In his address at tonight’s welcoming ceremony for World Youth Day, Pope Francis urged young people to oppose those who say things can never change, and encouraged them instead to pursue an "adventure of mercy."

Recalling his time as bishop during the ceremony in Krakow’s Blonia Park, the Pope said one thing he learned was that “nothing is more beautiful” than seeing young people’s enthusiasm.

“It is exciting to listen to you share your dreams, your questions and your desire to oppose all those who say that things cannot change,” the Pope said.

Speaking off the cuff, he said he describes such people who say nothing can be altered as “quietists” [generally a political term meaning those who have a calm acceptance of things as they are without attempting to resist or change them].

But young people, he added, “have the strength to oppose these people!”. Adding that some might not be convinced, he asked the crowd of some 500,000 young pilgrims: “Can things change?”, to which they bellowed: “Yes!”. “I can’t hear you!,” the Pope said. “Yes!”, they repeated back.

He stressed that the Lord’s Kingdom is one of joy, “a Kingdom that can give us the strength to change things.” The Pope then feigned forgetting the question to ask it again. “Can things change?”, he shouted. “Yes!,” the crowd yelled back.

The Pope warned young people not to opt for “early retirement”, to “throw in the towel” before the game of life has begun. Such an attitude “pains me,” he said. Instead of becoming a pensioner in one’s early 20s, he urged the young people to turn to Christ who alone can offer a “lasting sense of life and fulfillment.”

Again speaking off the cuff, he encouraged young people to keep on getting up after they fall, and to listen to the wisdom of their grandparents.

He closed by calling on the Lord to “launch us on the adventure of mercy! Launch us on the adventure of building bridges and tearing down walls, barriers and barbed wire. Launch us on the adventure of helping the poor, those who feel lonely and abandoned, or no longer find meaning in their lives." 

Below is the full text of the Pope’s address, with improvised remarks in italics (my translation).

Vatican colored eco-tram

Despite constant light rain, many pilgrims were excited and exuberant about the event and seeing the Pope — his first encounter with youth during this World Youth Day — and the park was a sea of color and flags from all over the world.

The Pope arrived at the ceremony with disabled people, and rode with them on an ecological electric tram to the venue. The transportation was painted in the Vatican colors of white and yellow.

Many messages from young people and in different languages greeted Pope Francis, as well as dance and musical performances which included traditional colorful Polish costumes and the Argentinian tango. Also part of the program was a procession of various national flags from around the world.

Some voices speaking to the Register on today’s ceremony:

Sana from Northern Iraq

"This is my second WYD. I’m from northern Iraq which is safe, but life in the South is always hard because of ISIS, but thank God we’re in a safe place. World Youth Day is perfect, amazing. There are 200 of us here from Iraq and we’re here for 10 days."

Anas from Erbil, Iraq

"I come from Erbil which is fine [lacking terrorist violence]. The middle of Iraq is getting better. WYD means faith for me, to see and share the faith with all people around the world. People from 187 countries, around 2 million people, will be here. It’ll be a great thing just to see cultures from different places around the world, to learn how they speak, help them to live, discover what they do, how they think — that’s all about humanity. WYD gives us hope, we find people from different places in the world who are interested in us. They say: “We are praying for you,” or they say “we will support you, stay where you are.” That’s a good feeling." 

Ivan from Orange Country, California

"WYD is phenomenal, it’s really surreal, I can’t put it into words, it’s just amazing. It means my faith to me, everything from praying to meeting new people, new cultures, amazing. It definitely helps my faith, keeps it intact, cemented into my heart. I’ve certainly made new friends. Sometimes our countries are perhaps in political conflict so we make time to be close to each other, we love everybody here."

Fr Gihan, national director of youth in Sri Lanka

"We’re a very poor country, but we’ve got all the children here, they’re young people and we’re very happy because we experience such a love of God, and to see the faith of the young people! We’re so happy that there’re still young people for Jesus! It gives hope and it’s our happiness. We’re 29 here, we’re from all the parts of Sri Lanka, two from each district and we got here with the help of the Vatican and churches, so we came here now. Pope Francis this evening really got to the hearts of the young people. He knows how to speak to the hearts of young people, and we’re happy to have such a Pope with us now." 

