WELCOME CEREMONY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLIAESS BEAEDIC1 XJI

Pla:a de Cibeles, Madrid
Thursday, 18 August 2011

ear Friends,
Thank you Ior the kind words addressed to me by the young people representing the Iive
continents. And I salute with aIIection all oI you gathered here, young people Irom Oceania,
AIrica, America, Asia and Europe; and also those unable to be here. I always keep you very
much in my heart and pray Ior you. God has given me the grace to see and hear you Ior myselI
and, as we gather together, to listen to his word.
In the reading which has just been proclaimed, we heard a passage Irom the Gospel which talks
oI welcoming the words oI Jesus and putting them into practice. There are words which serve
only to amuse, as Ileeting as an empty breeze; others, to an extent, inIorm us; those oI Jesus, on
the other hand, must reach our hearts, take root and bloom there all our lives. II not, they remain
empty and become ephemeral. They do not bring us to him and, as a result, Christ stays remote,
just one voice among the many others around us which are so Iamiliar. Furthermore, the Master
who speaks teaches, not something learned Irom others, but that which he himselI is, the only
one who truly knows the path oI man towards God, because he is the one who opened it up Ior
us, he made it so that we might have authentic lives, lives which are always worth living, in
every circumstance, and which not even death can destroy. The Gospel continues, explaining
these things with the evocative image oI someone who builds on solid rock, resistant to the
onslaught oI adversity, and in contrast to someone who builds on sand - we would say today in
what appears a paradise - but which collapses with the Iirst gust oI wind and Ialls into ruins.
Dear young people, listen closely to the words oI the Lord, that they may be Ior you 'spirit and
liIe (Jn 6:63), roots which nourish your being, a rule oI liIe which likens us - poor in spirit,
thirsting Ior justice, merciIul, pure in heart, lovers oI peace - to the person oI Christ. Listen
regularly every day as iI he were the one Iriend who does not deceive, the one with whom we
wish to share the path oI liIe. OI course, you know that when we do not walk beside Christ our
guide, we get lost on other paths, like the path oI our blind and selIish impulses, or the path oI
Ilattering but selI-serving suggestions, deceiving and Iickle, which leave emptiness and
Irustration in their wake.
Use these days to know Christ better and to make sure that, rooted in him, your enthusiasm and
happiness, your desire to go Iurther, to reach the heights, even God himselI, always hold a sure
Iuture, because the Iullness oI liIe has already been placed within you. Let that liIe grow with
divine grace, generously and without halI-measures, as you remain steadIast in your aim Ior
holiness. And, in the Iace oI our weaknesses which sometimes overwhelm us, we can rely on the
mercy oI the Lord who is always ready to help us again and who oIIers us pardon in the
sacrament oI Penance.
II you build on solid rock, not only your liIe will be solid and stable, but it will also help project
the light oI Christ shining upon those oI your own age and upon the whole oI humanity,
presenting a valid alternative to all those who have Iallen short, because the essentials in their
lives were inconsistent; to all those who are content to Iollow Iashionable ideas, they take shelter
in the here and now, Iorgetting true justice, or they take reIuge in their own opinions instead oI
seeking the simple truth.
Indeed, there are many who, creating their own gods, believe they need no roots or Ioundations
other than themselves. They take it upon themselves to decide what is true or not, what is good
and evil, what is just and unjust; who should live and who can be sacriIiced in the interests oI
other preIerences; leaving each step to chance, with no clear path, letting themselves be led by
the whim oI each moment. These temptations are always lying in wait. It is important not to give
in to them because, in reality, they lead to something so evanescent, like an existence with no
horizons, a liberty without God. We, on the other hand, know well that we have been created
Iree, in the image oI God, precisely so that we might be in the IoreIront oI the search Ior truth
and goodness, responsible Ior our actions, not mere blind executives, but creative co-workers in
the task oI cultivating and beautiIying the work oI creation. God is looking Ior a responsible
interlocutor, someone who can dialogue with him and love him. Through Christ we can truly
succeed and, established in him, we give wings to our Ireedom. Is this not the great reason Ior
our joy? Isn`t this the Iirm ground upon which to build the civilization oI love and liIe, capable
oI humanizing all oI us?
Dear Iriends: be prudent and wise, build your lives upon the Iirm Ioundation which is Christ.
This wisdom and prudence will guide your steps, nothing will make you Iear and peace will
reign in your hearts. Then you will be blessed and happy and your happiness will inIluence
others. They will wonder what the secret oI your liIe is and they will discover that the rock
which underpins the entire building and upon which rests your whole existence is the very
person oI Christ, your Iriend, brother and Lord, the Son oI God incarnate, who gives meaning to
all the universe.
He died Ior us all, rising that we might have liIe, and now, Irom the throne oI the Father, he
accompanies all men and women, watching continually over each one oI us.
I commend the Iruits oI this World Youth Day to the most holy Virgin Mary, who said 'Yes to
the will oI God, and teaches us a unique example oI Iidelity to her divine son, whom she
Iollowed to his death upon the Cross. Let us meditate upon this more deeply in the $tations of the
Cross. And let us pray that, like her, our 'Yes to Christ today may also be an unconditional
'Yes to his Iriendship, both at the end oI this Day and throughout our entire lives. Thank you
very much.

MEETING WITH YOUNG UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLIAESS BEAEDIC1 XJI

Basilica of the Monastery of $an Loren:o de El Escorial
Friday, 19 August 2011
our Eminence,
My Brother Bishops,
ear Augustinian Fathers,
ear Professors,
istinguished Authorities,
ear Friends,
I have looked Iorward to this meeting with you, young proIessors in the universities oI Spain.
