Dear young people,

It is on the shores of the Baltic, in Tallinn, that you are meeting this year for the 47th European Youth Meeting led by the Taizé Community. Pope Francis sends his warmest greetings to you, to the brothers of the Community, to the leaders of the various Christian confessions in Estonia and to all the people of good will who are welcoming you at the end of this year.

During his Apostolic Journey to the three Baltic States in 2018, the Holy Father met with young people in the Kaarli Lutheran Church in Tallinn, and he had these words that also describe what you are experiencing these days: “It is always good to meet, to share our life stories, and to share with one another our thoughts and hopes; it is wonderful, too, for us to come together as believers in Jesus Christ” (Ecumenical Meeting with Young People, 25 September 2018).

Coming together in a spirit of sharing and fraternity is all the more important in today's context, when our world is going through serious difficulties. Many countries are afflicted by violence and war, many people are victims of inhumane treatment, and others are disorientated by the inequalities in our societies and the ecological dangers.

These days in Tallinn, you want to ‘hope beyond hope’, according to the title of the letter that Brother Matthew, Prior of Taizé, has written for the coming year. This appeal, in tune with the theme of the Jubilee Year that will mark this year 2025, is also addressed to each and every one of you: “Walk in hope! Hope overcomes all weariness, every crisis and every worry. It gives us a powerful incentive to press forward, for it is a gift received from God Himself. The Lord fills our life with meaning, sheds light on our path and shows us its ultimate direction and goal” (Message for the 39^th World Youth Day, 24 November 2024).

Dear young people, the Holy Father is counting on you and reaffirms the trust that the Church has in you, because the universal Church needs all of you to proclaim the good news of God's love today. This is also the meaning of the synodal process undertaken by the Catholic Church, which has led to great progress in ecumenical friendship with our brothers and sisters of different Christian confessions.

Entrusting each of you and your families to the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Pope Francis wholeheartedly imparts his apostolic blessing to you, and entrusts himself to your prayers.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 28 December 2024