POPE BENEDICT XVI AT WORLD YOUTH DAY Thursday, 18 August 2011 Address at the
Welcome Ceremony at the Airport of Barajas
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 fulfil 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.