POPE BENEDICT XVI AT WORLD YOUTH DAY 18 - 21 August 2011All 14 Discourses of the
Holy Father
Apostolic Journey of Pope Benedict XVI to Madrid for 26th World Youth Day Address
at the Welcome Ceremony, Airport of Barajas, Madrid Thursday, 18 August 2011Your
Majesties, Your Eminence the Archbishop of Madrid, Your Eminences, Dear Brother Bishops
and Priests, Distinguished National, Autonomous Regional and Local Authorities, Dear
Brothers and Sisters of Madrid and of all Spain,I am grateful to Your Majesty for
your presence together with the Queen, and for the kind and deferential words with
which you welcomed me, reviving in me the unforgettable gestures of kindness which
I received during my previous Apostolic Journeys to Spain, and most particularly during
my recent Visit to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona. I greet very cordially those
of you gathered here at Barajas and those of you following this event on radio and
television. A very grateful greeting also goes to those who, with such commitment
and dedication, from the ecclesiastical and civil spheres, have contributed with their
efforts and work so that this World Youth Day in Madrid might unfold well and bring
forth abundant fruits. With all my heart I also wish to recognize the hospitality
so many families, parishes, schools and other institutions which have welcomed young
people from all over the world, firstly in various regions and cities of Spain, and
now in the great cosmopolitan and welcoming city of Madrid. I have come here to
meet thousands of young people from all over the world, Catholics committed to Christ
searching for the truth that will give real meaning to their existence. I come as
the Successor of Peter, to confirm them all in the faith, with days of intense pastoral
activity, proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life; to motivate
the commitment to build up the Kingdom of God in the world among us; to exhort young
people to know Christ personally as a friend and so, rooted in his person, to become
faithful followers and valiant witnesses. Why has this multitude of young people
come to Madrid? While they themselves should give the reply, it may be supposed that
they wish to hear the word of God, as the motto for this World Youth Day proposed
to them, in such a way that, rooted and built upon Christ, they may manifest the strength
of their faith. Many of them have heard the voice of God, perhaps only as a little
whisper, which has led them to search for him more diligently and to share with others
the experience of the force which he has in their lives. The discovery of the living
God inspires young people and opens their eyes to the challenges of the world in which
they live, with its possibilities and limitations. They see the prevailing superficiality,
consumerism and hedonism, the widespread banalization of sexuality, the lack of solidarity,
the corruption. They know that, without God, it would be hard to confront these challenges
and to be truly happy, and thus pouring out their enthusiasm in the attainment of
an authentic life. But, with God beside them, they will possess light to walk by and
reasons to hope, unrestrained before their highest ideals, which will motivate their
generous commitment to build a society where human dignity and true brotherhood are
respected. Here on this Day, they have a special opportunity to gather together their
aspirations, to share the richness of their cultures and experiences, motivate each
other along a journey of faith and life, in which some think they are alone or ignored
in their daily existence. But they are not alone. Many people of the same age have
the same aspirations and, entrusting themselves completely to Christ, know that they
really have a future before them and are not afraid of the decisive commitments which
fulfill their entire lives. That is why it gives me great joy to listen to them, pray
with them and celebrate the Eucharist with them. World Youth Day brings us a message
of hope like a pure and youthful breeze, with rejuvenating scents which fill us with
confidence before the future of the Church and the world. Of course, there is
no lack of difficulties. There are tensions and ongoing conflicts all over the world,
even to the shedding of blood. Justice and the unique value of the human person are
easily surrendered to selfish, material and ideological interests. Nature and the
environment, created by God with so much love, are not respected. Moreover, many young
people look worriedly to the future, as they search for work, or because they have
lost their job or because the one they have is precarious or uncertain. There are
others who need help either to avoid drugs or to recover from their use. There are
even some who, because of their faith in Christ, suffer discrimination which leads
to contempt and persecution, open or hidden, which they endure in various regions
and countries. They are harassed to give him up, depriving them of the signs of his
presence in public life, not allowing even the mention of his holy name. But, with
all my heart, I say again to you young people: let nothing and no one take away your
peace; do not be ashamed of the Lord. He did not spare himself in becoming one like
us and in experiencing our anguish so as to lift it up to God, and in this way he
saved us. In this regard, the young followers of Jesus must be aided to remain
firm in the faith and to embrace the beautiful adventure of proclaiming it and witnessing
to it openly with their lives. A witness that is courageous and full of love for their
brothers and sisters, resolute and at the same time prudent, without hiding its Christian
identity, living together with other legitimate choices in a spirit of respect while
at the same time demanding due respect for one’s own choices. Your Majesty, as
I reiterate my thanks for the kind welcome which you gave to me, I in turn wish to
express my esteem for and nearness to all the peoples of Spain, as well as my admiration
for a country so rich in history and in culture through the vitality of its faith,
which has borne fruit in so many saints over the centuries, in numerous men and women
who, leaving their native land, brought the Gospel to every corner of the globe, and
in people through all this land who act with rectitude, solidarity and goodness. It
is a great treasure which should be cared for constructively, for the common good
of today and in order to offer a bright horizon to future generations. Although there
are currently some reasons for concern, the greatest one is the desire for the betterment
of all Spaniards with that dynamism which characterizes them and to which their deep
and very fruitful Christian roots have contributed so much down through the centuries.
From this place I send very cordial greetings to you all, dear friends of Spain
and Madrid, and those of you from other lands. During these days I will be with you,
thinking of all young people in the world, in particular those who are going through
various kinds of trial. Entrusting this Meeting to the most holy Virgin Mary, and
to the patron saints of this Day, I ask God always to bless and protect the sons and
daughters of Spain. Thank you very much.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx APOSTOLIC
JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI TO MADRID 26th WORLD YOUTH DAY Welcome
Ceremony with Young People, Plaza de Cibeles, Madrid Initial address of
the Holy Father , Thursday, 18 August 2011Dear Young Friends, It is a great
joy for me to meet you here in the heart of this lovely city of Madrid, whose keys
the Lord Mayor has kindly presented me. Today Madrid is also the capital of the world’s
young people, and the gaze of the whole Church is fixed here. The Lord has brought
us together here so that during these days we can experience the beauty of World Youth
Day. Through your presence and your participation in these celebrations, the name
of Christ will echo throughout this great City. Let us pray that his message of hope
and love will also resound in the hearts of those who are not believers or who have
grown distant from the Church. Many thanks for the splendid welcome which you gave
me as I entered the City, as a sign of your love and closeness to the Successor of
Peter. I greet Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko, President of the Pontifical Council for
the Laity, and his staff in that Council, with gratitude for all the work which they
have done. I also thank Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, the Archbishop of Madrid,
for his kind words and for the efforts made by his Archdiocese, along with the other
Dioceses of Spain, in preparing this World Youth Day; my thanks also go to all those
in so many other Particular Churches throughout the world who have generously contributed
to its preparation. I express appreciation to the national, the autonomous regional
and the local authorities for their presence and for their generous help in ensuring
the good organization of this great event. My thanks go also to my brother Bishops,
the priests and seminarians, the consecrated men and women and all the faithful present
here today, who have helped to prepare the young people to experience these intense
days of pilgrimage towards an encounter with Christ. I offer all of you a heartfelt
greeting in the Lord and I repeat that it is a great blessing for me to be here with
you. May the flame of Christ’s love burn always bright in your hearts. [French]
Dear young French-speaking people, you have responded in great numbers to the Lord’s
call to come and meet him in Madrid. I congratulate you for this! Welcome to World
Youth Day! You have brought with you profound questions, and you are seeking answers.
