Pope Francis’ post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation is presented at a Press Conference in the Vatican. The result of last October’s Synod on Young People, the message of the document is summed up in its title: “Christ is alive”.
By Seàn-Patrick Lovett
“Christ is alive and He wants you to be alive!” The opening lines of the Apostolic Exhortation set both the tone and the content of the Pope’s message. But the closing lines are what make the document an “exhortation” in the true sense of the word: “The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith”, writes Pope Francis”. “And when you arrive where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us”.
Pope Francis’ message is addressed not only to young people, but also to “the entire People of God”. The Pope says he was “inspired by the wealth of reflections and conversations” that took place during last October’s Synod, on the theme of “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment”, and he divides his reflections into nine chapters.
Chapter 1: The Word of God and Young People
Pope Francis begins by giving Old Testament examples of how, “in an age when young people were not highly regarded, some texts show that God sees them differently”. Turning to the New Testament, he reminds us that, as far as Jesus was concerned, “age did not establish privileges, and being young did not imply lesser worth or dignity”.
