This January 20, the Holy Father sent a video message to young people preparing to take part in World Youth Day, which is about 1 to open horizons and to open their hearts and not to build walls in their lives.”
Renato Martinez – Vatican City
“In this meeting, in this day, learn to always look to the horizon, always to look beyond. Don’t build a wall in front of your life. The walls enclose you, the horizon makes you grow,” Pope Francis encourages the more than 400,000 registered young people preparing to take part in World Youth Day (WYD) that will be held in the capital, Lisbon, Portugal, from 1 to 6 April. August 2023, under the motto: “Mary got up and left without hesitation” (Lk 1:39).
Young people thirst for horizons
In his video message, the Holy Father points out that although WYD in Lisbon is still a few months away, 400,000 young people are already registered and, according to the Pope, many of them come to participate because they are thirsty to to share their experiences and He warns that there are young people who come “to do tourism”.
“It catches my attention and I’m happy that so many young people are coming because they have to get involved. But some say that I go on tourism. But the young man who comes is because he is fundamentally thirsty to participate, to share, to tell his experiences and to receive the experiences of the other. They thirst for horizons”.
Young people, don’t build walls in your life
Pope Francis is encouraging the more than 400,000 registered young people to continue preparing for WYD because, the pope says, they are thirsty for the horizon.
“In this meeting, in this day, learn to always look to the horizon, always to look beyond. Don’t build a wall in front of your life. The walls close you, the horizon lets you grow. Always look at the horizon with your eyes, but above all look at it with your heart. Open your hearts to other cultures, to other boys, to other girls who are also coming to this day”.
Get ready to open horizons and hearts
Before giving them his blessing, the Holy Father bids farewell to the young people preparing for WYD in Lisbon 2023 and invites them to pray for him, but above all he asks them not to forget: “none Walls, even horizons”.
“Prepare yourself: to open horizons, to open your heart. And thank you for registering so far in advance. We hope that others will follow your example.”