It is always a good thing to keep seeking. Above all, seek the Truth, which is not
an idea or an ideology or a slogan, but a person: Christ, God himself, who has come
into our midst! You rightly wish to plant your faith in him, to ground your life in
Christ. He has always loved you and he knows you better than anyone else. May these
days so rich in prayer, teaching and encounters help you to rediscover this, so that
you may love him all the more. May Christ accompany you during this special time when,
all together, we shall sing his praises and offer him our prayers! [English] I
extend an affectionate greeting to the many English-speaking young people who have
come to Madrid. May these days of prayer, friendship and celebration bring us closer
to each other and to the Lord Jesus. Make trust in Christ’s word the foundation of
your lives! Planted and built up in him, firm in the faith and open to the power of
the Spirit, you will find your place in God’s plan and enrich the Church with your
gifts. Let us pray for one another, so that we may be joyful witnesses to Christ,
today and always. God bless you all! [German] Dear German-speaking friends! I greet
all of you with great affection. I am happy that you have come in such great numbers.
During these days we want together to confess our faith in Jesus Christ, to deepen
that faith and to pass it on. Let us realize ever anew that Jesus is the one who gives
true meaning to our lives. Let us open our hearts to Christ. May he grant all of us
a joyful and blessed time here in Madrid. [Italian] Dear young Italians! I greet
you with great affection and I am delighted that so many of you have come here, filled
with the joy of faith. Experience these days in a spirit of intense prayer and fraternity,
and testify to the vitality of the Church in Italy, its parishes, associations and
movements. Share this wealth with everyone. Thank you! [Portuguese] Dear young
people of the different countries whose official language is Portuguese, and all those
who accompany you, welcome to Madrid! I greet all of you with friendship and affection
and I invite you to draw close to the eternal source of your youth and to know the
absolute protagonist of this World Youth Day and – I hope – of your own lives: Christ
the Lord. In these days you will personally hear his word resound. Let this word into
your hearts, let it take root, and make it the foundation of your lives. Firm in the
faith, you will be a link in the great chain of believers. No one can believe without
being supported by the faith of others, and by my faith I also help to support others
in the faith. The Church needs you, and you need the Church. [Polish] I greet the
young people who have come from Poland, countrymen of Blessed John Paul II, the founder
of World Youth Day. I am delighted by your presence here in Madrid! I pray that these
will be good days, days of prayer, in which you will strengthen your relationship
with Jesus. May God’s Spirit guide youxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx APOSTOLIC
JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI TO MADRID 26th WORLD YOUTH DAY 2
B. Welcome Ceremony with Young People, Plaza de Cibeles, Madrid Homily of
the Holy Father, Thursday, 18 August 2011Dear Friends, Thank you for the kind
words addressed to me by the young people representing the five continents. And I
salute with affection all of you gathered here, young people from Oceania, Africa,
America, Asia and Europe; and also those unable to be here. I always keep you very
much in my heart and pray for you. God has given me the grace to see and hear you
for myself and, as we gather together, to listen to his word. In the reading which
has just been proclaimed, we heard a passage from the Gospel which talks of welcoming
the words of Jesus and putting them into practice. There are words which serve only
to amuse, as fleeting as an empty breeze; others, to an extent, inform us; those of
Jesus, on the other hand, must reach our hearts, take root and bloom there all our
lives. If not, they remain empty and become ephemeral. They do not bring us to him
and, as a result, Christ stays remote, just one voice among the many others around
us which are so familiar. Furthermore, the Master who speaks teaches, not something
learned from others, but that which he himself is, the only one who truly knows the
path of man towards God, because he is the one who opened it up for us, he made it
so that we might have authentic lives, lives which are always worth living, in every
circumstance, and which not even death can destroy. The Gospel continues, explaining
these things with the evocative image of someone who builds on solid rock, resistant
to the onslaught of adversity, and in contrast to someone who builds on sand - we
would say today in what appears a paradise - but which collapses with the first gust
of wind and falls into ruins. Dear young people, listen closely to the words of
the Lord, that they may be for you “spirit and life” (Jn 6:63), roots which nourish
your being, a rule of life which likens us - poor in spirit, thirsting for justice,
merciful, pure in heart, lovers of peace - to the person of Christ. Listen regularly
every day as if he were the one friend who does not deceive, the one with whom we
wish to share the path of life. Of course, you know that when we do not walk beside
Christ our guide, we get lost on other paths, like the path of our blind and selfish
impulses, or the path of flattering but self-serving suggestions, deceiving and fickle,
which leave emptiness and frustration in their wake. Use these days to know Christ
better and to make sure that, rooted in him, your enthusiasm and happiness, your desire
to go further, to reach the heights, even God himself, always hold a sure future,
because the fullness of life has already been placed within you. Let that life grow
with divine grace, generously and without half-measures, as you remain steadfast in
your aim for holiness. And, in the face of our weaknesses which sometimes overwhelm
us, we can rely on the mercy of the Lord who is always ready to help us again and
who offers us pardon in the sacrament of Penance. If you build on solid rock, not
only your life will be solid and stable, but it will also help project the light of
Christ shining upon those of your own age and upon the whole of humanity, presenting
a valid alternative to all those who have fallen short, because the essentials in
their lives were inconsistent; to all those who are content to follow fashionable
ideas, they take shelter in the here and now, forgetting true justice, or they take
refuge in their own opinions instead of seeking the simple truth. Indeed, there
are many who, creating their own gods, believe they need no roots or foundations other
than themselves. They take it upon themselves to decide what is true or not, what
is good and evil, what is just and unjust; who should live and who can be sacrificed
in the interests of other preferences; leaving each step to chance, with no clear
path, letting themselves be led by the whim of each moment. These temptations are
always lying in wait. It is important not to give in to them because, in reality,
they lead to something so evanescent, like an existence with no horizons, a liberty
without God. We, on the other hand, know well that we have been created free, in the
image of God, precisely so that we might be in the forefront of the search for truth
and goodness, responsible for our actions, not mere blind executives, but creative
co-workers in the task of cultivating and beautifying the work of creation. God is
looking for a responsible interlocutor, someone who can dialogue with him and love
him. Through Christ we can truly succeed and, established in him, we give wings to
our freedom. Is this not the great reason for our joy? Isn’t this the firm ground
upon which to build the civilization of love and life, capable of humanizing all of
us? Dear friends: be prudent and wise, build your lives upon the firm foundation
which is Christ. This wisdom and prudence will guide your steps, nothing will make
you fear and peace will reign in your hearts. Then you will be blessed and happy and
your happiness will influence others. They will wonder what the secret of your life
is and they will discover that the rock which underpins the entire building and upon
which rests your whole existence is the very person of Christ, your friend, brother
and Lord, the Son of God incarnate, who gives meaning to all the universe. He
died for us all, rising that we might have life, and now, from the throne of the Father,
he accompanies all men and women, watching continually over each one of us. I
commend the fruits of this World Youth Day to the most holy Virgin Mary, who said
“Yes” to the will of God, and teaches us a unique example of fidelity to her divine
son, whom she followed to his death upon the Cross. Let us meditate upon this more
deeply in the Stations of the Cross. And let us pray that, like her, our “Yes” to
Christ today may also be an unconditional “Yes” to his friendship, both at the end
of this Day and throughout our entire lives. Thank you very much. POPE BENEDICT
XVI AT WORLD YOUTH DAY - 19 Aug 2011
APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI TO MADRID 26th WORLD YOUTH DAY. Meeting with Young Women
ReligiousDear Young Women Religious, As part of the World Youth Day which we
are celebrating in Madrid, I am delighted to have this opportunity to meet you who
have consecrated your youth to the Lord, and I thank you for the kind greeting you
have given me. I also thank the Archbishop of Madrid, who arranged for this meeting
in the evocative setting of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Its famous
library preserves important editions of the sacred Scriptures and the monastic rules
of various religious families, yet your own lives of fidelity to the calling you have
