VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Young people play a pivotal role in promoting social justice and advancing human development, Pope Francis said.
As agents of charity and service “in academic settings, in the workplace, or on city streets,” young people contribute to creating “a more compassionate, harmonious, and fraternal world,” he said during a meeting with the International Movement of Catholic Students “Pax Romana.”
By promoting global citizenship and encouraging local civic engagement through various formation centers worldwide, the movement “prepares young people to deepen their understanding of the most pressing social issues of our time and enables them to promote effective changes in their own communities, thus serving as leaven of the Gospel,” he said during the Sept. 20 meeting.
The movement was founded in 1921 to organize students for peace advocacy in the wake of World War I. It offered relief to students affected by World War II and continues to promote peace efforts through a network of students and academics.
Pope Francis also asked the young people to be involved in the church’s synodal path, “made of shared journeying, listening, participation and engagement in a dialogue open to discernment, and so, too, to be attentive to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit.”
The pope noted that the upcoming Holy Year 2025 is a special occasion for personal renewal and spiritual enrichment “in union with the whole church.”
“The eloquent symbol of the Holy Door passed through by the faithful in Rome reminds us that we are all pilgrims, all on a journey, called together to deeper union with the Lord Jesus and availability to the power of his grace, which transforms our lives and the world in which we live,” he said.
In greeting the young people, Pope Francis said he entrusted them to Mary as well as Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, an Italian activist and student, who the pope said he hopes “to count among the saints in the coming Holy Year.”
The pope has previously said Blessed Frassati will be a saint “soon,” but a date for his canonization has not yet been announced by the Vatican.
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