You provide a splendid service in the spread oI truth, in circumstances that are not always easy. I
greet you warmly and I thank you Ior your kind words oI welcome and Ior the music which has
marvellously resounded in this magniIicent monastery, Ior centuries an eloquent witness to the
liIe oI prayer and study. In this highly symbolic place, reason and Iaith have harmoniously
blended in the austere stone to shape one oI Spain`s most renowned monuments.
I also greet with particular aIIection those oI you who took part in the recent World Congress oI
Catholic Universities held in Avila on the theme: 'The Identity and Mission oI the Catholic
University.
Being here with you, I am reminded oI my own Iirst steps as a proIessor at the University oI
Bonn. At the time, the wounds oI war were still deeply Ielt and we had many material needs;
these were compensated by our passion Ior an exciting activity, our interaction with colleagues
oI diIIerent disciplines and our desire to respond to the deepest and most basic concerns oI our
students. This experience oI a 'Universitas oI proIessors and students who together seek the
truth in all Iields oI knowledge, or as AlIonso X the Wise put it, this 'counsel oI masters and
students with the will and understanding needed to master the various disciplines ($iete
Partidas, partida II, tit. XXXI), helps us to see more clearly the importance, and even the
deIinition, oI the University.
The theme oI the present World Youth Day 'Rooted and Built Up in Christ, and Firm in the
Faith (cI. Col 2:7) can also shed light on your eIIorts to understand more clearly your own
identity and what you are called to do. As I wrote in my Message to Young People in preparation
Ior these days, the terms 'rooted, built up and Iirm all point to solid Ioundations on which we
can construct our lives (cI. No. 2).
But where will young people encounter those reIerence points in a society which is increasingly
conIused and unstable? At times one has the idea that the mission oI a university proIessor
nowadays is exclusively that oI Iorming competent and eIIicient proIessionals capable oI
satisIying the demand Ior labor at any given time. One also hears it said that the only thing that
matters at the present moment is pure technical ability. This sort oI utilitarian approach to
education is in Iact becoming more widespread, even at the university level, promoted especially
by sectors outside the University. All the same, you who, like myselI, have had an experience oI
the University, and now are members oI the teaching staII, surely are looking Ior something
more loIty and capable oI embracing the Iull measure oI what it is to be human. We know that
when mere utility and pure pragmatism become the principal criteria, much is lost and the results
can be tragic: Irom the abuses associated with a science which acknowledges no limits beyond
itselI, to the political totalitarianism which easily arises when one eliminates any higher
reIerence than the mere calculus oI power. The authentic idea oI the University, on the other
hand, is precisely what saves us Irom this reductionist and curtailed vision oI humanity.
In truth, the University has always been, and is always called to be, the 'house where one seeks
the truth proper to the human person. Consequently it was not by accident that the Church
promoted the universities, Ior Christian Iaith speaks to us oI Christ as the Word through whom
all things were made (cI. Jn 1:3) and oI men and women as made in the image and likeness oI
God. The Gospel message perceives a rationality inherent in creation and considers man as a
creature participating in, and capable oI attaining to, an understanding oI this rationality. The
University thus embodies an ideal which must not be attenuated or compromised, whether by
ideologies closed to reasoned dialogue or by truckling to a purely utilitarian and economic
conception which would view man solely as a consumer.
Here we see the vital importance oI your own mission. You yourselves have the honour and
responsibility oI transmitting the ideal oI the University: an ideal which you have received Irom
your predecessors, many oI whom were humble Iollowers oI the Gospel and, as such, became
spiritual giants. We should Ieel ourselves their successors, in a time quite diIIerent Irom their
own, yet one in which the essential human questions continue to challenge and stimulate us.
With them, we realize that we are a link in that chain oI men and women committed to teaching
the Iaith and making it credible to human reason. And we do this not simply by our teaching, but
by the way we live our Iaith and embody it, just as the Word took Ilesh and dwelt among us.
Young people need authentic teachers: persons open to the Iullness oI truth in the various
branches oI knowledge, persons who listen to and experience in own hearts that interdisciplinary
dialogue; persons who, above all, are convinced oI our human capacity to advance along the path
oI truth. Youth is a privileged time Ior seeking and encountering truth. As Plato said: 'Seek truth
while you are young, Ior iI you do not, it will later escape your grasp (Parmenides, 135d). This
loIty aspiration is the most precious giIt which you can give to your students, personally and by
example. It is more important than mere technical know-how, or cold and purely Iunctional data.
I urge you, then, never to lose that sense oI enthusiasm and concern Ior truth. Always remember
that teaching is not just about communicating content, but about Iorming young people. You
need to understand and love them, to awaken their innate thirst Ior truth and their yearning Ior
transcendence. Be Ior them a source oI encouragement and strength.
For this to happen, we need to realize in the Iirst place that the path to the Iullness oI truth calls
Ior complete commitment: it is a path oI understanding and love, oI reason and Iaith. We cannot
come to know something unless we are moved by love; or, Ior that matter, love something which
does not strike us as reasonable. 'Understanding and love are not in separate compartments: love
is rich in understanding and understanding is Iull oI love (Caritas in Jeritate, 30). II truth and
goodness go together, so too do knowledge and love. This unity leads to consistency in liIe and
thought, that ability to inspire demanded oI every good educator.