received is itself a precious means of preserving the word of the Lord, which resounds
in your various spiritual traditions.Dear Sisters, every charism is an evangelical
word which the Holy Spirit recalls to the Church’s memory (cf. Jn 14:26). It is not
by accident that consecrated life “is born from hearing the word of God and embracing
the Gospel as its rule of life. A life devoted to following Christ in his chastity,
poverty and obedience becomes a living ‘exegesis’ of God’s word… Every charism and
every rule springs from it and seeks to be an expression of it, thus opening up new
pathways of Christian living marked by the radicalism of the Gospel” (Verbum Domini,
83). This Gospel radicalism means being “rooted and built up in Christ, and firm
in the faith” (cf. Col 2:7). In the consecrated life, this means going to the very
root of the love of Jesus Christ with an undivided heart, putting nothing ahead of
this love (cf. SAINT BENEDICT, Rule, IV, 21) and being completely devoted to him,
the Bridegroom, as were the Saints, like Rose of Lima and Rafael Arnáiz, the young
patrons of this World Youth Day. Your lives must testify to the personal encounter
with Christ which has nourished your consecration, and to all the transforming power
of that encounter. This is all the more important today when “we see a certain ‘eclipse
of God’ taking place, a kind of amnesia which, albeit not an outright rejection of
Christianity, is nonetheless a denial of the treasure of our faith, a denial that
could lead to the loss of our deepest identity” (Message for the 2011 World Youth
Day, 1). In a world of relativism and mediocrity, we need that radicalism to which
your consecration, as a way of belonging to the God who is loved above all things,
bears witness. This Gospel radicalism proper to the consecrated life finds expression
in filial communion with the Church, the home of the children of God, built by Christ:
communion with her Pastors who set forth in the Lord’s name the deposit of faith received
from the apostles, the ecclesial Magisterium and the Christian tradition; communion
with your own religious families as you gratefully preserve their authentic spiritual
patrimony while valuing other charisms; and communion with other members of the Church,
such as the laity, who are called to make their own specific calling a testimony to
the one Gospel of the Lord. Finally, Gospel radicalism finds expression in the
mission God has chosen to entrust to us: from the contemplative life, which welcomes
into its cloisters the word of God in eloquent silence and adores his beauty in the
solitude which he alone fills, to the different paths of the apostolic life, in whose
furrows the seed of the Gospel bears fruit in the education of children and young
people, the care of the sick and elderly, the pastoral care of families, commitment
to respect for life, witness to the truth and the proclamation of peace and charity,
mission work and the new evangelization, and so many other sectors of the Church’s
apostolate. Dear Sisters, this is the witness of holiness to which God is calling
you, as you follow Jesus Christ closely and unconditionally in consecration, communion
and mission. The Church needs your youthful fidelity, rooted and built up in Christ.
Thank you for your generous, total and perpetual “yes” to the call of the Loved One.
I pray that the Virgin Mary may sustain and accompany your consecrated youth, with
the lively desire that it will challenge, nourish and illumine all young people. With
these sentiments, I ask God to repay abundantly the generous contribution which consecrated
life has made to this World Youth Day. In his name, and with great gratitude, I give
you my affectionate blessing.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx APOSTOLIC
JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI TO MADRID 26th WORLD YOUTH DAY.
Meeting with Young University Professors, Basilica of the Monastery of San
Lorenzo de El Escorial Address of the Holy Father Friday, 19 August 2011Your
Eminence, My Brother Bishops, Dear Augustinian Fathers, Dear Professors, Distinguished
Authorities, Dear Friends,I have looked forward to this meeting with you, young professors
in the universities of Spain. You provide a splendid service in the spread of truth,
in circumstances that are not always easy. I greet you warmly and I thank you for
your kind words of welcome and for the music which has marvelously resounded in this
magnificent monastery, for centuries an eloquent witness to the life of prayer and
study. In this highly symbolic place, reason and faith have harmoniously blended in
the austere stone to shape one of Spain’s most renowned monuments. I also greet
with particular affection those of you who took part in the recent World Congress
of Catholic Universities held in Avila on the theme: “The Identity and Mission of
the Catholic University”. Being here with you, I am reminded of my own first steps
as a professor at the University of Bonn. At the time, the wounds of war were still
deeply felt and we had many material needs; these were compensated by our passion
for an exciting activity, our interaction with colleagues of different disciplines
and our desire to respond to the deepest and most basic concerns of our students.
This experience of a “Universitas” of professors and students who together seek the
truth in all fields of knowledge, or as Alfonso X the Wise put it, this “counsel of
masters and students with the will and understanding needed to master the various
disciplines” (Siete Partidas, partida II, tit. XXXI), helps us to see more clearly
the importance, and even the definition, of the University. The theme of the present
World Youth Day – “Rooted and Built Up in Christ, and Firm in the Faith” (cf. Col
2:7) can also shed light on your efforts to understand more clearly your own identity
and what you are called to do. As I wrote in my Message to Young People in preparation
for these days, the terms “rooted, built up and firm” all point to solid foundations
on which we can construct our lives (cf. No. 2). But where will young people encounter
those reference points in a society which is increasingly confused and unstable? At
times one has the idea that the mission of a university professor nowadays is exclusively
that of forming competent and efficient professionals capable of satisfying the demand
for labor at any given time. One also hears it said that the only thing that matters
at the present moment is pure technical ability. This sort of utilitarian approach
to education is in fact becoming more widespread, even at the university level, promoted
especially by sectors outside the University. All the same, you who, like myself,
have had an experience of the University, and now are members of the teaching staff,
surely are looking for something more lofty and capable of embracing the full measure
of what it is to be human. We know that when mere utility and pure pragmatism become
the principal criteria, much is lost and the results can be tragic: from the abuses
associated with a science which acknowledges no limits beyond itself, to the political
totalitarianism which easily arises when one eliminates any higher reference than
the mere calculus of power. The authentic idea of the University, on the other hand,
is precisely what saves us from this reductionist and curtailed vision of humanity. In
truth, the University has always been, and is always called to be, the “house” where
one seeks the truth proper to the human person. Consequently it was not by accident
that the Church promoted the universities, for Christian faith speaks to us of Christ
as the Word through whom all things were made (cf. Jn 1:3) and of men and women as
made in the image and likeness of God. The Gospel message perceives a rationality
inherent in creation and considers man as a creature participating in, and capable
of attaining to, an understanding of this rationality. The University thus embodies
an ideal which must not be attenuated or compromised, whether by ideologies closed
to reasoned dialogue or by truckling to a purely utilitarian and economic conception
which would view man solely as a consumer. Here we see the vital importance of
your own mission. You yourselves have the honour and responsibility of transmitting
the ideal of the University: an ideal which you have received from your predecessors,
many of whom were humble followers of the Gospel and, as such, became spiritual giants.
We should feel ourselves their successors, in a time quite different from their own,
yet one in which the essential human questions continue to challenge and stimulate
us. With them, we realize that we are a link in that chain of men and women committed
to teaching the faith and making it credible to human reason. And we do this not simply
by our teaching, but by the way we live our faith and embody it, just as the Word
took flesh and dwelt among us. Young people need authentic teachers: persons open
to the fullness of truth in the various branches of knowledge, persons who listen
to and experience in own hearts that interdisciplinary dialogue; persons who, above
all, are convinced of our human capacity to advance along the path of truth. Youth
is a privileged time for seeking and encountering truth. As Plato said: “Seek truth
while you are young, for if you do not, it will later escape your grasp” (Parmenides,
135d). This lofty aspiration is the most precious gift which you can give to your
students, personally and by example. It is more important than mere technical know-how,
or cold and purely functional data. I urge you, then, never to lose that sense
of enthusiasm and concern for truth. Always remember that teaching is not just about
communicating content, but about forming young people. You need to understand and
love them, to awaken their innate thirst for truth and their yearning for transcendence.
