On Thursday evening, 1 April, the Holy Father spoke to the young people of Rome and Lazio in St Peter's Square, prior to World Youth Day celebrated in the dio­ceses on Palm Sunday. The Pope encouraged the youth to be the "hope of the Church and of society", to ignite their faith in the world and proclaim divine mercy to all. The following is a translation of the Holy Father's Address, given in Italian.

1. "We wish to see Jesus" (Jn 12:21). This is what some "Greeks" who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover asked Philip. When the Teacher was told what they wanted, he realized that his "hour"   had come! It was the "hour" of the Cross, of obe­dience to the Father, of sharing the destiny of the grain of wheat which, after falling into the earth, decays and dies to bear fruit!

For Jesus the hour of his glory had also come! The "hour" of his passion, death, Resurrection and Ascension in­to Heaven. The "hour" in which he would offer up his life to take it up again in order to give it to all; the "hour" in which, on the Cross, he would triumph over sin and death for the benefit of all humanity.

We too are called to live that "hour" and to be "hon­oured" with him by the Fa­ther.

Dear young people of Rome and Lazio, I am de­lighted to meet you. I greet the Cardinal Vicar, who has spoken on your behalf offer­ing his own testimony, and the other Bishops present here. I greet the various artists who are taking part in this meeting and all of you, dear friends, who have gath­ered in the square or are fol­lowing us on television.

Looking at the Cross, millions of youth have embraced the Lord

2. Twenty years ago at the end of the Holy Year of the Redemption, I entrusted to young people the Cross, the tree on which Christ was raised from the earth and lived that "hour" for which he had come into the world! Since then this Cross, on pilgrimage from one Youth Day to the next, has been travelling across the world carried by young people and proclaims the mer­ciful love of God who meets the needs of all his creatures, to restore to them the dignity they have lost through sin.
Thanks to you, dear friends, mil­lions of young people, looking at that Cross, have changed their lives and committed themselves to living as au­thentic Christians.

Christ still wishes today to show his Face to one and all

3. Dear young people: remain unit­ed to the Cross! Look at the glory that also awaits you. How many wounds do you feel in your hearts, of­ten caused by the world of adults! As I once again entrust the Cross to you in spirit, I ask you to believe that so many of us have confidence in you, that Christ has confidence in you, and that it is only in him that you will find the salvation you are seeking!

How necessary it is today to rethink the way of approaching young people to proclaim the Gospel to them. We must certainly continue the discussion in order to evangelize the world of youth, but with the certainty that Christ also wants to make himself visible today, that he also wants to show his Face today to everyone!

Mission of youth among youth: 'Jesus in the centre'

4. Dear young people, do not be afraid to set out on new paths of total self-giving to the Lord and of mission; make your own suggestions as to how the Cross should be taken to the world today!

In this regard, I would like to con­gratulate you on the preparations that are being made in the Diocese of Rome for a Mission of youth among youth, in the city's historical centre from the  coming 1-10 October, with the important title: "Jesus in the cen­tre!". I likewise congratulate the Pon­tifical Council for the Laity which has recently organized an International Youth Forum. I greet you, dear par­ticipants in the Forum, and encourage you to work generously to carry out the project of being a more and more effective Christian presence in the uni­versity world.

Nourished by the Eucharist, united to the Church and accepting your own crosses, ignite your own store of faith in the world and proclaim divine mercy to everyone!

Line up on Christ's side and witness to love

5. Do not be afraid on this journey to entrust yourselves to Christ. You love the world of course, and that is good, because the world was made for human beings. However, at a cer­tain point in life, it is necessary to make a radical choice. Without deny­ing anything that is an expression of God's beauty or of the talents re­ceived from him, we must be able to side with Christ to witness before all to God's love.

In this regard, I like to remember the great spiritual fascination that the Holy Friar Albert exercised in the sto­ry of my vocation! Adam  Chmielowski was his name, and he was not a priest. Friar Albert was a very talented and cultured painter.  Well, at a certain point in his life he broke with art, because he understood that God was calling him to far more important tasks. He came to Krakow to make himself poor among the poor and de­voted himself to serving the outcasts. In him I found special spiritual sup­port and an example as I was distanc­ing myself from literature and the the­atre because of my radical choice of the vocation to the priesthood. Later, one of my greatest joys was to raise him to the honours of the altar, and even before that, to dedicate a play to him: "Brother of Our God".

You see, following Christ does not mean spurning the gifts he lavishes upon us, but choosing a path of the radical gift of self to him! If this is what he is asking, then "yes" to this becomes essential! So do not be afraid to entrust yourselves to him. Jesus knows that you must carry his Cross in the world to meet the ex­pectations of so many other young hearts.

Beloved Jesus, reveal to us your Face of light and forgiveness

6. How different today's young people are from those of 20 years ago! How differ­ent is the cultural and social context in which we live! But Christ, no, he has not changed! He is the Re­deemer of man yesterday, today and for ever!

Put your talents, there­fore, at the service of the new evangelization, to weave a new fabric of Chris­tian life!

The Pope is with you! Believe in Je­sus, contemplate his Face, the Face of the crucified and risen Lord! That Face which so many long to see, but which is often veiled by our lack of enthusiasm for the Gospel and by our sin!

O beloved Jesus, reveal to us your Face of light and forgiveness! Look at us, renew us, send us out!

Too many young people are waiting for you and if they do not see you they will not be able to live their vo­cation, they will not be able to live life for you and with you, to renew the world beneath your gaze which is turned to the Father and at the same time to our poor humanity.

Take the Cross everywhere so all may believe in Jesus

7. Dear friends, with ever new cre­ativity inspired by the Holy Spirit in prayer, continue together to carry the Cross that I entrusted to you 20 years ago.

The young people of that time have changed just as I have, but your hearts, like mine, go on thirsting for truth, happiness, eternal life, and so they are ever young!

This evening I put my trust in you once again, hope of the Church and of society! Do not be afraid! Take the power of the Cross everywhere, in season and out of season (cf. II Tm 4:2), so that everyone, also thanks to you, may continue to see and believe in the Redeemer of man! Amen.