In the second place, we need to recognize that truth itselI will always lie beyond our grasp. We
can seek it and draw near to it, but we cannot completely possess it; or put better, truth possesses
us and inspires us. In intellectual and educational activity the virtue oI humility is also
indispensable, since it protects us Irom the pride which bars the way to truth. We must not draw
students to ourselves, but set them on the path toward the truth which we seek together. The Lord
will help you in this, Ior he asks you to be plain and eIIective like salt, or like the lamp which
quietly lights the room (cI. Mt 5:13).
All these things, Iinally, remind us to keep our gaze Iixed on Christ, whose Iace radiates the
Truth which enlightens us. Christ is also the Way which leads to lasting IulIilment; he walks
constantly at our side and sustains us with his love. Rooted in him, you will prove good guides to
our young people. With this conIidence I invoke upon you the protection oI the Virgin Mary,
Seat oI Wisdom. May she help you to cooperate with her Son by living a liIe which is personally
satisIying and which brings Iorth rich Iruits oI knowledge and Iaith Ior your students. Thank you
very much.
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLIAESS BEAEDIC1 XJI
Pla:a de Cibeles, Madrid
Friday, 19 August 2011
ear oung People,
We have celebrated this Way oI the Cross with Iervour and devotion, Iollowing Christ along the
path oI his passion and death. The commentaries oI the Little Sisters oI the Cross, who serve the
poor and most needy, have helped us enter into the mystery oI Christ`s glorious Cross, wherein is
Iound God`s true wisdom which judges the world and judges those who consider themselves
wise (cI. 1 Cor 1:17-19). We have also been assisted on this journey to Calvary by our
contemplation oI these wonderIul images Irom the religious patrimony oI the Spanish dioceses.
In these images, Iaith and art combine so as to penetrate our heart and summon us to conversion.
When Iaith`s gaze is pure and authentic, beauty places itselI at its service and is able to depict the
mysteries oI our salvation in such a way as to move us proIoundly and transIorm our hearts, as
Saint Teresa oI Jesus herselI experienced while contemplating an image oI the wounded Christ
(cI. Autobiography, 9:1).
As we were making our way with Jesus towards the place oI his sacriIice on Mount Calvary, the
words oI Saint Paul came to mind: 'Christ loved me and gave himselI Ior me (Gal 2:20). In the
Iace oI such disinterested love, we Iind ourselves asking, Iilled with wonder and gratitude: What
can we do Ior him? What response shall we give him? Saint John puts it succinctly: 'By this we
know love, that he laid down his liIe Ior us; and we ought to lay down our lives Ior the brethren
(1 Jn 3:16). Christ`s passion urges us to take upon our own shoulders the suIIerings oI the
world, in the certainty that God is not distant or Iar removed Irom man and his troubles. On the
contrary, he became one oI us 'in order to suffer with man in an utterly real way in Ilesh and
blood ... hence in all human suIIering we are joined by one who experiences and carries that
suIIering with us; hence con-solatio is present in all suIIering, the consolation oI God's
compassionate love and so the star oI hope rises ($pe $alvi, 39).
Dear young Iriends, may Christ`s love Ior us increase your joy and encourage you to go in search
oI those less Iortunate. You are open to the idea oI sharing your lives with others, so be sure not
to pass by on the other side in the Iace oI human suIIering, Ior it is here that God expects you to
give oI your very best: your capacity Ior love and compassion. The diIIerent Iorms oI suIIering
that have unIolded beIore our eyes in the course oI this Way oI the Cross are the Lord`s way oI
summoning us to spend our lives Iollowing in his Iootsteps and becoming signs oI his
consolation and salvation. 'To suIIer with the other and Ior others; to suIIer Ior the sake oI truth
and justice; to suIIer out oI love and in order to become a person who truly loves these are
Iundamental elements oI humanity, and to abandon them would destroy man himselI (ibid.).
Let us eagerly welcome these teachings and put them into practice. Let us look upon Christ,
hanging on the harsh wood oI the Cross, and let us ask him to teach us this mysterious wisdom oI
the Cross, by which man lives. The Cross was not a sign oI Iailure, but an expression oI selI-
giving in love that extends even to the supreme sacriIice oI one`s liIe. The Father wanted to
show his love Ior us through the embrace oI his cruciIied Son: cruciIied out oI love. The Cross,
by its shape and its meaning, represents this love oI both the Father and the Son Ior men. Here
we recognize the icon oI supreme love, which teaches us to love what God loves and in the way
that he loves: this is the Good News that gives hope to the world.
Let us turn our gaze now to the Virgin Mary, who was given to us on Calvary to be our Mother,
and let us ask her to sustain us with her loving protection along the path oI liIe, particularly when
we pass through the night oI suIIering, so that we may be able to remain steadIast, as she did, at
the Ioot oI the Cross. Thank you very much.
PRAYER VIGIL WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
HOMILY OF HIS HOLIAESS BEAEDIC1 XJI
Cuatro Jientos Air Base, Madrid
$aturday, 20 August 2011

ear oung Friends,
I greet all oI you, especially the young people who have asked me their questions, and I thank
them Ior the sincerity with which they set Iorth their concerns, that express the longing which all
oI you have to achieve something great in liIe, something which can bring you IulIilment and
happiness.
How can a young person be true to the Iaith and yet continue to aspire to high ideals in today`s
society? In the Gospel we have just heard, Jesus gives us an answer to this urgent question: 'As
the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love (Jn 15:9).