Be for them a source of encouragement and strength. For this to happen, we need
to realize in the first place that the path to the fullness of truth calls for complete
commitment: it is a path of understanding and love, of reason and faith. We cannot
come to know something unless we are moved by love; or, for that matter, love something
which does not strike us as reasonable. “Understanding and love are not in separate
compartments: love is rich in understanding and understanding is full of love” (Caritas
in Veritate, 30). If truth and goodness go together, so too do knowledge and love.
This unity leads to consistency in life and thought, that ability to inspire demanded
of every good educator. In the second place, we need to recognize that truth itself
will always lie beyond our grasp. We can seek it and draw near to it, but we cannot
completely possess it; or put better, truth possesses us and inspires us. In intellectual
and educational activity the virtue of humility is also indispensable, since it protects
us from the pride which bars the way to truth. We must not draw students to ourselves,
but set them on the path toward the truth which we seek together. The Lord will help
you in this, for he asks you to be plain and effective like salt, or like the lamp
which quietly lights the room (cf. Mt 5:13). All these things, finally, remind
us to keep our gaze fixed on Christ, whose face radiates the Truth which enlightens
us. Christ is also the Way which leads to lasting fulfillment; he walks constantly
at our side and sustains us with his love. Rooted in him, you will prove good guides
to our young people. With this confidence I invoke upon you the protection of the
Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom. May she help you to cooperate with her Son by living
a life which is personally satisfying and which brings forth rich fruits of knowledge
and faith for your students. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx APOSTOLIC
JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI TO MADRID 26th WORLD YOUTH DAY.
Way of the Cross with young people in the Plaza de Cibeles. Address of the
Holy Father Friday, 19 August 2011Dear Young People, We have celebrated this
Way of the Cross with fervour and devotion, following Christ along the path of his
passion and death. The commentaries of the Little Sisters of the Cross, who serve
the poor and most needy, have helped us enter into the mystery of Christ’s glorious
Cross, wherein is found God’s true wisdom which judges the world and judges those
who consider themselves wise (cf. 1 Cor 1:17-19). We have also been assisted on this
journey to Calvary by our contemplation of these wonderful images from the religious
patrimony of the Spanish dioceses. In these images, faith and art combine so as to
penetrate our heart and summon us to conversion. When faith’s gaze is pure and authentic,
beauty places itself at its service and is able to depict the mysteries of our salvation
in such a way as to move us profoundly and transform our hearts, as Saint Teresa of
Jesus herself experienced while contemplating an image of the wounded Christ (cf.
Autobiography, 9:1). As we were making our way with Jesus towards the place of
his sacrifice on Mount Calvary, the words of Saint Paul came to mind: “Christ loved
me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). In the face of such disinterested love, we
find ourselves asking, filled with wonder and gratitude: What can we do for him? What
response shall we give him? Saint John puts it succinctly: “By this we know love,
that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren”
(1 Jn 3:16). Christ’s passion urges us to take upon our own shoulders the sufferings
of the world, in the certainty that God is not distant or far removed from man and
his troubles. On the contrary, he became one of us “in order to suffer with man in
an utterly real way — in flesh and blood ... hence in all human suffering we are joined
by one who experiences and carries that suffering with us; hence con-solatio is present
in all suffering, the consolation of God's compassionate love — and so the star of
hope rises” (Spe Salvi, 39). Dear young friends, may Christ’s love for us increase
your joy and encourage you to go in search of those less fortunate. You are open to
the idea of sharing your lives with others, so be sure not to pass by on the other
side in the face of human suffering, for it is here that God expects you to give of
your very best: your capacity for love and compassion. The different forms of suffering
that have unfolded before our eyes in the course of this Way of the Cross are the
Lord’s way of summoning us to spend our lives following in his footsteps and becoming
signs of his consolation and salvation. “To suffer with the other and for others;
to suffer for the sake of truth and justice; to suffer out of love and in order to
become a person who truly loves — these are fundamental elements of humanity, and
to abandon them would destroy man himself” (ibid.). Let us eagerly welcome these
teachings and put them into practice. Let us look upon Christ, hanging on the harsh
wood of the Cross, and let us ask him to teach us this mysterious wisdom of the Cross,
by which man lives. The Cross was not a sign of failure, but an expression of self-giving
in love that extends even to the supreme sacrifice of one’s life. The Father wanted
to show his love for us through the embrace of his crucified Son: crucified out of
love. The Cross, by its shape and its meaning, represents this love of both the Father
and the Son for men. Here we recognize the icon of supreme love, which teaches us
to love what God loves and in the way that he loves: this is the Good News that gives
hope to the world. Let us turn our gaze now to the Virgin Mary, who was given to
us on Calvary to be our Mother, and let us ask her to sustain us with her loving protection
along the path of life, particularly when we pass through the night of suffering,
so that we may be able to remain steadfast, as she did, at the foot of the Cross. POPE
BENEDICT XVI AT WORLD YOUTH DAY - 20 Aug 2011 Homily at the Mass with the
SeminariansYour Eminence the Archbishop of Madrid, Dear Brother Bishops, Dear
Priests and Religious, Dear Rectors and Formators, Dear Seminarians, Dear Friends, I
am very pleased to celebrate Holy Mass with you who aspire to be Christ’s priests
for the service of the Church and of man, and I thank you for the kind words with
which you welcomed me. Today, this holy cathedral church of Santa María La Real de
la Almudena is like a great Upper Room, where the Lord greatly desires to celebrate
the Passover with you who wish one day to preside in his name at the mysteries of
salvation. Looking at you, I again see proof of how Christ continues to call young
disciples and to make them his apostles, thus keeping alive the mission of the Church
and the offer of the Gospel to the world. As seminarians you are on the path towards
a sacred goal: to continue the mission which Christ received from the Father. Called
by him, you have followed his voice and, attracted by his loving gaze, you now advance
towards the sacred ministry. Fix your eyes upon him who through his incarnation is
the supreme revelation of God to the world and who through his resurrection faithfully
fulfills his promise. Give thanks to him for this sign of favour in which he holds
each one of you. The first reading which we heard shows us Christ as the new and
eternal priest who made of himself a perfect offering. The response to the psalm may
be aptly applied to him since, at his coming into the world, he said to the Father,
“Here I am to do your will” (cf. Ps 39:8). He tried to please him in all things: in
his words and actions, along the way or welcoming sinners. His life was one of service
and his longing was a constant prayer, placing himself in the name of all before the
Father as the first-born son of many brothers and sisters. The author of the Letter
to the Hebrews states that, by a single offering, he brought to perfection for all
time those of us who are called to share his sonship (cf. Heb 10:14). The Eucharist,
whose institution is mentioned in the Gospel just proclaimed (cf. Lk 22:14-20), is
the real expression of that unconditional offering of Jesus for all, even for those
who betrayed him. It was the offering of his body and blood for the life of mankind
and for the forgiveness of sins. His blood, a sign of life, was given to us by God
as a covenant, so that we might apply the force of his life wherever death reigns
due to our sins, and thus destroy it. Christ’s body broken and his blood outpoured
– the surrender of his freedom – became through these Eucharistic signs the new source
of mankind’s redeemed freedom. In Christ, we have the promise of definitive redemption
and the certain hope of future blessings. Through Christ we know that we are not walking
towards the abyss, the silence of nothingness or death, but are rather pilgrims on
the way to a promised land, on the way to him who is our end and our beginning. Dear
friends, you are preparing yourselves to become apostles with Christ and like Christ,
and to accompany your fellow men and women along their journey as companions and servants.
