Pope prays for church that accompanies young people in discernment

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The church must welcome young people and embrace their desires and doubts to bring them closer to Jesus and ultimately open them up to receiving God’s call, Pope Francis said.

“God still calls young people even today, sometimes in ways we can’t imagine,” the pope said in a video message to present his prayer intention for the month of February: “For vocations to the priesthood and religious life.”

“Sometimes we don’t hear because we’re too busy with our own things, our own plans, even with our own things in the church,” Pope Francis said in his message released by the Vatican Feb. 4. “But the Holy Spirit also speaks to us through dreams and speaks to us through the concerns young people feel in their hearts.”

The pope said that by accompanying young people in their life journeys “we’ll see how God is doing new things with them, and we’ll be able to welcome his call in ways that better serve the church and the world today.”

Pope Francis called for prayers so that the church may “welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel called to live Jesus’ mission in life, either through the priestly life or religious life.”

“Let us trust young people,” he said. “And let us trust God, for he calls everyone.”

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