Elona, Belorussia

"It’s the greatest day in my life, it’s my first time here. It’s amazing and wonderful, I’m crying because I’m expressing how I feel – it’s wonderful. We are 20 people. I hope to take back home new emotions, I’ll take back the faith." 

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Dear Young Friends, good evening!

At last we are together! Thank you for your warm welcome! I thank Cardinal Dziwisz, the bishops, priests, men and women religious, the seminarians and those who have accompanied you. I am also grateful to all those who made it possible for us to be here today, who “went the extra mile” so that we could celebrate our faith.

In this, the land of his birth, I especially want to thank Saint John Paul II, who first came up with the idea of these meetings and gave them such momentum. From his place in heaven, he is with us and he sees all of you: so many young people from such a variety of nations, cultures and languages but with one aim, that of rejoicing that Jesus is living in our midst. To say that Jesus is alive means to rekindle our enthusiasm in following him, to renew our passionate desire to be his disciples. What better opportunity to renew our friendship with Jesus than by building friendships among yourselves! What better way to build our friendship with Jesus than by sharing him with others! What better way to experience the contagious joy of the Gospel than by striving to bring the Good News to all kinds of painful and difficult situations!

Jesus called us to this Thirty-first World Youth Day. Jesus tells us: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy (Mt 5:7). Blessed indeed are they who can forgive, who show heartfelt compassion, who are capable of offering the very best of themselves to others. The best, not what’s left. The best!

Dear young people, in these days Poland is in a festive mood; in these days Poland wants to be the ever-youthful face of mercy. From this land, with you and all those young people who cannot be present today yet join us through the various communications media, we are going to make this World Youth Day an authentic Jubilee celebration.

In my years as a bishop, I have learned one thing – I learned a lot, but I want to say one thing now: Nothing is more beautiful than seeing the enthusiasm, dedication, zeal and energy with which so many young people live their lives. This is beautiful! And where does this beauty come from? When Jesus touches a young person’s heart, he or she becomes capable of truly great things. It is exciting to listen to you share your dreams, your questions and your desire to oppose all those who say that things cannot change. Those who I call “quietists”: “Nothing can be changed.” No, young people have the strength to oppose these people! But… perhaps some are not sure about this… I ask you, you respond: Can things change? [Yes!] I can’t hear you! [Yes!]. There we are. It’s a gift from heaven to see so many of you, with all your questions, trying to make a difference. It is beautiful and heartwarming to see all that restlessness! Today the Church looks to you and wants to learn from you, to be reassured that the Father’s Mercy has an ever-youthful face, and constantly invites us to be part of his Kingdom, that is a Kingdom of joy, a Kingdom that can give us the strength to change things. I’ve forgotten it, the question I asked you again:  can things change? [Yes!] Okay. 

Knowing your enthusiasm for mission, I repeat: mercy always has a youthful face! Because a merciful heart is motivated to move beyond its comfort zone. A merciful heart can go out and meet others; it is ready to embrace everyone. A merciful heart is able to be a place of refuge for those who are without a home or have lost their home; it is able to build a home and a family for those forced to emigrate; it knows the meaning of tenderness and compassion. A merciful heart can share its bread with the hungry and welcome refugees and migrants. To say the word “mercy” along with you is to speak of opportunity, future, commitment, trust, openness, hospitality, compassion and dreams. But you are able to dream? [Yes!] And when the heart is open and capable of dreaming is a place for mercy, there is a place to caress those who suffer, there is a place to stand beside those who do not have peace in their heart, or lack of necessities of life, or lack the most beautiful thing: the faith. Mercy. Let us say together that word: mercy. All together! [Mercy!] Another time! [Mercy!] Another time, because the world is listening! [Mercy!].