How should you behave during these years of preparation? First of all, they should
be years of interior silence, of unceasing prayer, of constant study and of gradual
insertion into the pastoral activity and structures of the Church. A Church which
is community and institution, family and mission, the creation of Christ through his
Holy Spirit, as well as the result of those of us who shape it through our holiness
and our sins. God, who does not hesitate to make of the poor and of sinners his friends
and instruments for the redemption of the human race, willed it so. The holiness of
the Church is above all the objective holiness of the very person of Christ, of his
Gospel and his sacraments, the holiness of that power from on high which enlivens
and impels it. We have to be saints so as not to create a contradiction between the
sign that we are and the reality that we wish to signify. Meditate well upon this
mystery of the Church, living the years of your formation in deep joy, humbly, clear-mindedly
and with radical fidelity to the Gospel, in an affectionate relation to the time spent
and the people among whom you live. No one chooses the place or the people to whom
he is sent, and every time has its own challenges; but in every age God gives the
right grace to face and overcome those challenges with love and realism. That is why,
no matter the circumstances in which he finds and however difficult they may be, the
priest must grow in all kinds of good works, keeping alive within him the words spoken
on his Ordination day, by which he was exhorted to model his life on the mystery of
the Lord’s cross. To be modeled on Christ, dear seminarians, is to be identified
ever more closely with him who, for our sake, became servant, priest and victim. To
be modeled on him is in fact the task upon which the priest spends his entire life.
We already know that it is beyond us and we will not fully succeed but, as St Paul
says, we run towards the goal, hoping to reach it (cf. Phil 3:12-14). That said,
Christ the High Priest is also the Good Shepherd who cares for his sheep, even giving
his life for them (cf. Jn 10:11). In order to liken yourselves to the Lord in this
as well, your heart must mature while in seminary, remaining completely open to the
Master. This openness, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit, inspires the decision to
live in celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and, leaving aside the world’s
goods, live in austerity of life and sincere obedience, without pretense. Ask him
to let you imitate him in his perfect charity towards all, so that you do not shun
the excluded and sinners, but help them convert and return to the right path. Ask
him to teach you how to be close to the sick and the poor in simplicity and generosity.
Face this challenge without anxiety or mediocrity, but rather as a beautiful way of
living our human life in gratuitousness and service, as witnesses of God made man,
messengers of the supreme dignity of the human person and therefore its unconditional
defenders. Relying on his love, do not be intimidated by surroundings that would exclude
God and in which power, wealth and pleasure are frequently the main criteria ruling
people’s lives. You may be shunned along with others who propose higher goals or who
unmask the false gods before whom many now bow down. That will be the moment when
a life deeply rooted in Christ will clearly be seen as something new and it will powerfully
attract those who truly search for God, truth and justice. Under the guidance
of your formators, open your hearts to the light of the Lord, to see if this path
which demands courage and authenticity is for you. Approach the priesthood only if
you are firmly convinced that God is calling you to be his ministers, and if you are
completely determined to exercise it in obedience to the Church’s precepts. With
this confidence, learn from him who described himself as meek and humble of heart,
leaving behind all earthly desire for his sake so that, rather than pursuing your
own good, you build up your brothers and sisters by the way you live, as did the patron
saint of the diocesan clergy of Spain, St John of Avila. Moved by his example, look
above all to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests. She will know how to mould your hearts
according to the model of Christ, her divine Son, and she will teach you how to treasure
forever all that he gained on Calvary for the salvation of the world. Amenxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Meeting
with the Organising Committees of the WYDDear Friends, I am pleased to welcome
you to the Apostolic Nunciature, and to thank you warmly for all that you have done
for the organization of this World Youth Day. I know very well that, from the moment
that it was made public that the Archdiocese of Madrid had been chosen as the centre
for this initiative, His Eminence Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela launched the
work of the Local Organizing Committee in which all those responsible for the different
areas involved in an undertaking of this size worked together, coordinated by Bishop
César Augusto Franco Martínez, with a deep sense of ecclesial belonging and an extraordinary
affection for the Vicar of Christ. Only love for the Church and zeal to evangelize
young people can explain this generous commitment of time and energy, which will bear
much apostolic fruit. Over the months you have offered your best to the service of
the Church’s mission. May God reward you for it a hundredfold, and not just you but
your families and your institutions which with self-sacrifice have supported your
dedication and care. Since Jesus tells us that not even a cup of water given in his
name will go without reward, how much more will be rewarded the daily and unceasing
contribution to the organization of a church event of such importance as the one we
are now celebrating! Thank you to each one of you. Similarly, I wish to offer my
thanks to the members of the Mixed Commission formed by the Archdiocese of Madrid
and the national Government offices, the Community of Madrid and the City Hall which,
since the beginning of this World Youth Day, was set up with its gaze fixed upon the
hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims coming to Madrid, a city open, beautiful and
welcoming. Certainly, without this diligent cooperation, it would not have been possible
to realize an event of such complexity and importance. In this regard, I know that
many groups placed themselves at the disposal of the Local Organizing Committee, sparing
no effort and in an atmosphere of friendly cooperation, which is a credit to this
noble nation and to the well-known spirit of hospitality of the Spanish people. The
effectiveness of the Commission shows that cooperation between the Church and local
authorities is possible, and not only when they work together on an initiative of
such great significance, like the present one, proving the principle that good things
bring us together. For this reason, I would like to express to the representatives
of the various institutions that have worked boldly for the success of this World
Day, my warm and heartfelt thanks in the name of the Church and of the young people
who are now enjoying your welcome and diligence. Upon all of you, as well as upon
your families and institutions, I invoke the Lord’s abundant blessings. Thank you
very much.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Visit
of the Foundation Institute of San JoseYour Eminence, Dear Brother Bishops, Dear
Priests and Religious of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, Distinguished
Authorities, Dear Young People, Family Members and Volunteers, I thank you most
sincerely for your kind greeting and heartfelt welcome. This evening, just before
the Prayer Vigil with the young people from throughout the world gathered in Madrid
for this World Youth Day, we have this chance to spend time together as a way of showing
the Pope’s closeness and esteem for each of you, for your families and for all those
who help and care for you in this Foundation of Saint Joseph’s Institute. Youth,
as I have said more than once, is the age when life discloses itself to us with all
its rich possibilities, inspiring us to seek the lofty goals which give it meaning.
