In a message to young people in preparation for the holding of the twenty-sixth World Youth Day in Madrid in 2011, Pope Benedict XVI spoke around the theme – ‘Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith’. He referred to the fact that: ‘Now, at a time when Europe greatly needs to rediscover its Christian roots … I encourage you to strengthen your faith in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Pope Benedict speaks to the young people as a father, but at no time does he speak ‘down’ to them – always as equals. Here is some of what he said:
‘You are the future of society and of the Church! As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians of Colossae, it is vital to have roots, a solid foundation! This is particularly true today. Many people have no stable points of reference on which to build their lives, and so they end up deeply insecure. There is a growing mentality of relativism, which holds that everything is equally valid, that truth and absolute points of reference do not exist. But this way of thinking does not lead to true freedom, but rather to instability, confusion and blind conformity to the fads of the moment. As young people, you are entitled to receive from previous generations solid points of reference to help you to make choices and on which to build your lives; like a young plant which needs solid support until it can sink deep roots and become a sturdy tree capable of bearing fruit. …
‘Our own cultural context, dear young people, is not unlike that of the ancient Colossians. Indeed, there is a strong current of secularist thought that aims to make God marginal in the lives of people and society by proposing and attempting to create a “paradise” without him. Yet experience tells us that a world without God becomes a “hell”: filled with selfishness, broken families, hatred between individuals and nations, and a great deficit of love, joy and hope. On the other hand, wherever individuals and nations accept God’s presence, worship him in truth and listen to his voice, then the civilization of love is being built, a civilization in which the dignity of all is respected and communion increases, with all its benefits. Yet some Christians allow themselves to be seduced by secularism or attracted by religious currents that draw them away from faith in Jesus Christ. There are others who, while not yielding to these enticements, have simply allowed their faith to grow cold, with inevitable negative effects on their moral lives. …’