Yes, dear Iriends, God loves us. This is the great truth oI our liIe; it is what makes everything
else meaningIul. We are not the product oI blind chance or absurdity; instead our liIe originates
as part oI a loving plan oI God. To abide in his love, then, means living a liIe rooted in Iaith,
since Iaith is more than the mere acceptance oI certain abstract truths: it is an intimate
relationship with Christ, who enables us to open our hearts to this mystery oI love and to live as
men and women conscious oI being loved by God.
II you abide in the love oI Christ, rooted in the Iaith, you will encounter, even amid setbacks and
suIIering, the source oI true happiness and joy. Faith does not run counter to your highest ideals;
on the contrary, it elevates and perIects those ideals. Dear young people, do not be satisIied with
anything less than Truth and Love, do not be content with anything less than Christ.
Nowadays, although the dominant culture oI relativism all around us has given up on the search
Ior truth, even iI it is the highest aspiration oI the human spirit, we need to speak with courage
and humility oI the universal signiIicance oI Christ as the Saviour oI humanity and the source oI
hope Ior our lives. He who took upon himselI our aIIlictions, is well acquainted with the mystery
oI human suIIering and maniIests his loving presence in those who suIIer. They in their turn,
united to the passion oI Christ, share closely in his work oI redemption. Furthermore, our
disinterested attention towards the sick and the Iorgotten will always be a humble and warm
testimony oI God`s compassionate regard.
Dear Iriends, may no adversity paralyze you. Be aIraid neither oI the world, nor oI the Iuture, nor
oI your weakness. The Lord has allowed you to live in this moment oI history so that, by your
Iaith, his name will continue to resound throughout the world.
During this prayer vigil, I urge you to ask God to help you Iind your vocation in society and in
the Church, and to persevere in that vocation with joy and Iidelity. It is a good thing to open our
hearts to Christ`s call and to Iollow with courage and generosity the path he maps out Ior us.
The Lord calls many people to marriage, in which a man and a woman, in becoming one Ilesh
(cI. Gen 2:24), Iind IulIilment in a proIound liIe oI communion. It is a prospect that is both
bright and demanding. It is a project Ior true love which is daily renewed and deepened by
sharing joys and sorrows, one marked by complete selI-giving. For this reason, to acknowledge
the beauty and goodness oI marriage is to realize that only a setting oI Iidelity and
indissolubility, along with openness to God`s giIt oI liIe, is adequate to the grandeur and dignity
oI marital love.
Christ calls others to Iollow him more closely in the priesthood or in consecrated liIe. It is hard
to put into words the happiness you Ieel when you know that Jesus seeks you, trusts in you, and
with his unmistakable voice also says to you: 'Follow me! (cI. Mk 2:14).
Dear young people, iI you wish to discover and to live IaithIully the Iorm oI liIe to which the
Lord is calling each oI you, you must remain in his love as his Iriends. And how do we preserve
Iriendship except through Irequent contact, conversation, being together in good times and bad?
Saint Teresa oI Jesus used to say that prayer is just such 'Iriendly contact, oIten spending time
alone with the one who we know loves us (cI. Autobiography, 8).
And so I now ask you to 'abide in the adoration oI Christ, truly present in the Eucharist. I ask
you to enter into conversation with him, to bring beIore him your questions and to listen to his
voice. Dear Iriends, I pray Ior you with all my heart. And I ask you to pray Ior me. Tonight let us
ask the Lord to grant that, attracted by the beauty oI his love, we may always live IaithIully as
his disciples. Amen.

FINAL MASS
HOMILY OF HIS HOLIAESS BEAEDIC1 XJI
Cuatro Jientos Air Base, Madrid
$unday, 21 August 2011

ear oung People,
In this celebration oI the Eucharist we have reached the high point oI this World Youth Day.
Seeing you here, gathered in such great numbers Irom all parts oI the world, Iills my heart with
joy. I think oI the special love with which Jesus is looking upon you. Yes, the Lord loves you
and calls you his Iriends (cI. Jn 15:15). He goes out to meet you and he wants to accompany you
on your journey, to open the door to a liIe oI IulIilment and to give you a share in his own
closeness to the Father. For our part, we have come to know the immensity oI his love and we
want to respond generously to his love by sharing with others the joy we have received.
Certainly, there are many people today who Ieel attracted by the Iigure oI Christ and want to
know him better. They realize that he is the answer to so many oI our deepest concerns. But who
is he really? How can someone who lived on this earth so long ago have anything in common
with me today?
The Gospel we have just heard (cI. Mt 16:13-20) suggests two diIIerent ways oI knowing Christ.
The Iirst is an impersonal knowledge, one based on current opinion. When Jesus asks: 'Who do
people say that the Son oI Man is?, the disciples answer: 'Some say John the Baptist, but others
Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one oI the prophets. In other words, Christ is seen as yet
another religious Iigure, like those who came beIore him. Then Jesus turns to the disciples and
asks them: 'But who do you say that I am? Peter responds with what is the Iirst conIession oI
Iaith: 'You are the Messiah, the Son oI the living God. Faith is more than just empirical or
historical Iacts; it is an ability to grasp the mystery oI Christ`s person in all its depth.
Yet Iaith is not the result oI human eIIort, oI human reasoning, but rather a giIt oI God: 'Blessed
are you, Simon son oI Jonah! For Ilesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in
heaven. Faith starts with God, who opens his heart to us and invites us to share in his own
divine liIe. Faith does not simply provide inIormation about who Christ is; rather, it entails a
personal relationship with Christ, a surrender oI our whole person, with all our understanding,
will and Ieelings, to God`s selI-revelation. So Jesus` question: 'But who do you say that I am?,
is ultimately a challenge to the disciples to make a personal decision in his regard. Faith in Christ
and discipleship are strictly interconnected.