So when suffering appears on the horizon of a young life, we are shaken; perhaps we
ask ourselves: “Can life still be something grand, even when suffering unexpectedly
enters it?” In my Encyclical on Christian Hope, I observed that “the true measure
of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer
… A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to share
their suffering and to bear it inwardly through ‘com-passion’ is a cruel and inhuman
society” (Spe Salvi, 38). These words reflect a long tradition of humanity which arises
from Christ’s own self-offering on the Cross for us and for our redemption. Jesus
and, in his footsteps, his Sorrowful Mother and the saints, are witnesses who shows
us how to experience the tragedy of suffering for our own good and for the salvation
of the world. These witnesses speak to us, first and foremost, of the dignity of
all human life, created in the image of God. No suffering can efface this divine image
imprinted in the depths of our humanity. But there is more: because the Son of God
wanted freely to embrace suffering and death, we are also capable of seeing God’s
image in the face of those who suffer. This preferential love of the Lord for the
suffering helps us to see others more clearly and to give them, above and beyond their
material demands, the look of love which they need. But this can only happen as the
fruit of a personal encounter with Christ. You yourselves – as religious, family members,
health care professionals and volunteers who daily live and work with these young
people – know this well. Your lives and your committed service proclaim the greatness
to which every human being is called: to show compassion and loving concern to the
suffering, just as God himself did. In your noble work we hear an echo of the words
found in the Gospel: “just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,
you did it to me” (Mt 25:40) At the same time, you are also witnesses of the immense
goodness which the lives of these young people represent for those who love them,
and for humanity as a whole. In a mysterious yet real way, their presence awakens
in our often hardened hearts a tenderness which opens us to salvation. The lives of
these young people surely touch human hearts and for that reason we are grateful to
the Lord for having known them. Dear friends, our society, which all too often
questions the inestimable value of life, of every life, needs you: in a decisive way
you help to build the civilization of love. What is more, you play a leading role
in that civilization. As sons and daughters of the Church, you offer the Lord your
lives, with all their ups and downs, cooperating with him and somehow becoming “part
of the treasury of compassion so greatly needed by the human race” (Spe Salvi, 40). With
great affection, and through the intercession of Saint Joseph, Saint John of God and
Saint Benito Menni, I commend you to God our Lord: may he be your strength and your
reward. As a pledge of his love, I cordially impart to you, and to your families and
friends, my Apostolic Blessing.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Homily
at the Vigil of Prayer With Young People at Cuatro VientosDear Young Friends,I
greet all of you, especially the young people who have asked me their questions, and
I thank them for the sincerity with which they set forth their concerns, that express
the longing which all of you have to achieve something great in life, something which
can bring you fulfillment and happiness. How can a young person be true to the
faith and yet continue to aspire to high ideals in today’s society? In the Gospel
we have just heard, Jesus gives us an answer to this urgent question: “As the Father
has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love” (Jn 15:9). Yes, dear friends,
God loves us. This is the great truth of our life; it is what makes everything else
meaningful. We are not the product of blind chance or absurdity; instead our life
originates as part of a loving plan of God. To abide in his love, then, means living
a life rooted in faith, since faith is more than the mere acceptance of certain abstract
truths: it is an intimate relationship with Christ, who enables us to open our hearts
to this mystery of love and to live as men and women conscious of being loved by God.
If you abide in the love of Christ, rooted in the faith, you will encounter, even
amid setbacks and suffering, the source of true happiness and joy. Faith does not
run counter to your highest ideals; on the contrary, it elevates and perfects those
ideals. Dear young people, do not be satisfied with anything less than Truth and Love,
do not be content with anything less than Christ. Nowadays, although the dominant
culture of relativism all around us has given up on the search for truth, even if
it is the highest aspiration of the human spirit, we need to speak with courage and
humility of the universal significance of Christ as the Saviour of humanity and the
source of hope for our lives. He who took upon himself our afflictions, is well acquainted
with the mystery of human suffering and manifests his loving presence in those who
suffer. They in their turn, united to the passion of Christ, share closely in his
work of redemption. Furthermore, our disinterested attention towards the sick and
the forgotten will always be a humble and warm testimony of God’s compassionate regard.
Dear friends, may no adversity paralyze you. Be afraid neither of the world, nor
of the future, nor of your weakness. The Lord has allowed you to live in this moment
of history so that, by your faith, his name will continue to resound throughout the
world. During this prayer vigil, I urge you to ask God to help you find your vocation
in society and in the Church, and to persevere in that vocation with joy and fidelity.
It is a good thing to open our hearts to Christ’s call and to follow with courage
and generosity the path he maps out for us. The Lord calls many people to marriage,
in which a man and a woman, in becoming one flesh (cf. Gen 2:24), find fulfillment
in a profound life of communion. It is a prospect that is both bright and demanding.
It is a project for true love which is daily renewed and deepened by sharing joys
and sorrows, one marked by complete self-giving. For this reason, to acknowledge the
beauty and goodness of marriage is to realize that only a setting of fidelity and
indissolubility, along with openness to God’s gift of life, is adequate to the grandeur
and dignity of marital love. Christ calls others to follow him more closely in
the priesthood or in consecrated life. It is hard to put into words the happiness
you feel when you know that Jesus seeks you, trusts in you, and with his unmistakable
voice also says to you: “Follow me!” (cf. Mk 2:14). Dear young people, if you
wish to discover and to live faithfully the form of life to which the Lord is calling
each of you, you must remain in his love as his friends. And how do we preserve friendship
except through frequent contact, conversation, being together in good times and bad?
Saint Teresa of Jesus used to say that prayer is just such “friendly contact, often
spending time alone with the one who we know loves us” (cf. Autobiography, 8). And
so I now ask you to “abide” in the adoration of Christ, truly present in the Eucharist.
I ask you to enter into conversation with him, to bring before him your questions
and to listen to his voice. Dear friends, I pray for you with all my heart. And I
ask you to pray for me. Tonight let us ask the Lord to grant that, attracted by the
beauty of his love, we may always live faithfully as his disciples. Amen. [French]
Dear young French-speakers, be proud of the gift of faith which you have received,
as it will illumine your life at every moment. Draw strength from the faith of your
neighbours, from the faith of the Church! Through faith we are grounded in Christ.
Gather with others to deepen it, be faithful to the celebration of the Eucharist,
the mystery of faith par excellence. Christ alone can respond to your aspirations.
Let yourselves be seized by God, so that your presence in the Church will give her
new life! [English] Dear young people, in these moments of silence before the Blessed
Sacrament, let us raise our minds and hearts to Jesus Christ, the Lord of our lives
and of the future. May he pour out his Spirit upon us and upon the whole Church, that
we may be a beacon of freedom, reconciliation and peace for the whole world. [German]
Dear young Christians from the German-speaking countries! Deep in our hearts we yearn
for what is grand and beautiful in life. Do not let your desires and aspirations dissipate,
but ground them in Jesus Christ. He himself is the sure foundation, the point of reference,
for building up your life. [Italian] I now turn to the Italian-speaking young
people. Dear friends, this vigil will remain as an unforgettable experience in your
lives. Guard the flame which God has lit in your hearts tonight. Never let it go out,
renew it each day, share it with your contemporaries who live in darkness and who
are seeking a light for their way. Thank you! Until tomorrow morning! [Portuguese]
My dear friends, I invite each of you to enter into a personal dialogue with Christ,
sharing with him your hesitations and above all listening to his voice. The Lord is
here and he is calling you! Young friends, it is good to hear within us the word of
Jesus and to follow in his footsteps. Ask the Lord to help you to discover your vocation
in life and in the Church, and to persevere in it with joy and fidelity, knowing that
he never abandons you or betrays you! He remains with us until the end of the world.
[Polish] Dear young friends from Poland! This prayer vigil is filled with the
presence of Christ. Grounded in his love, draw near to him with the flame of your
faith. He will fill your hearts with his life. Build your lives on Christ and on his
Gospel. I willingly bless all of you.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx POPE
BENEDICT XVI AT WORLD YOUTH DAY - 21 Aug 2011 Homily at the Final Mass,
Cuatro Vientos Air Base Angelus at Cuatro Vientos; Greeting to the Volunteers,WYDAddress
at the Departure Ceremony, Barajas Airport Dear Young People, In this celebration
of the Eucharist we have reached the high point of this World Youth Day. Seeing you
here, gathered in such great numbers from all parts of the world, fills my heart with
joy. I think of the special love with which Jesus is looking upon you. Yes, the Lord
loves you and calls you his friends (cf. Jn 15:15). He goes out to meet you and he
wants to accompany you on your journey, to open the door to a life of fulfillment
and to give you a share in his own closeness to the Father. For our part, we have
come to know the immensity of his love and we want to respond generously to his love
by sharing with others the joy we have received. Certainly, there are many people
today who feel attracted by the figure of Christ and want to know him better. They
realize that he is the answer to so many of our deepest concerns. But who is he really?
How can someone who lived on this earth so long ago have anything in common with me
today? The Gospel we have just heard (cf. Mt 16:13-20) suggests two different ways
of knowing Christ. The first is an impersonal knowledge, one based on current opinion.
