Thank you for this greeting [from the Archbishop], thank you all for being here. Good morning, everyone!

And welcome to Saint Peter’s, to the Vatican, to Rome. You have come from Genoa, from several parishes. There is a parish that I know a bit more, which is Manesseno. Where are they? Are you here? Good! But you are all good! Welcome.

Good. One of the greatest joys for a bishop – in all dioceses, I think – is to celebrate Confirmation, because it is truly the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Some of you have already received the Sacrament; others are still preparing. But it is beautiful to receive this Sacrament, because the fullness of the Holy Spirit gives us this enthusiasm, this strength, this ability to follow Jesus Christ, to say “Yes” to the Lord always, to have no fear of following Him courageously, and to live our faith in a world that so often seeks to lead us away from Jesus.

And the Holy Spirit is with us in a special way next Sunday, when we celebrate Pentecost: the memorial of the experience of the first disciples, the apostles, who receive the Holy Spirit to then go on to proclaim the Gospel, to proclaim the love of God. And you will all take part in this mission, because we are all sent: to your families, to your friends, to all people. And you must be a living witness to the Spirit who dwells in us.

So, whilst conferring Confirmation is one of the greatest joys for a bishop, there is another aspect that is rather sad. It is that sometimes, when the bishop confers Confirmation—the gift of the Holy Spirit—you never see the young people again! They disappear from the parish. And in this regard, I would ask: pay particular attention to one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, known as perseverance. Do not forget what you have experienced during this time; let that joy also come to Rome, to celebrate together, to pray together; may this joy live in your hearts and may you continue to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ; may you persevere in the faith; may you return to the parish —there are so many activities, so many opportunities—but above all in the life of faith, because Jesus Christ wants to walk with you, with each one of you, and with all of you in community, which is so important. We do not live our faith alone; we live it together. And forming these bonds of friendship and community is a way of living out perseverance as disciples of Jesus.

So, do not forget this. It is good to come to Rome, it is beautiful to receive the Sacrament, it is wonderful to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit, but it is so important that each of you also makes this commitment, this promise to the Lord: that you truly wish to continue as His friends, His disciples, His missionaries, and that you wish to persevere in the faith. So I leave you with these words.

I invite you to stand up, so that we can pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us. Then I will give you the blessing, and I will greet some of you as you leave. May this day also be a great help to you in your journey of faith.

Let us pray: Our Father…

Blessing

Best wishes to you all.

____________________________ 

Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 16 May 2026