And, since Iaith involves Iollowing the Master, it must become constantly stronger, deeper and
more mature, to the extent that it leads to a closer and more intense relationship with Jesus. Peter
and the other disciples also had to grow in this way, until their encounter with the Risen Lord
opened their eyes to the Iullness oI Iaith.
Dear young people, today Christ is asking you the same question which he asked the Apostles:
'Who do you say that I am? Respond to him with generosity and courage, as beIits young hearts
like your own. Say to him: 'Jesus, I know that you are the Son oI God, who have given your liIe
Ior me. I want to Iollow you IaithIully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love
me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole liIe into your hands. I want you to be the power
that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me.
Jesus` responds to Peter`s conIession by speaking oI the Church: 'And I tell you, you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build my Church. What do these words mean? Jesus builds the Church
on the rock oI the Iaith oI Peter, who conIesses that Christ is God.
The Church, then, is not simply a human institution, like any other. Rather, she is closely joined
to God. Christ himselI speaks oI her as 'his Church. Christ cannot be separated Irom the Church
any more than the head can be separated Irom the body (cI. 1 Cor 12:12). The Church does not
draw her liIe Irom herselI, but Irom the Lord.
Dear young Iriends, as the Successor oI Peter, let me urge you to strengthen this Iaith which has
been handed down to us Irom the time oI the Apostles. Make Christ, the Son oI God, the centre
oI your liIe. But let me also remind you that Iollowing Jesus in Iaith means walking at his side in
the communion oI the Church. We cannot Iollow Jesus on our own. Anyone who would be
tempted to do so 'on his own, or to approach the liIe oI Iaith with kind oI individualism so
prevalent today, will risk never truly encountering Jesus, or will end up Iollowing a counterIeit
Jesus.
Having Iaith means drawing support Irom the Iaith oI your brothers and sisters, even as your
own Iaith serves as a support Ior the Iaith oI others. I ask you, dear Iriends, to love the Church
which brought you to birth in the Iaith, which helped you to grow in the knowledge oI Christ and
which led you to discover the beauty oI his love. Growing in Iriendship with Christ necessarily
means recognizing the importance oI joyIul participation in the liIe oI your parishes,
communities and movements, as well as the celebration oI Sunday Mass, Irequent reception oI
the sacrament oI Reconciliation, and the cultivation oI personal prayer and meditation on God`s
word.
Friendship with Jesus will also lead you to bear witness to the Iaith wherever you are, even when
it meets with rejection or indiIIerence. We cannot encounter Christ and not want to make him
known to others. So do not keep Christ to yourselves! Share with others the joy oI your Iaith.
The world needs the witness oI your Iaith, it surely needs God. I think that the presence here oI
so many young people, coming Irom all over the world, is a wonderIul prooI oI the IruitIulness
oI Christ`s command to the Church: 'Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole
creation (Mk 16:15). You too have been given the extraordinary task oI being disciples and
missionaries oI Christ in other lands and countries Iilled with young people who are looking Ior
something greater and, because their heart tells them that more authentic values do exist, they do
not let themselves be seduced by the empty promises oI a liIestyle which has no room Ior God.
Dear young people, I pray Ior you with heartIelt aIIection. I commend all oI you to the Virgin
Mary and I ask her to accompany you always by her maternal intercession and to teach you how
to remain IaithIul to God`s word. I ask you to pray Ior the Pope, so that, as the Successor oI
Peter, he may always conIirm his brothers and sisters in the Iaith. May all oI us in the Church,
pastors and IaithIul alike, draw closer to the Lord each day. May we grow in holiness oI liIe and
be eIIective witnesses to the truth that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son oI God, the Saviour oI all
mankind and the living source oI our hope. Amen.

MESSACE OF HIS HOLIAESS
POPE BEAEDIC1 XJI
FOR 1HE 1WEA1Y-SIX1H WORLD YOU1H DAY (211)

Planted and built up in Jesus Christ,
firm in the faith` (cI. Col 2:7)

ear Friends,
I oIten think back on the World Youth Day held in Sydney in 2008. There we had an experience
oI a great Iestival oI Iaith in which the Spirit oI God was actively at work, building deep
communion among the participants who had come Irom all over the world. That gathering, like
those on previous occasions, bore rich Iruit in the lives oI many young people and in the liIe oI
the whole Church. Now we are looking Iorward to the next World Youth Day, to be held in
Madrid in August 2011. Back in 1989, several months beIore the historic Iall oI the Berlin Wall,
this pilgrimage oI young people halted in Spain, in Santiago de Compostela. Now, at a time
when Europe greatly needs to rediscover its Christian roots, our meeting will take place in
Madrid with the theme: Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith` (cI. Col 2:7). I
encourage you to take part in this event, which is so important Ior the Church in Europe and Ior
the universal Church. I would like all young people those who share our Iaith in Jesus Christ,
but also those who are wavering or uncertain, or who do not believe in him to share this
experience, which can prove decisive Ior their lives. It is an experience oI the Lord Jesus, risen
and alive, and oI his love Ior each oI us.
