Dear young people, good morning and welcome!

You have been invited to form part of the International Youth Advisory Body (IYAB).  Linked to the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, this Body aims to bring to the Holy See’s attention the “point of view of young people” on various issues that lie at the heart of the Church’s mission.  I thank you for your willingness, and for your efforts of these past few days to engage in dialogue and deliberation with the intention of offering your contribution to the Pope’s collaborators in the Roman Curia.  I would like to share three brief reflections with you on participation, synodality and mission.

Participation

In order to carry out your task, you are called, above all, to recognize that you are participating in the life and mission of the Church.  As you well know, this is a universal mission, meaning that it is directed to all men and women, from every part of the world and from every culture and social situation.  Where does authentic ecclesial participation come from?  I would say that it stems from being close to the Heart of Christ.  Its origin, then, is spiritual, not ideological or political.

Shortly before his death, Jesus prayed to the Father, as recounted in John’s Gospel in these words: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one” (Jn 17:20-21). Jesus is not only interested in the small circle of disciples in front of him; he looks beyond.  His thoughts turn to all people, including those who are far away and those who will come in the future.  He would like everyone to be open to the message of salvation that his disciples will bring, and for everyone to discover therein the unity of faith and mutual love.  In a word, the Lord always carries the whole world in his heart.  This is the source of participation.

Those who are close to Jesus, who become his friends through prayer, the Sacraments and daily life, begin to feel as he feels.  They begin to carry the whole world in their hearts: nothing is foreign to them and no person is indifferent to them.  They are concerned for, and touched by, the suffering of others, their needs and aspirations.  This gives rise to the desire to participate, to be part of the Church’s universal mission, which is directed to everyone.  This involvement is also a sign of human and spiritual maturity.  While children are only concerned with their own needs, mature persons know how to share the problems of others and make them their own.

You also are called to this maturity and are invited to “immerse” yourselves in Christ, so that you may feel as he feels and see as he sees.  In a particular way, you are interested in the hopes, dreams and difficulties of young people, of all the young people of our time.  I urge you to look upon them with Christ’s same compassion and try to envisage how the Church, inspired by faith, can go out to meet them.

Synodality

The second aspect is synodality.  You know that synodality is one of the ways of putting into practice the nature of the Church as communion.  In the image of the Holy Trinity, the Church is also a communion of persons, of the faithful of every age, language and nationality, who journey together, enriching one another and sharing their spiritual gifts.

In the synodal Church, therefore, we want to listen to what the Holy Spirit says to young people; we want to welcome their charisms, the gifts that are specific to their age and their sensibilities.

Young people, in the synodal Church, are also called to speak on behalf of their peers.  Through you, we want to hear the voices of the weak, the poor and the lonely, refugees and those who struggle to integrate into society, or to access educational opportunities.  All too often, these voices are drowned out by the noise of the powerful, the successful and those who live in “exclusive” realities.

At the same time, for young people, the synodal Church is also a challenge, a catalyst we might say, since it encourages them not to live their faith in isolation.  You know that in recent years many young people have approached the faith through social media, successful programs and popular online Christian witnesses.  The danger is that a faith discovered online is limited to individual experiences, which may be intellectually and emotionally reassuring, but are never “embodied.”  Such experiences remain “disembodied,” detached from the “ecclesial body.”  Nor are they lived alongside others in real-life situations, relationships or sharing.  All too often, social media algorithms merely create a sounding board for individuals, picking up on personal preferences and tastes, and “sending them back” magnified and enriched with appealing proposals.  Yet, everyone remains alone with themselves, prisoners of their own inclinations and projections.

In this sense, experiences of lived synodality overcome the barriers of the self and encourage young people to become effective members of the family of Jesus Christ.  They allow us to “live the faith together and to show our love by living in community and sharing with other young people our affection, our time, our faith and our troubles.  The Church offers many different possibilities for living our faith in community, for everything is easier when we do it together” (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit, 164).

Mission

The final aspect is mission.  Authentic synodality leads to mission.  Indeed, the action of the Holy Spirit lies at the heart of synodality.  It is not a question of the rules governing meetings.  Instead, it is about making room for God’s action by listening to the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit always seeks to guide us into all truth (cf. Jn 16:13), that we may ever more deeply welcome Jesus, who is the Truth.  The Spirit reminds us of everything Jesus has said to us (cf. Jn 14:26), and makes his words relevant today.  The Spirit, therefore, guides us towards mission.

You will also have the opportunity to experience how common prayer, listening and discussion can help you to understand how to make the Gospel present in today’s world.  Indeed, ecclesial discernment for mission means understanding, in every age, how to bring the Gospel to everyone.

All of this requires that you, young people, have open hearts, ready to listen both to the “inspirations” of the Spirit and the deep “aspirations” of each person.  You must look beyond appearances in order to seek the true answers that give meaning to life.  You must have hearts that are open to God’s call and not engrossed in your own plans, and are willing to understand and sympathize before forming judgements.  The concept of mission also entails freedom from fear, because the Lord loves to call us to forge new paths.  In this sense, as young people, you can be leaders of creativity and courage.

I thank you, then, for the contribution you will make to the mission, which will provide new energy and momentum to the missionary heart of the Church.  Your organization, in fact, is part of that wider spiritual movement that includes World Youth Day, regular youth ministry and new youth movements, and which keeps the Church forever young.

Dear young people, you represent many of your peers, and through you, they also can “speak” to the Church.  Be assured that your voice is heard and taken seriously.  Your presence and contribution are invaluable.  May the Holy Spirit guide you, enlighten you and strengthen you in the joy of Christian witness.  

And now, I will give my heartfelt blessing.