POPE Francis has dedicated his August prayer intention to World Youth Day, which begins in Lisbon, Portugal tomorrow, inviting young people to set aside fear and embark on a joyful journey to bear witness to Christ in the world.
The Pope invited the Church to pray for this intention in this month’s The Pope Video, which was created in collaboration with the Lisbon 2023 WYD Foundation and the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, and is about young people and World Youth Day.
Pope Francis’ message emphasises his invitation to young people to quickly take the path of bearing joyful witness to the Gospel.
The video begins with Pope Francis reassuring young people of their importance to the Church, noting the Church needs young people in order to survive.
The Pope responds to several young people from different continents who pose questions in various languages, including youth from the Philippines, Brazil and the Ivory Coast.
One young woman told Pope Francis that she only sees older people at her church, and asked him if the church has become something only for older people.
“The church is not a club for the elderly, nor is it a youth club,” the pope responded. “If it becomes something for old people it is going to die.”
Citing St. John Paul II, the pope said that “if you live with young people, you will also become young, and the church needs young people to not grow old.”
Another young woman asked the pope about the meaning of the theme for this year’s World Youth Day taken from St. Luke’s Gospel: “Mary arose and went with haste.”
“When Mary knows she will be the mother of God she doesn’t stay there to take a selfie or show off, the first thing she does is set out on a journey in haste to serve and help,” he explained. “You must learn from her to set out on the journey to help others.”
Later, the Holy Father shares his desire to plant “a seed for the world’s future.”
He also prays for a world which puts love at the centre, especially at a time when “we are at war,” as well as joy, “because if we Christians have no joy, we are not credible, no one will believe us.”
You can view the video here.