1. At the source of your deepest aspirations
In every period oI history, including our own, many young people experience a deep desire Ior
personal relationships marked by truth and solidarity. Many oI them yearn to build authentic
Iriendships, to know true love, to start a Iamily that will remain united, to achieve personal
IulIilment and real security, all oI which are the guarantee oI a serene and happy Iuture. In
thinking oI my own youth, I realize that stability and security are not the questions that most
occupy the minds oI young people. True enough, it is important to have a job and thus to have
Iirm ground beneath our Ieet, yet the years oI our youth are also a time when we are seeking to
get the most out oI liIe. When I think back on that time, I remember above all that we were not
willing to settle Ior a conventional middle-class liIe. We wanted something great, something
new. We wanted to discover liIe itselI, in all its grandeur and beauty. Naturally, part oI that was
due to the times we lived in. During the Nazi dictatorship and the war, we were, so to speak,
'hemmed in by the dominant power structure. So we wanted to break out into the open, to
experience the whole range oI human possibilities. I think that, to some extent, this urge to break
out oI the ordinary is present in every generation. Part oI being young is desiring something
beyond everyday liIe and a secure job, a yearning Ior something really truly greater. Is this
simply an empty dream that Iades away as we become older? No! Men and women were created
Ior something great, Ior inIinity. Nothing else will ever be enough. Saint Augustine was right
when he said 'our hearts are restless till they Iind their rest in you. The desire Ior a more
meaningIul liIe is a sign that God created us and that we bear his 'imprint. God is liIe, and that
is why every creature reaches out towards liIe. Because human beings are made in the image oI
God, we do this in a unique and special way. We reach out Ior love, joy and peace. So we can
see how absurd it is to think that we can truly live by removing God Irom the picture! God is the
source oI liIe. To set God aside is to separate ourselves Irom that source and, inevitably, to
deprive ourselves oI IulIilment and joy: 'without the Creator, the creature Iades into
nothingness (Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et $pes, 36). In some parts oI the world,
particularly in the West, today`s culture tends to exclude God, and to consider Iaith a purely
private issue with no relevance Ior the liIe oI society. Even though the set oI values underpinning
society comes Irom the Gospel values like the sense oI the dignity oI the person, oI solidarity,
oI work and oI the Iamily , we see a certain 'eclipse oI God taking place, a kind oI amnesia
which, albeit not an outright rejection oI Christianity, is nonetheless a denial oI the treasure oI
our Iaith, a denial that could lead to the loss oI our deepest identity.
For this reason, dear Iriends, I encourage you to strengthen your Iaith in God, the Father oI our
Lord Jesus Christ. You are the Iuture oI society and oI the Church! As the Apostle Paul wrote to
the Christians oI Colossae, it is vital to have roots, a solid Ioundation! This is particularly true
today. Many people have no stable points oI reIerence on which to build their lives, and so they
end up deeply insecure. There is a growing mentality oI relativism, which holds that everything
is equally valid, that truth and absolute points oI reIerence do not exist. But this way oI thinking
does not lead to true Ireedom, but rather to instability, conIusion and blind conIormity to the Iads
oI the moment. As young people, you are entitled to receive Irom previous generations solid
points oI reIerence 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 oI
bearing Iruit.
. Planted and built up in 1esus Christ
In order to highlight the importance oI Iaith in the lives oI believers, I would like to reIlect with
you on each oI the three terms used by Saint Paul in the expression: Planted and built up in
Jesus Christ, firm in the faith` (cI. Col 2:7). We can distinguish three images: 'planted calls to
mind a tree and the roots that Ieed it; 'built up reIers to the construction oI a house; 'Iirm
indicates growth in physical or moral strength. These images are very eloquent. BeIore
commenting on them, I would like to point out that grammatically all three terms in the original
text are in the passive voice. This means that it is Christ himselI who takes the initiative to plant,
build up and conIirm the IaithIul.
The Iirst image is that oI a tree which is Iirmly planted thanks to its roots, which keep it upright
and give it nourishment. Without those roots, it would be blown away by the wind and would
die. What are our roots? Naturally our parents, our Iamilies and the culture oI our country are
very important elements oI our personal identity. But the Bible reveals a Iurther element. The
prophet Jeremiah wrote: 'Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They
shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not Iear when
heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year oI drought it is not anxious, and it does not
cease to bear Iruit (Jer 17:7-8). For the prophet, to send out roots means to put one`s trust in
God. From him we draw our liIe. Without him, we cannot truly live. 'God gave us eternal liIe,
and this liIe is in his Son (1 Jn 5:11). Jesus himselI tells us that he is our liIe (cI. Jn 14:6).
Consequently, Christian Iaith is not only a matter oI believing that certain things are true, but
above all a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is an encounter with the Son oI God that
gives new energy to the whole oI our existence. When we enter into a personal relationship with
him, Christ reveals our true identity and, in Iriendship with him, our liIe grows towards complete
IulIilment. There is a moment, when we are young, when each oI us wonders: what meaning
does my liIe have? What purpose and direction should I give to it? This is a very important
moment, and it can worry us, perhaps Ior some time. We start wondering about the kind oI work
we should take up, the kind oI relationships we should establish, the Iriendships we should
cultivate... Here, once more, I think oI my own youth. I was somehow aware quite early on that
the Lord wanted me to be a priest. Then later, aIter the war, when I was in the seminary and at
university on the way towards that goal, I had to recapture that certainty. I had to ask myselI: is
this really the path I was meant to take? Is this really God`s will Ior me? Will I be able to remain
IaithIul to him and completely at his service? A decision like this demands a certain struggle. It
cannot be otherwise. But then came the certainty: this is the right thing! Yes, the Lord wants me,
and he will give me strength. II I listen to him and walk with him, I become truly myselI. What
counts is not the IulIilment oI my desires, but oI his will. In this way liIe becomes authentic.
