with courage.
And today we return to the task. This morning the young people were at the talk of Monsignor
Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family.
Contemporary culture wishes to exalt the individualas an absolute, the term "absolute" comes from
the Latin "ab-solutus", which is set free from everything, even from God. What we're
experiencing, the drama that we are living in our world, is this absolute assertion of
the individual, of the "I", of the ego. Because the "I" is the general and absolute rule of
existence.What pleases me is good. What is good for me is truth. What is good for me
is my battle. The Other is not company but is one that can undermine me,and deep down
he is my enemy, my enemy. That is original sin. Original sin is believing oneself to
beliberated of the Other, from God to all the rest. Individualism no longer leads us
to perceive a child as a gift but as your own property. That is the poison of consumerism,
of the market that destroys us without us being aware of it. We are becoming barbaric
deep down. That is the deep-rooted problem. Dear friends, it is you young people who can
give testimony. The family above all remains everywhere in the world the highest reference
point of all people. When any survey has been done, in whatever country in the world, the
highest value that is indicated is the family. And why is that? Because inside we all know,
that it's not good to be alone. That's why the family stands strong. The family of Father,
Mother and children stands strong. today our societies still stand strong.
The institution of marriage is something that precedes the catholic faith. It is an anthropological
concept that cannot be rooted. I was moved when listening in the last talk that to supporting
that the traditional family is fundamental, necessary for society. That is, it existed
before Christianity. It is a necessary form that cannot be left out to one side in any
way from the contractual will of utilitarian ideologies.
This International Meeting of Young Catholics is centred on the deepening of faith because
we find ourselves in the Year of Faith at this very moment. This implies living in Jesus
Christ, dwell in him and therefore a participation in His work of salvation, which is a complete
salvation relating not only to the soul but relating to the whole of man, relating to
the whole people, relating to the created in its whole.
I have seen the enthusiasm of so many young people, coming from various countries of the
world, for the family and for marriage which today unfortunately is as if hit hard, though
being the reality that decisively sustains society everywhere in the world. It is not
a catholic-religious question but a human question, however the Church feels a responsibility
of a deep commitment because it does not want to live for itself. The Church doesn't just
defend the family for the sake of it, we defend the family because we know that it is on this
that the stability of society depends, Alexis de Tocquevillesaid very clearly: Stability
in the family is the base for the stability of the nations.
The family - an address made with great passion and with great skill. And I saw that it invoked
a great reaction from the young people and they put many questions to Monsignor Paglia
and unfortunately not everyone was able to do so in the end. But that demonstrates that
their attitude brings about so much reaction. And now they are inside the classrooms, they
are joined in groups to work on this dream that we have entrusted to them. Yesterday
we entrusted into their hands a dream, the realisation of an international organisation
of young Catholic leaders to bring the voice of young people to the Church and to bring
the voice of the Church to the world of young people.
And now to conclude, to draw some conclusion about what this Observatory is going to be
and how we are going to continue working.
From the beginning the staff made us aware that we should create, the emphasis was on
being creative. We had to do something definite, something that may last, and not something
that was vague. Something that wasn't words but facts. And so, we were happy because we
were called in order to act and it is something that we can do.
I think overall it's been a great meeting, a very necessary one and a very encouraging
one, to see all the other young people from around the world who are doing, or who have
the eagerness to also engage in social justice efforts, especially with the Church in mind
and with the Church's social doctrine. It's been overall an encouraging meeting. (già
in inglese)
I found an extremely fruitful environment. The young people were certainly chosen with
the highest level of care, both culturally and spiritually which has created an extremely
productive atmosphere of great welcoming, of great openness, and, I believe, we debunked
a big commonplace above all in which there wasn't preparation, also professionalism which
is a word that we should not be afraid of, even in the sphere of faith, and yet without
forgetting simplicity and the atmosphere of conviviality, that, on the contrary, is deeply
evangelical.
This meeting makes me think that I have to take my courage and to go forward. (già in
inglese)
The objective of the event is to give our views on the realisation of the Observatory,which
is the ultimate focus of the meeting itself. So, our aim is that of realizing a new organisation,
a new reality.
If we truly raise the person, above all in the Lord, in Jesus, in the highest true axiological
values then we may well hope that we will reap a lot. I'm very optimistic about the
many fruits of this meeting.
And then this afternoon a key moment: the concluding ceremony with the great Father
Terrence from the Franciscan University of America.
We have gathered a very rich wealth of knowledge and relationships. We can't allow ourselves
to waste this capital, we must preserve it. How? Look, I am going to tell you two ways.
The first, let's document all the acts of this meeting and these days in a book and
in a DVD. But there is a second way which I value even more which is that of the Permanent
Observatory of Young People; this Observatory which should be born from this work. It must
be born from this. You must help us so that society may be more just and so that the Church
may be your home, a welcoming, beautiful home for all of you. You must help us with this
observatory. Dearest, I don't know if I have succeeded in making you realise this,but I
love you very dearly, I love you so very very much. I want to tell you a few words of my
founder Saint John Bosco, I adjusted it a little, taken to make them my own. Don Bosco
would say "I study for you". "I work for you". "I live for you." That's just it!
If this dream has become possible, if we all find ourselves here together today, if we
have lived this experience with the joy with which we have lived it, it is all thanks to
the magnificent Rector I can't find the words to describe this experience:
a succession of applauses, laughter, the moments of reflection, the content, the joy, but of
seriousness, of perspective, of efficiency. Since it's only just finished, I really can't
put it into words.
Let's say that finally but also with great regret it has all finished because we would
have liked to still continue like this for many more days. We have made a beautiful relationship
with each and every participant. But in reality, yes I am tired out because we have got to
the end
I am very satisfied and happy. Naturally, now, my concern is that everything doesn't just freeze here but
that, truly, from here a road goes which takes along evermore young people. So above all
this permanent observatory that we want to build truly matters because these young people
are true authorities for making society more just and the Church more their home.
So to speak, at an event of this type, done with young people requires a lots of energy,
you have to respond to fifty questions a second. This really puts the nervous system to the
test. But how can one not feel rewarded, rewarded by everything that has taken place, by their
gratitude getting to know them, by their joy, by the meeting with them that a hundred thousand
times say to you: Thank you! You have done more than could be imagined! We won't forget
this memorable experience that you have given us.
Above all, the faces of these young people which are beautiful faces, these young people
who seek values, you can already see that many of them have found Jesus Christ but it
is a path to be pursued.
There isn't a moment that I remember particularly, which is the increasing awareness of what
I was saying yesterday evening. Yesterday evening I was saying that
the Archbishop of Washington, Wuerl, at the world Synod of Bishops spoke of the tsunami
wave of secularisation. And yesterday afternoon I said to the young people that the Church
in order to deal with this tsunami must form an alliance with the most powerful men on
earth and these most powerful men on earth are young people, I was saying yesterday evening,
and therefore there isn't a special moment; simply that feel me strongly supported in
this awareness that New Evangelisation has to happen through young people.
There are
the basics. This is
the start. The starting point which we need for the continuation of our journey. The path is carved out. Now it's about starting
to follow it step by step with resoluteness, with conviction, and certainly on arriving
at the end of the path great wonders will await us.