His Holiness Pope Francis to WYD 2023 volunteers: "Take courage and strive ahead!"
His Holiness Pope Francis with two young people during the Angelus (Vatican Media)
His Holiness Pope Francis sends a video message to young people preparing for World Youth Day 2023 set to take place in Lisbon, Portugal, encouraging them to use all their creativity to ensure it is a fresh, lively and faith-strengthening experience.
By Thaddeus Jones
His Holiness Pope Francis has sent a video message in Spanish to young people involved in preparations for World Youth Day 2023, which will take place from 1-6 August in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Pope said he looks forward to meeting young people for the celebrations just as they do in gathering together from around the globe for the international celebrations.
Instill hope and be creative
The Pope acknowledged the difficult context that we are living today, coming out of the pandemic crisis and now faced with a new war crisis.
Despite these great challenges, he encouraged the volunteers to use all their creative energy to ensure that WYD 2023 will be a youthful, joyful, lively, and memorable experience for all, offering the joyful hope that faith in God brings.
He called on them to be creative like poets to dream up a new experience that will be remembered and not just a repeat of previous WYD gatherings. Everyone can contribute here, the Pope said, saying, "Take courage and strive ahead!"…
This report was originally published on Vatican News website. Please click here to read the full text.