When Jesus asks: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”, the disciples answer:
“Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of
the prophets”. In other words, Christ is seen as yet another religious figure, like
those who came before him. Then Jesus turns to the disciples and asks them: “But who
do you say that I am?” Peter responds with what is the first confession of faith:
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”. Faith is more than just empirical
or historical facts; it is an ability to grasp the mystery of Christ’s person in all
its depth. Yet faith is not the result of human effort, of human reasoning, but
rather a gift of God: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has
not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven”. Faith starts with God, who opens
his heart to us and invites us to share in his own divine life. Faith does not simply
provide information about who Christ is; rather, it entails a personal relationship
with Christ, a surrender of our whole person, with all our understanding, will and
feelings, to God’s self-revelation. So Jesus’ question: “But who do you say that I
am?”, is ultimately a challenge to the disciples to make a personal decision in his
regard. Faith in Christ and discipleship are strictly interconnected. And, since
faith involves following the Master, it must become constantly stronger, deeper and
more mature, to the extent that it leads to a closer and more intense relationship
with Jesus. Peter and the other disciples also had to grow in this way, until their
encounter with the Risen Lord opened their eyes to the fullness of faith. Dear
young people, today Christ is asking you the same question which he asked the Apostles:
“Who do you say that I am?” Respond to him with generosity and courage, as befits
young hearts like your own. Say to him: “Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God,
who have given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by
your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole
life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which
never leaves me”. Jesus’ responds to Peter’s confession by speaking of the Church:
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church”. What do
these words mean? Jesus builds the Church on the rock of the faith of Peter, who confesses
that Christ is God. The Church, then, is not simply a human institution, like
any other. Rather, she is closely joined to God. Christ himself speaks of her as “his”
Church. Christ cannot be separated from the Church any more than the head can be separated
from the body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12). The Church does not draw her life from herself, but
from the Lord. Dear young friends, as the Successor of Peter, let me urge you
to strengthen this faith which has been handed down to us from the time of the Apostles.
Make Christ, the Son of God, the centre of your life. But let me also remind you that
following Jesus in faith means walking at his side in the communion of the Church.
We cannot follow Jesus on our own. Anyone who would be tempted to do so “on his own”,
or to approach the life of faith with kind of individualism so prevalent today, will
risk never truly encountering Jesus, or will end up following a counterfeit Jesus. Having
faith means drawing support from the faith of your brothers and sisters, even as your
own faith serves as a support for the faith of others. I ask you, dear friends, to
love the Church which brought you to birth in the faith, which helped you to grow
in the knowledge of Christ and which led you to discover the beauty of his love. Growing
in friendship with Christ necessarily means recognizing the importance of joyful participation
in the life of your parishes, communities and movements, as well as the celebration
of Sunday Mass, frequent reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation, and the cultivation
of personal prayer and meditation on God’s word. Friendship with Jesus will also
lead you to bear witness to the faith wherever you are, even when it meets with rejection
or indifference. We cannot encounter Christ and not want to make him known to others.
So do not keep Christ to yourselves! Share with others the joy of your faith. The
world needs the witness of your faith, it surely needs God. I think that the presence
here of so many young people, coming from all over the world, is a wonderful proof
of the fruitfulness of Christ’s command to the Church: “Go into all the world and
proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15). You too have been given the
extraordinary task of being disciples and missionaries of Christ in other lands and
countries filled with young people who are looking for something greater and, because
their heart tells them that more authentic values do exist, they do not let themselves
be seduced by the empty promises of a lifestyle which has no room for God. Dear
young people, I pray for you with heartfelt affection. I commend all of you to the
Virgin Mary and I ask her to accompany you always by her maternal intercession and
to teach you how to remain faithful to God’s word. I ask you to pray for the Pope,
so that, as the Successor of Peter, he may always confirm his brothers and sisters
in the faith. May all of us in the Church, pastors and faithful alike, draw closer
to the Lord each day. May we grow in holiness of life and be effective witnesses to
the truth that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God, the Saviour of all mankind and
the living source of our hope. Amen.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Angelus
at Cuatro VientosDear Friends,You are now about to go back home. Your friends
will want to know how you have changed after being in this lovely city with the Pope
and with hundreds of thousands of other young people from around the world. What are
you going to tell them? I invite you to give a bold witness of Christian living to
them. In this way you will give birth to new Christians and will help the Church grow
strongly in the hearts of many others. During these days, how often I have thought
of the young people at home who are waiting for your return! Take my affectionate
greetings to them, to those less fortunate, to your families and to the Christian
communities that you come from. Let me also express my gratitude to the Bishops
and priests who are present in such great numbers at this Day. To them all I extend
my deepest thanks, encouraging them to continue to work pastorally among young people
with enthusiasm and dedication. [Spanish] I greet the Archbishop of the Forces
affectionately and I warmly thank the Spanish Air Force, which very generously permitted
Cuatro Vientos Air Base on this, the centenary of the foundation of the Spanish Air
Force. I place all Spanish Air Force personnel and their families under the maternal
protection of Our Lady of Loreto. In this context, I recall that yesterday marked
the third anniversary of the grave accident at Barajas Airport which caused many deaths
and injuries, and I express my spiritual closeness and my deep affection for all those
touched by that unfortunate event, and well as for the families of the victims, whose
souls we commend to the mercy of God. I am pleased now to announce that the next
World Youth Day will be held in 2013, in Rio de Janeiro. Even now, let us ask the
Lord to assist all those who will organize it, and to ease the journey there of young
people from all over the world, so that they will be able to join me in that beautiful
city of Brazil. Dear friends, before we say good-bye, and while the young people
of Spain pass on the World Youth Day cross to the young people of Brazil, as Successor
of Peter I entrust all of you present with this task: make the knowledge and love
of Jesus Christ known to the whole world! He wants you to be the apostles of the twenty-first
century and the messengers of his joy. Do not let him down! Thank you very much.
[French]
My dear young people of the French-speaking world, today Christ asks you to be rooted
in him and with him, to build your lives upon him who is our rock. He sends you out
to be his witnesses, courageous and without anxiety, authentic and credible! Do not
be afraid to be Catholic, and to be witnesses to those around you in simplicity and
sincerity! Let the Church find in you and in your youthfulness joyful missionaries
of the Good News of salvation! [English] I greet all the English-speaking young
people present here today! As you return home, take back with you the good news of
Christ’s love which we have experienced in these unforgettable days. Fix your eyes
upon him, deepen your knowledge of the Gospel and bring forth abundant fruit! God
bless all of you until we meet again! [German] My dear friends! Faith is not a
theory. To believe is to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus and to live
in friendship with him in fellowship with others, in the communion of the Church.
Entrust the whole of your lives to Christ and bring your friends to find their way
to the source of life, to God. May the Lord make you happy and joy-filled witnesses
of his love. [Italian] My dear young Italians! Greetings to all of you. The Eucharist
that we have celebrated is the risen Christ present and living in our midst: through
him, your lives are rooted and built upon Christ, strong in faith. With this confidence,
depart from Madrid and tell everyone what you have seen and heard. Respond with joy
to the Lord’s call, follow him and remain always united to him: you will bear much
fruit! [Portuguese] Dear Portuguese-speaking young people and friends, you have
met Jesus Christ! You will be swimming against the tide in a society with a relativistic
culture which wishes neither to seek nor hold on to the truth. But it was for this
moment in history, with its great challenges and opportunities, that the Lord sent
you, so that, through your faith, the Good News of Jesus might continue to resound
throughout the earth. I hope to see you again in two years’ time at the nest World
Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Till then, let us pray for each other, witnessing
to the joy that brings forth life, rooted in and built upon Christ. Until we meet
again, my dear young people! God bless you all! [Polish] Dear young Poles, strong
in the faith, rooted in Christ! May the gifts you have received from God during these
days bear in you abundant fruit. Be his witnesses. Take to others the message of the
Gospel. With your prayers and example of life, help Europe to rediscover its Christian
roots. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Greeting
to the Volunteers of World Youth DayDear Volunteers, As the events of this unforgettable
World Youth Day draw to a close, I wanted to come here, before my return to Rome,
to thank you personally for all your invaluable help. It is both a matter of justice
and a heartfelt duty. A matter of justice because, thanks to your cooperation, the
young pilgrims enjoyed a warm welcome and were assisted in their every need. Your
service gave World Youth Day a face of kindness, friendship and neighbourly concern. My
gratitude is also a heartfelt duty, not only because you were so attentive to the
pilgrims, but also to the Pope, to me! At every event in which I took part, you were
there: some were highly visible, while others stayed in the background, helping to
ensure that everything took place in an orderly fashion. I also want to mention all
the effort that went into preparing for these days. All the sacrifices, all the love.
