Holy Father stresses contribution youth can make to the Church today with their spiritual vigour

The Holy Father, citing the Second Vatican Council, called young people "The hope of the Church" in his catechesis on the laity's role and mission in the Church and in the world, at the General Audience of Wednesday, 31 August. "The Holy Spirit renews in everyone ... the vibrance of grace" said the Pope and stressed the importance of helping young people today to discover themselves and the gifts within them. Here is a translation of the Pope's speech, which was the 100th in the series on the mystery of the Church. It was given in Italian. 

1. Affirming the need for Christian education and reminding Pastors of their gravest duty to provide it for all, the Second Vatican Council observed that the young "...are the hope of the Church" (Decree Gravissimum educationis, n. 2). What are the reasons for this hope? 

One could say that the first is of a demographic order. Young people, "in a great many countries of the world ... represent half the entire population, and often constitute in number half of the People of God living in those countries" (Christifideles laici, n. 46) 

But there is another even stronger reason of a psychological, spiritual and ecclesiological kind. The Church today observes the generosity of many young people, their desire to make the world a better place and to make the Christian community advance (cf. ibid.). Thus she focuses her attention on them, seeing in them a privileged participation in the hope which comes to her from the Holy Spirit. The grace operating in young people paves the way for the Church's progress as regards both her expansion and her quality. Very rightly we can speak of the Church of the young, remembering that the Holy Spirit renews in everyone—even in the elderly, provided they remain open and receptive—the vibrance of grace. 

Spiritual vigour of youth comes from the Holy Spirit 

2. This conviction stems from the reality of the Church's origins. Jesus began his ministry and the work of founding the Church when he was about 30. To give life to the Church, he chose people of whom some, at least, were young. With their co-operation he wished to inaugurate a new age, to give new direction to the history of salvation. He chose them and trained them with a spirit that could be called youthful, spelling out the principle that "...no one pours new wine into old wineskins" (Mk 2:22), a metaphor of the new life which springs from the eternal and merges with the desire for change and novelty, characteristic of young people. Even the radicality of dedication to a cause, typical of a youthful age, must have been present in those persons chosen as future Apostles by Jesus. We can deduce this from his conversation with the rich young man, who however did not have the courage to follow his proposal (cf. Mk 10:17-22), and from Peter's subsequent appraisal (cf. Mk 10:28). 

The Church was born from those youthful impulses that came from the Holy Spirit, dwelling in Christ and communicated by him to his disciples and Apostles, and then to the communities which they gathered from the days of Pentecost. 

3. The sense of trust and friendship with which the Church viewed youth right from the start derives from these same impulses, as can be deduced from the words of the Apostle John, who was young when Christ called him even though he was already old when he wrote. "I write to you, children, because you know the Father ... I write to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one" (1 Jn 2: 14). 

This reference to youthful vitality is interesting. It is known that young people appreciate physical strength, which is expended for example, in sport. But St. John wished to recognize and praise the spiritual vigour shown by the young people of the Christian community to whom he addressed his Letter: a force that comes from the Holy Spirit and obtains the victory in struggles and temptation. Young people's moral victory is a manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit promised and granted by Jesus to his disciples, and it urges the young Christians of today, like those in the first century, to participate actively in the life of the Church. 

Encourage young people to promote values they appreciate 

4. It is a constant factor, not only of psychology, but also of the spirituality of youth, that they are not satisfied with passive adherence to the faith; young people feel the desire to contribute actively to the Church's development as well as to that of civil society. This is especially evident in many fine girls and boys of today, who wish to be "leading characters in evangelization and participants in the renewal of society". Since "youth is a time of an especially intensive discovery of one's ‘self ’ and one's ‘choice of life’" (Christifideles laici, n. 46) today, more than ever, it is necessary to help young people to get to know themselves with regard to what is beautiful and promising within them. Their qualities and creative capacity should be orientated to the highest aim that can attract and infect them with enthusiasm: the good of society, solidarity towards all their brothers and sisters the spread of the Gospel ideal of life and concrete commitment to neighbor, participation in the Church's efforts to encourage the advent of a better world. 

5. In this light, let us say that today we need to encourage young people to dedicate themselves in particular to promoting the values that they themselves most appreciate and want to assert. As the Fathers of the 1987 Synod said, "The sensitivity of young people profoundly affects their perceiving of the values of justice, non-violence and peace. Their hearts are disposed to fellowship, friendship and solidarity. They are greatly moved by causes that relate to the quality of life and the conservation of nature" (Ench. Vat., n. 2206). 

These values certainly conform to the teaching of the Gospel. We know that Jesus proclaimed a new order of justice and love, that, in defining himself "meek and humble of heart" (Mt 11 :29), he rejected all violence, and desired to give man his peace, more genuine, consistent and permanent than that of the world (cf. Jn 14:27). These are interior and spiritual values: but we know that Jesus himself encouraged his followers to express them in mutual love, fellowship, friendship, solidarity, respect for persons and for nature itself which is the work of God and the area of man's collaboration with him. Thus young people find in the Gospel a most worthwhile, sincere support, which they feel corresponds to their aspirations and plans. 

6. On the other hand, it is true that young people are also "troubled by anxieties, by disappointments, by anguish and fear of the world, as well as by the temptations that come with their state" (Christifideles laici, n. 46). This is the other facet of the reality of youth which cannot be ignored. But while being wisely demanding with youth, a sincere affection for them will lead to discovering the most appropriate ways to help them overcome their difficulties. Perhaps the best way is in commitment to the lay apostolate, as a service to their own brothers and sisters, near and far, in communion with the evangelizing Church. 

I hope that young people will find ever wider openings in the apostolate. The Church must introduce them to the message of the Gospel with its promises and demands. In turn, young people must express their aspirations and their plans to the Church. "This mutual dialogue, by taking place with great cordiality, clarity and courage, will provide a favorable setting for the meeting and exchange between generations, and will be a source of richness and youthfulness for the Church and for civil society" (Christifideles laici, n. 46). 

7. The Pope will never tire of repeating the invitation to dialogue, and of urging the involvement of youth. He has done so in a great many texts addressed to them and in particular in the Letter on the occasion of the International Youth Year proclaimed by the United Nations (1985). He has done so and does it in numerous meetings with youth groups in parishes, associations, movements, and especially in the Palm Sunday liturgies and his world youth meetings, as at Santiago de Compostela, Czetstochowa and Denver. 

This is one of the most comforting experiences of my pontifical ministry, as that of the pastoral activities of my brother Bishops throughout the world who, like the Pope, see the Church advancing with the youth in prayer, at the service of humanity, in evangelization. We all yearn to conform increasingly to the example and teaching of Jesus, who called people to follow him in the manner of "children" and "young people".