Let me tell you another thing I have learned over these years. It pains me to meet young people who seem to have opted for “early retirement”. This pains me. Young people who seem to have retired at the age of 23, 24, 25. This pains me. I worry when I see young people who have “thrown in the towel” before the game has even begun, who are defeated even before they begin to play, who walk around glumly as if life has no meaning. Deep down, young people like this are bored… and boring! But it is also hard, and troubling, to see young people who waste their lives looking for thrills or a feeling of being alive by taking dark paths and in the end having to pay for it… and pay dearly. It is disturbing to see young people squandering some of the best years of their lives, wasting their energies running after peddlers of fond illusions (where I come from, we call them “vendors of smoke”), who rob you of what is best in you. And that pains me. I am sure that today among you none of you are like this, but I want to tell you: there are young pensioners, young people who give up before the game, young people who look for thrills with false illusions and end in nothingness .

We are gathered here to help one another other, because we do not want to be robbed of the best of ourselves. We don’t to be robbed of our energy, our joy, our dreams by fond illusions.

Dear friends, I ask you: Are you looking for empty thrills in life, or do you want to feel a power that can give you a lasting sense of life and fulfillment? Empty thrills or the power of grace? What do you want? [fulfillment!] I can’t hear you! [Fulfillment!]. To be full, to have a renewed life, there is an answer. It is not a thing or an object, but a person, and he is alive. His name is Jesus Christ.

Jesus can give you true passion for life. Jesus can inspire us not to settle for less, but to give the very best of ourselves. Jesus challenges us, spurs us on and helps us keep trying whenever we are tempted to give up. Jesus pushes us to keep our sights high and to dream of great things. "But father,” someone might say, “it’s so difficult to dream high, it’s so difficult to climb, always uphill. Father, I'm weak, I fall, I really try, but many times I fall." Mountaineers, when climbing the mountains, sing a very good song, which goes: "In the art of climbing, what matters is not falling, but not staying fallen." If you are weak, if you fall, look up a little and there's the outstretched hand of Jesus that tells you: "Get up, come with me." "And if I do it again?" Also. "And if I do it again?" Also. But Peter once asked the Lord: "Lord, how many times?" - "Seventy times seven." Jesus' hand is always outstretched to lift us up when we fall. Have you understood? [Yes!]

In the Gospel, we heard how Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem, stopped at a home – the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus – and was welcomed. He stopped, went in and spent time with them. The two women welcomed him because they knew he was open and attentive. Our many jobs and responsibilities can make us a bit like Martha: busy, scattered, constantly running from place to place… but we can also be like Mary: whenever we see a beautiful landscape, or look at a video from a friend on our cellphone, we can stop and think, stop and listen… In these days, Jesus wants to stop and enter our home. He will look at us hurrying about with all our concerns, as he did with Martha… and he will wait for us to listen to him, like Mary, to make space for him amid the bustle. May these be days given over to Jesus and to listening to one another. May they help us welcome Jesus in all those with whom we share our homes, our neighbourhoods, our groups and our schools.

Whoever welcomes Jesus, learns to love as Jesus does. So he asks us if we want a full life: Do you want a complete life? Start by letting yourself be open and attentive! Because happiness is sown and blossoms in mercy. That is his answer, his offer, his challenge, his adventure: mercy. Mercy always has a youthful face. Like that of Mary of Bethany, who sat as a disciple at the feet of Jesus and joyfully listened to his words, since she knew that there she would find peace. Like that of Mary of Nazareth, whose daring “Yes” launched her on the adventure of mercy. All generations would call her blessed; to all of us she is the “Mother of Mercy”.

All together, then, we ask the Lord: “Launch us on the adventure of mercy! Launch us on the adventure of building bridges and tearing down walls, barriers and barbed wire. Launch us on the adventure of helping the poor, those who feel lonely and abandoned, or no longer find meaning in their lives. Send us, like Mary of Bethany, to listen attentively to those we do not understand, those of other cultures and peoples, even those we are afraid of because we consider them a threat. Make us attentive to our elders, as Mary of Nazareth was to Elizabeth, that we desire to look at our elders, our grandparents, in order to learn from their wisdom. I ask you: do you talk to your grandparents? [Yes!]. So, so! Try your grandparents, they have the wisdom of life and will tell you things that will move your heart.

Here we are, Lord! Send us to share your merciful love. We want to welcome you in our midst during this World Youth Day. We want to affirm that our lives are fulfilled when they are shaped by mercy, for that is the better part, the sweetest part, it’s the part that will never be taken from us.

[Original text: Italian]