Everybody did his or her best, by work and prayer, to weave, stitch by stitch, the
magnificent, colourful tapestry of this World Youth Day. Many thanks for your dedicated
service. I am grateful for this great sign of your love. Many of you had to give
up participating directly in the events, because you were engaged in the work of organization.
But this sacrifice was itself a beautiful and evangelical way to take part in the
celebrations: you gave yourselves to others, as Jesus tells us to do. In a real way
sense you brought to life the Lord’s words: “Whoever wants to be first must be the
last of all and servant of all” (Mk 9:35). I am certain that your experience as volunteers
has enriched all of you in your Christian life, which in the end is a service to love.
The Lord will turn all the weariness, the worries and the burdens of these days into
a source of growth in the Christian virtues: patience, meekness, joy in self-giving
and eagerness to do God’s will. To love means to serve, and service increases love.
For me, this is one of the finest fruits of your contribution to World Youth Day.
But you will not be the only ones who reap this harvest: the whole Church, as a mystery
of communion, is enriched by the contribution of each of her members. As you now
go back to your everyday lives, I ask you to treasure this joy-filled experience in
your hearts and to grow each day in giving yourselves to God and to others. Perhaps
many of you felt a very simple question forming in your hearts, faintly or forcefully
as the case may be: What is God asking me to do? What is his plan for my life? Is
Christ asking me to follow him more closely? Should I not spend my whole life in the
mission to proclaim to the world the greatness of his love through the priesthood,
or the consecrated life, or marriage? If this question has surfaced, let the Lord
be your guide and become volunteers in the service of the One who “came not to be
served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45). Your life
will achieve fulfilment in ways you cannot imagine. Perhaps some of you are thinking:
the Pope came to thank us and here he is asking us for something more! You are right.
But that is the mission of the Pope, the Successor of Peter. After all, Peter, in
his First Letter, reminds Christians that they were ransomed at a great price: that
of the blood of Christ (cf. 1 Pet 1:18-19). Those who look at their lives from this
perspective know that Christ’s love can only be met with love. That is what the Pope
is asking you to do in this farewell: to respond in love to the One who for love gave
himself up for us. Once again, I thank all of you. May God be ever at your side!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Departure
Ceremony, Barajas Airport Sunday, 21 August 2011 Address of the
Holy Father Your Majesties, Distinguished National, Autonomous Regional and Local
Authorities,Your Eminence the Archbishop of Madrid and President of the Spanish Episcopal
Conference, Your Eminences and Dear Brother Bishops, Dear Friends, The time
has come for us to say good-bye. These days spent in Madrid, in the company of so
many young people from Spain and from throughout the world, will remain deeply etched
in my mind and heart. Your Majesty, the Pope felt at home in Spain! And the young
people who were the heart of this World Youth Day found a warm welcome here and in
the many cities and towns of the country, which they were able to visit in the days
before these celebrations. I thank Your Majesty for your gracious words and for
your presence at my arrival in Spain and now at my departure. I thank the national,
autonomous regional and local authorities for the helpfulness and understanding which
they showed before this international event. I also thank the thousands of volunteers
who ensured the orderly unfolding of the many activities of this meeting: the various
literary, musical, cultural and religious events of the Festival joven, the catecheses
given by the Bishops and the main events in the presence of the Successor of Peter.
I thank the police and security forces, and all those who helped by providing a wide
variety of services: from the music and the liturgy to the details of transportation,
health care and meals. Spain is a great nation whose soundly open, pluralistic
and respectful society is capable of moving forward without surrendering its profoundly
religious and Catholic soul. In these days, it once more made this clear, revealing
its technical and human resources in the service of an undertaking of immense consequence
and promise: that of helping young people to become more deeply rooted in Jesus Christ,
our Saviour. A particular word of gratitude is due to the organizers of World Youth
Day: to the Cardinal President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and all the
personnel of that Office, to the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio María Rouco
Varela, his Auxiliary Bishops and the whole Archdiocese, and in particular to the
General Coordinator, Monsignor César Augusto Franco Martinez, and the many generous
members of his staff. The Bishops worked generously and diligently in their Dioceses
to prepare for the celebrations, together with their priests, consecrated persons
and the lay faithful. To all I express my gratitude and I pray that the Lord will
bless your apostolic labors. Nor can I fail to offer heartfelt thanks to the young
people for having come to the World Youth Day and for their joyful, enthusiastic and
intense presence. To them I say thank you, and I congratulate you for the witness
which you gave in Madrid and in the other cities of Spain in which you stayed. Now
I ask you to spread throughout the world the profound and joyful experience of faith
which you had here in this noble country. Share your joy especially with those who
would have liked to come but were unable to do so for various reasons, with all those
who were praying for you and with all those whose hearts were touched by these celebrations.
By your closeness and your witness, help your friends to discover that loving Christ
means living life to the full. I leave Spain very happy and grateful to everyone.
But above all I am grateful to God, our Lord, who allowed me to celebrate these days
so filled with enthusiasm and grace, so charged with dynamism and hope. The feast
of faith which we have shared enables us to look forward with great confidence in
Providence, which guides the Church across the seas of history. That is why she continues
to be young and full of life, even as she confronts challenging situations. This is
the work of the Holy Spirit, who makes Jesus Christ present in the hearts of young
people in every age and shows them the grandeur of the divine vocation given to every
man and woman. We were also able to see how the grace of Christ tears down the walls
and overcomes the barriers which sin erects between peoples and generations, in order
to make all mankind a single family which acknowledges its one Father and which cultivates,
by work and respect, all that he has given us in creation. Young people readily
respond when one proposes to them, in sincerity and truth, an encounter with Jesus
Christ, the one Redeemer of humanity. Now those young people are returning home as
missionaries of the Gospel, “rooted and built up in Christ, and firm in the faith”,
and they will need to be helped on their way. So I urge Bishops, priests, Religious
and Christian educators in particular, to care for those young people who want to
respond enthusiastically to the Lord’s call. There is no reason to lose heart in the
face of the various obstacles we encounter in some countries. The yearning for God
which the Creator has placed in the hearts of young people is more powerful than all
of these, as is the power from on high which gives divine strength to those who follow
the Master and who seek in him nourishment for life. Do not be afraid to present to
young people the message of Jesus Christ in all its integrity, and to invite them
to celebrate the sacraments by which he gives us a share in his own life. Your
Majesty, before returning to Rome, I would like to assure the people of Spain of my
constant prayers, especially for married couples and families who are facing various
kinds of difficulties, the needy and the infirm, the elderly and children, as well
as those who have no work. I pray in particular of the young people of Spain. I am
sure that they will contribute the best they have to offer through their faith in
Christ, so that this great country can face the challenges of the present hour and
can continue along the paths of peace, solidarity, justice and freedom. Along with
these intentions, I entrust the sons and daughters of this noble land to the intercession
of the Virgin Mary, our heavenly Mother, and to them all I willingly impart my blessing.
May the joy of the Lord always fill your hearts. Thank you. xxxxxxxxx