Address by His Holiness Pope Francis
at the Opening of the Synod of Bishops
on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment
at the Opening of the Synod of Bishops
on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment
" ........ Brothers and sisters, may the Synod awaken our hearts! The
present moment, and this applies also to the Church, appears to be laden
with struggles, problems, burdens. But our faith tells us that it is
also the kairos in which the Lord comes to meet us in order to
love us and call us to the fullness of life. The future is not a threat
to be feared, but is the time the Lord promises us when we will be able
to experience communion with him, with our brothers and sisters, and
with the whole of creation. We need to rediscover the reasons for our
hope and, above all, to pass them on to young people who are thirsting
for hope. As the Second Vatican Council
affirmed: “We can justly consider that the future of humanity lies in
the hands of those who are strong enough to provide coming generations
with reasons for living and hoping” (Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 31).
The meeting between generations can be extremely fruitful for giving
rise to hope. The prophet Joel teaches us this – I reminded young people
at the pre-Synod meeting – and I consider it the prophecy of our time: “Your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions” (2:28) and they will prophesy. .......
Do not let yourselves be tempted, therefore, by the “prophets of
doom”, do not spend your energy on “keeping score of failures and
holding on to reproaches”, keep your gaze fixed on the good that “often
makes no sound; it is neither a topic for blogs, nor front page news”,
and do not be afraid “before the wounds of Christ’s flesh, always
inflicted by sin and often by the children of the Church” (cf. Address
to Bishops participating in the course promoted by the Congregation for
Bishops and the Congregation for Oriental Churches, 13 September 2018).
Let us therefore work to “spend time with the future”, to take from
this Synod not merely a document – that generally is only read by a few
and criticized by many – but above all concrete pastoral proposals
capable of fulfilling the Synod’s purpose. In other words, to plant
dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to flourish,
inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a
dawn of hope, learn from one another, and create a bright
resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm hearts, give
strength to our hands, and inspire in young people – all young people,
with no one excluded – a vision of the future filled with the joy of the
Gospel... "
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