Pope Francis urged young Catholics to “be the critical conscience of society” as he celebrated a Mass marking the 36th World Youth Day on Sunday.
The Pope was offering the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on 21 November, the feast of Christ the King. The Holy Father encouraged young people to swim against society’s current, but without turning into “perpetual victims and conspiracy theorists.”
“Friends, we are not here to be enchanted by the sirens of the world, but to take our lives in hand, to ‘take a bite out of life,’ in order to live it to the full, ” he said.
“In this way, with the freedom of Jesus, we find the courage we need to swim against the current. I would like to emphasize this: swimming against the current, having the courage to swim against the current.”
“Not the daily temptation to swim against other people, like those perpetual victims and conspiracy theorists who are always casting blame on others; but rather against the unhealthy current of our own selfishness, closed-mindedness, and rigidity that often seeks like-minded groups to survive.”
He encouraged young people to avoid “ambiguous compromises.”
“Instead, be free and authentic, be the critical conscience of society,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to criticize! We need your criticism. Many of you, for example, are critical of environmental pollution. We need this! Be free in criticism.”
“Be passionate about truth, so that, with your dreams, you can say: ‘My life is not captive to the mindset of the world: I am free, because I reign with Jesus for justice, love and peace!’”
The Catholic Church has celebrated World Youth Day (WYD) annually since the event was established by Pope John Paul II in 1985.