Just as the roots oI a tree keep it Iirmly planted in the soil, so the Ioundations oI a house give it
long-lasting stability. Through Iaith, we have been built up in Jesus Christ (cIr Col 2:7), even as
a house is built on its Ioundations. Sacred history provides many examples oI saints who built
their lives on the word oI God. The Iirst is Abraham, our Iather in Iaith, who obeyed God when
he was asked to leave his ancestral home and to set out Ior an unknown land. 'Abraham believed
God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called the Iriend oI God (Jas
2:23). Being built up in Jesus Christ means responding positively to God`s call, trusting in him
and putting his word into practice. Jesus himselI reprimanded his disciples: 'Why do you call me
Lord, Lord`, and do not do what I tell you? (Lk 6:46). He went on to use the image oI building
a house: 'I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts
on them. That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the Ioundation on
rock; when the Ilood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had
been well built (Lk 6:47-48).
Dear Iriends, build your own house on rock, just like the person who 'dug deeply. Try each day
to Iollow Christ`s word. Listen to him as a true Iriend with whom you can share your path in liIe.
With him at your side, you will Iind courage and hope to Iace diIIiculties and problems, and even
to overcome disappointments and set-backs. You are constantly being oIIered easier choices, but
you yourselves know that these are ultimately deceptive and cannot bring you serenity and joy.
Only the word oI God can show us the authentic way, and only the Iaith we have received is the
light which shines on our path. GrateIully accept this spiritual giIt which you have received Irom
your Iamilies; strive to respond responsibly to God`s call, and to grow in your Iaith. Do not
believe those who tell you that you don`t need others to build up your liIe! Find support in the
Iaith oI those who are dear to you, in the Iaith oI the Church, and thank the Lord that you have
received it and have made it your own!
. Firm in the faith
You are planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith` (cI. Col 2:7). The Letter Irom
which these words are taken was written by Saint Paul in order to respond to a speciIic need oI
the Christians in the city oI Colossae. That community was threatened by the inIluence oI certain
cultural trends that were turning the IaithIul away Irom the Gospel. Our own cultural context,
dear young people, is not unlike that oI the ancient Colossians. Indeed, there is a strong current
oI secularist thought that aims to make God marginal in the lives oI 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: Iilled with selIishness, broken Iamilies, hatred between
individuals and nations, and a great deIicit oI 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 oI love is being built, a civilization in which the dignity oI all is respected, and
communion increases, with all its beneIits. Yet some Christians allow themselves to be seduced
by secularism or attracted by religious currents that draw them away Irom Iaith in Jesus Christ.
There are others who, while not yielding to these enticements, have simply allowed their Iaith to
grow cold, with inevitable negative eIIects on their moral lives.
To those Christians inIluenced by ideas alien to the Gospel the Apostle Paul spoke oI the power
oI Christ`s death and resurrection. This mystery is the Ioundation oI our lives and the centre oI
Christian Iaith. All philosophies that disregard it and consider it 'Ioolishness (1 Cor 1:23)
reveal their limitations with respect to the great questions deep in the hearts oI human beings. As
the Successor oI the Apostle Peter, I too want to conIirm you in the Iaith (cI. Lk 22:32). We
Iirmly believe that Jesus Christ oIIered himselI on the Cross in order to give us his love. In his
passion, he bore our suIIerings, took upon himselI our sins, obtained Iorgiveness Ior us and
reconciled us with God the Father, opening Ior us the way to eternal liIe. Thus we were Ireed
Irom the thing that most encumbers our lives: the slavery oI sin. We can love everyone, even our
enemies, and we can share this love with the poorest oI our brothers and sisters and all those in
diIIiculty.
Dear Iriends, the Cross oIten Irightens us because it seems to be a denial oI liIe. In Iact, the
opposite is true! It is God`s 'yes to mankind, the supreme expression oI his love and the source
Irom which eternal liIe Ilows. Indeed, it is Irom Jesus` heart, pierced on the Cross, that this
divine liIe streamed Iorth, ever accessible to those who raise their eyes towards the CruciIied
One. I can only urge you, then, to embrace the Cross oI Jesus, the sign oI God`s love, as the
source oI new liIe. Apart Irom Jesus Christ risen Irom the dead, there can be no salvation! He
alone can Iree the world Irom evil and bring about the growth oI the Kingdom oI justice, peace
and love to which we all aspire.
. Believing in 1esus Christ without having seen him
In the Gospel we Iind a description oI the Apostle Thomas`s experience oI Iaith when he
accepted the mystery oI the Cross and resurrection oI Christ. Thomas was one oI the twelve
Apostles. He Iollowed Jesus and was an eyewitness oI his healings and miracles. He listened to
his words, and he experienced dismay at Jesus` death. That Easter evening when the Lord
appeared to the disciples, Thomas was not present. When he was told that Jesus was alive and
had shown himselI, Thomas stated: 'Unless I see the mark oI the nails in his hands, and put my
Iinger in the mark oI the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe (Jn 20:25).
