Photo: Pope Francis signs his post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit on March 25, 2019
By CBCPECY | March 26, 2024
On the fifth anniversary of the publication of the post-synodal apostolic exhortation ChristusVivit. The Pope addresses young people, expressing hope and encouragement for them to be alive in the face of conflicts and suffering. He emphasizes that Christ is alive and loves them with an infinite love, unaffected by their failings or mistakes. He encourages them to walk with Christ as a friend, welcoming him into their lives and sharing all the joys and hopes of this time in their lives. The Pope urges young people to make their voices heard and proclaim the truth that Christ is alive, helping the Church to set out to bring his message to the entire world.
On 14 April 2024, the Church will mark the fortieth anniversary of the first great gathering of young people, which was the seed of the future World Youth Days. In 1984, Saint John Paul II consigned the WYD Cross to young people, giving them the mission of carrying it to the entire world as a sign and reminder that in Jesus alone, we find salvation and redemption.
The Pope encourages young people to see Jesus as alive and overflowing with joy, the victor over death, a friend who loves them and wants to live in them. This presence will help them find courage in the present and be prepared to face the future with hope. They will find the freedom they need to carry forward the history of their families, grandparents, parents, and religious traditions, and to be leaders of tomorrow.
The Exhortation Christus Vivit is the fruit of a Church that wants to move forward together by listening, dialogue, and constant discernment of the Lord’s will. Over five years ago, hundreds of young people from various parts of the world came to Rome to work together for several days, collecting ideas to present to the Synod. Their participation helped to “reawaken” synodality, which is a “constitutive element of the Church.”
The Pope thanks young people for their presence and contribution to the life of the Body of Christ, encouraging them to never leave without their good way of “making a mess” and their own particular way of living and proclaiming the joy of the risen Jesus.
Read the Pope’s full message here: https://tinyurl.com/mryayk8s
