ADDRESS OF PAUL VI
TO THE 1971 CLASS OF WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS

Saturday, 18 December 1971

Dear friends,

We are pleased to welcome you, the 1971 Class of White House Fellows. We hope that your program this year is proving to be beneficial not only for yourselves, but also for your government. The dedicated and zealous efforts of young men and women are always a source of new vigor and creativity for institutions. Their ideals and energies are necessary for every organization, every society, every nation, because young people are especially sensitive to injustices and compassionate in the face of the afflictions endured by so many. Thus you are able to fulfill an important role for your country, since you are a part of that dialogue between the generations that is so essential for orderly progress and the establishment of authentic values.

It is our hope that your work now and later will help to enrich the life of the community, to promote peace and justice among all men and to bring about an ever greater realization of the fundamental and noble principles upon which your nation is built. Through you We greet your fellow-citizens and We assure all of you of Our prayers that Almighty God will grant you every blessing of wisdom and guidance as you share in the difficult but rewarding search to resolve the complex problems of our times.