Pope sends message for Meeting of
Young People in Poland
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| A scene from last year's Taizé Meeting of Young People, which took place in Madrid |
The Taizé Community is sponsoring the 42nd European Meeting
of Young People, which is taking place in Wrocław, Poland.
By Vatican News
Thousands of young people are currently converging on the
Polish city of Wrocław for the 42nd European Meeting of Young
People, sponsored by the Taizé Community, which is taking place from 28
December 2019 through 1 January 2020. It’s the third time that Wrocław has
hosted the event, and the fifth time overall that the Meeting has been held in
Poland.
The annual European gatherings, according to the Taizé
website, “are part of a ‘pilgrimage of trust on earth’ led by Taizé for over
forty years”. Participants are given the opportunity to “pray together, to be
part of a local church… and to explore themes such as understanding among
peoples, peace, questions of faith, and social commitment”.
The specific theme for this year’s gathering is: “Always on
the move, never uprooted”.
Accompaniment in prayer
Pope Francis, as he does every year, has addressed a message
to participants, signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin.
Recalling that the meeting is taking place in Poland, the homeland of Pope St
John Paul II, Cardinal Parolin said that “his successor, Pope Francis” is
accompanying them in prayer, and encourages them to explore more deeply the
theme chosen for the event.
“Poland is a country that has its roots in the Faith”, the
Cardinal said; and it is that faith which enabled the Polish people “to stand
firm in great trials, when hope was shattered”. These Christians, he said,
“dared to believe in another future”.
Rooted in the faith, called to reach out
Cardinal Parolin encouraged the young people to learn from
their example, “to discover together to what extent being rooted in the Faith
calls you and prepares you to reach out to others, to respond to the new
challenges of our societies, especially the perils that weigh on our common
home”.
He said that, like Abraham, young people “will discover
there is much joy in setting out on a journey, sometimes… without knowing the
destination in advance”. “Always be ready for new departures”, he said, “to
bear witness to the Gospel, and to be fully present to those around you,
especially the poorest and most unfortunate”.
Cardinal Parolin assured the young people that Pope Francis
sends his blessing to all of them, to the Taizé community, and to the families
and parishes that will host them during the time of the meeting. He concluded
the message from Pope Francis with the hope that “the faith of Mary, also left
‘in haste’ [to visit Elizabeth; cf. Lk 1:39), might sustain the impulse of your
trust in her Son”.
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