During the 21st Meeting of National Youth Pastoral Leaders of Latin America and the Caribbean, which is being held in Asunción (Paraguay) from July 15 to 20 Pope Francis wrote a letter containing the five pieces of advice to the young Latin Americans.
Below we list the Holy Father’s advice to young people:
1. “You are the present. Be brave!”
2. “I encourage you to hold on tight to your roots and move forward without fear.”
3. “Seek unity among all differences.”
4. “Work for justice that makes peace effective and lasting.”
5. “Build the common good and fertilize the happiness of the Great Homeland that the Latin American peoples make up to continue growing the Kingdom of God.”
In his message dated July 12, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude for the proposal made during this meeting to work on “community spiritual discernment” to better understand the reality of young people.
In this way, the Pope said, “All voices can be heard, recognized and valued.”
He also noted that it is “hopeful” that this same discernment is being proposed as a “mode of conversion in pastoral practice” and hoped that these works would allow them to “identify the challenges and opportunities they face with the help of the Holy Spirit.”
“Do not be afraid of the Lord who passes by us and whispers in our ears”
The Holy Father also addressed a letter on 27 May to the bishops responsible for the event, reminding them that “youth is that stage of life normally characterized by a natural optimism, energy and hope.”
Along these lines, he urged them to “allow Christ to transform their natural optimism into authentic love; a love that knows how to sacrifice itself, that is sincere, real and genuine, so that their youth will be a gift for Jesus and for the world and so that you will be able to spend your life in a dignified and fruitful way.”
“Do not be afraid of the Lord who passes by us and whispers in our ears, who leans towards us and offers us his hand to lift us up every time we fall. He wants us to be standing, resurrected. Do not be afraid to let him enter your lives; open the doors of your heart wide open, because the new life that comes from him is incomparable and deserves to be lived,” wrote the Pontiff in his letter.