We too want to be able to see Jesus, to speak with him and to Ieel his presence even more
powerIully. For many people today, it has become diIIicult to approach Jesus. There are so many
images oI Jesus in circulation which, while claiming to be scientiIic, detract Irom his greatness
and the uniqueness oI his person. That is why, aIter many years oI study and reIlection, I thought
oI sharing something oI my own personal encounter with Jesus by writing a book. It was a way
to help others see, hear and touch the Lord in whom God came to us in order to make himselI
known. Jesus himselI, when he appeared again to his disciples a week later, said to Thomas: 'Put
your Iinger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but
believe (Jn 20:27). We too can have tangible contact with Jesus and put our hand, so to speak,
upon the signs oI his Passion, the signs oI his love. It is in the sacraments that he draws
particularly near to us and gives himselI to us. Dear young people, learn to 'see and to 'meet
Jesus in the Eucharist, where he is present and close to us, and even becomes Iood Ior our
journey. In the sacrament oI Penance the Lord reveals his mercy and always grants us his
Iorgiveness. Recognize and serve Jesus in the poor, the sick, and in our brothers and sisters who
are in diIIiculty and in need oI help.
Enter into a personal dialogue with Jesus Christ and cultivate it in Iaith. Get to know him better
by reading the Gospels and the Catechism oI the Catholic Church. Converse with him in prayer,
and place your trust in him. He will never betray that trust! 'Faith is Iirst oI all a personal
adherence oI man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth
that God has revealed (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 150). Thus you will acquire a mature
and solid Iaith, one which will not be based simply on religious sentiment or on a vague memory
oI the catechism you studied as a child. You will come to know God and to live authentically in
union with him, like the Apostle Thomas who showed his Iirm Iaith in Jesus in the words: 'My
Lord and my God!.
. Sustained by the faith of the Church, in order to be witnesses
Jesus said to Thomas: 'Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who
have not seen and yet have come to believe (Jn 20:29). He was thinking oI the path the Church
was to Iollow, based on the Iaith oI eyewitnesses: the Apostles. Thus we come to see that our
personal Iaith in Christ, which comes into being through dialogue with him, is bound to the Iaith
oI the Church. We do not believe as isolated individuals, but rather, through Baptism, we are
members oI this great Iamily; it is the Iaith proIessed by the Church which reinIorces our
personal Iaith. The Creed that we proclaim at Sunday Mass protects us Irom the danger oI
believing in a God other than the one revealed by Christ: 'Each believer is thus a link in the great
chain oI believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the Iaith oI others, and by my Iaith I
help support others in the Iaith (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 166). Let us always thank
the Lord Ior the giIt oI the Church, Ior the Church helps us to advance securely in the Iaith that
gives us true liIe (cI. Jn 20:31).
In the history oI the Church, the saints and the martyrs have always drawn Irom the glorious
Cross oI Christ the strength to be IaithIul to God even to the point oI oIIering their own lives. In
Iaith they Iound the strength to overcome their weaknesses and to prevail over every adversity.
Indeed, as the Apostle John says, 'Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes
that Jesus is the Son oI God? (1 Jn 5:5). The victory born oI Iaith is that oI love. There have
been, and still are, many Christians who are living witnesses oI the power oI Iaith that is
expressed in charity. They have been peacemakers, promoters oI justice and workers Ior a more
humane world, a world in accordance with God`s plan. With competence and proIessionalism,
they have been committed in diIIerent sectors oI the liIe oI society, contributing eIIectively to the
welIare oI all. The charity that comes Irom Iaith led them to oIIer concrete witness by their
actions and words. Christ is not a treasure meant Ior us alone; he is the most precious treasure we
have, one that is meant to be shared with others. In our age oI globalization, be witnesses oI
Christian hope all over the world. How many people long to receive this hope! Standing beIore
the tomb oI his Iriend Lazarus, who had died Iour days earlier, as he was about to call the dead
man back to liIe, Jesus said to Lazarus` sister Martha: 'II you believe, you will see the glory oI
God (cI. Jn 11:40). In the same way, iI you believe, and iI you are able to live out your Iaith and
bear witness to it every day, you will become a means oI helping other young people like
yourselves to Iind the meaning and joy oI liIe, which is born oI an encounter with Christ!
. On the way to World Youth Day in Madrid
Dear Iriends, once again I invite you to attend World Youth Day in Madrid. I await each oI you
with great joy. Jesus Christ wishes to make you Iirm in Iaith through the Church. The decision to
believe in Jesus Christ and to Iollow him is not an easy one. It is hindered by our personal
Iailures and by the many voices that point us towards easier paths. Do not be discouraged.
Rather, look Ior the support oI the Christian community, the support oI the Church! Throughout
this year, careIully prepare Ior the meeting in Madrid with the bishops, priests and youth leaders
in your dioceses, parish communities, associations and movements. The quality oI our meeting
will depend above all on our spiritual preparation, our prayer, our common hearing oI the word
oI God and our mutual support.
Dear young people, the Church depends on you! She needs your lively Iaith, your creative
charity and the energy oI your hope. Your presence renews, rejuvenates and gives new energy to
the Church. That is why World Youth Days are a grace, not only Ior you, but Ior the entire
People oI God. The Church in Spain is actively preparing to welcome you and to share this
joyIul experience oI Iaith with you. I thank the dioceses, parishes, shrines, religious
communities, ecclesial associations and movements, and all who are hard at work in preparing
Ior this event. The Lord will not Iail to grant them his blessings. May the Virgin Mary
accompany you along this path oI preparation. At the message oI the angel, she received God`s
word with Iaith. It was in Iaith that she consented to what God was accomplishing in her. By
proclaiming her 'fiat, her 'yes, she received the giIt oI immense charity which led her to give
herselI entirely to God. May she intercede Ior each one oI you so that, in the coming World
Youth Day you may grow in Iaith and love. I assure you oI a paternal remembrance in my
prayers and I give you my heartIelt blessing.
From the Jatican, 6 August 2010, Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI