Dare to build a different world

At the end of the last year, almost buried in the momentum of preparation for Christmas, Pope Francis sent his greetings, and a very powerful message to the young people present at the 46th European Meeting organised by the Taizé Community [28 December 2023 – 1st January 2024] on the theme “Walking together”. 

Here are a few of the many special inspirations and signposts given by him. You can read the full content of this Message from Pope Francis, signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State to His Holiness 20231228-messaggio-taize 46th European Gatheirng Dec 2023.

Pope Francis addressed them saying:

“You are the today of God, the today of the Church! The Church needs you in order to be fully herself. As Church, you are the Body of the Risen Lord present in the world”.

He reminds the young people of the experience of the World Youth Day 2023, and that we live in a world full of noise, where the value of silence and listening are stifled. He invites them to rediscover the deeper dimension of listening, describing ‘listening’ as an act of love, at the heart of trust.

Without listening, little can grow or develop. Listening enables the necessary space to be given to the other in order to exist. We often have the impression that those who shout the loudest are worthy of being heard. … I urge you to dare to build a different world, a world of listening, dialogue and openness, to “point to ideals other than those of this world, testifying to the beauty of generosity, service, purity, perseverance, forgiveness, fidelity to our personal vocation, prayer, the pursuit of justice and the common good, love for the poor, and social friendship” (Christus vivit, 36).

Walking together

“When we face these challenges together, there can be experiences of beauty, of transcendence, which help us to discover the spark that makes us start again with new vitality,”

‘Walking together’ [Pope Francis shares] means barring the way to marginalisation, isolation, exclusion and the rejection of a category of people.  We need to be like Jesus who recognised the presence of God in those who were at the margins of society and, even in those who did not belong to his people.

Dear young people, the Holy Father is counting on you and he trusts you, the Church trusts you. Through your words and actions, send a powerful message to our world, which rejects the vulnerable. Make your dreams of love, justice and peace a reality, starting with yourselves. Live in the present. Don’t sacrifice your precious youth on the altar of superficial pleasures. Don’t let yourselves be robbed of your dreams, and help to “build a society worthy of the name” (Fratelli tutti, 71).

This Message is beyond age.  It can be the rekindling of our resolution in this New Year to ‘walk together’, and dare to build a different world!

Nano Nagle we pray to you, to continue to shine your Light of inspiration on our ‘walking’ with those kept poor’.

See https://presentationsistersne.ie/mary-who-knows-how-to-listen/

Also Dare to Build a better World: Pope Francis to Taize Youth, Dec 2023