The Pope for young people in Rome: Be honest with yourselves

Catarina Agorilios – Vatican City

Pope Francis visited a parish on the outskirts of Rome on Friday afternoon to meet a group of young people preparing to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee Year.

On Friday afternoon, the Holy See Press Service published a statement from the Department for Evangelization, in which it explained that the meeting took place within the framework of the “School of Prayer” initiative, which works to prepare young Catholics for the Jubilee Year.

The Pope left the Vatican accompanied by the Dean of the Missionary Department, Archbishop Rino Fisichella. At 16.00 in the afternoon, I then traveled to the parish of St. Bernadette Soubirous in a suburb in the eastern part of Rome. The visit was part of the “Year of Prayer” initiative, and during the meeting the Pope answered questions from young people about their lives of faith and prayer.

This meeting comes after the meeting held on April 11 with 200 children preparing for their First Communion in the parish of San Giovanni Maria Viani.

Surprise visit

The Pope's visit to the parish was unexpected, and he was warmly welcomed by the young people gathered for their weekly meeting with catechists, youth group leaders and scouts, who all spoke to him and asked him several questions.

For example, a man, Tiziano, asked the Pope how to discern one's vocation, and the Pope replied:

“Each of us should ask ourselves this question, because the Lord has a plan for each of us. Everyone should try to understand what the Lord wants from us, ask Him. Ask the Lord in prayer: What do you want from me?” . And it's okay if you struggle to pray: sometimes all you have to do is stand before God. “He's watching us,” that's for sure.

friends

The Pope also stressed the importance of young people never walking alone and the importance of developing friendships.

“Sometimes we can get lost in the mazes of life. The most important thing to get out of a dark moment is not to walk alone, because alone you lose direction. It is important to talk about your situation.”

The Pope meets with young people

In motion

To the young man, who admitted that he did not believe in God, the Pope stressed the importance of embarking on the journey: “No one is condemned if he does not believe. It is important that we move. If you see a young man who does not move, who sits there in life, and does not like to move, this is sad, But if you see a young man falling into apathy and then moving on, it's just a hat tip, go ahead and achieve the ideal!”

A message of hope

In a conversation with a young couple, he expressed concern about Italy's low birth rates and the importance of life donation, which he stressed was “always a message of great hope.” Finally, he said that if the Church wanted to be credible “it must free itself from all worldliness.” He continued, “The values ​​of the Church are the values ​​of the Gospel, not the values ​​of a society that calls itself Catholic.”

In conclusion, the Pope thanked all those present and gave each of them a copy of the Jubilee Bull. Do not worry, In a new edition with an introduction by Monsignor Rino Fisichella.

Take risks with high ideals

The Pope said: “I thank you for your witness. I am very happy with your authenticity. Keep moving, be true to yourself, and always search for the path of life. One piece of advice: take risks in life, with high ideals.”