Pope to the youth of Taizé: 'become builders of bridges between churches, religions and peoples'

Message from Francis to the young people gathered in Madrid for the 41st European Meeting organized by the Ecumenical Community of Taizé. "Promoting a culture of encounter", welcoming "one another while respecting differences".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Become bridge builders between churches, religions and peoples". This is the exhortation that Pope Francis addressed in a message to the 15 thousand young people gathered in Madrid from today to 1 January for the 41st European Meeting, organized by the Ecumenical Community of Taizé.

In the document signed by the Secretary of State Card. Pietro Parolin Francis asks young people to accept "the challenge of hospitality and invites them to"open the door of the heart to the Lord and his Word "and" promote a culture of encounter ", welcoming" one another respecting "differences. "It is possible - says Francis - to live a generous hospitality, learn to be enriched by the differences of others and to make the talents fruitful". And therefore, be "close to this wounded humanity and to those who are left behind, rejected and excluded, small and poor".

Taking up again the theme of the meeting chosen this year by Taizé "Let's not forget hospitality", the Pope recalls the recent assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome on "Youth, faith and vocational discernment", to repeat that he with the whole Church , trust them. In particular, Francis recalls what was written in the 2018 message for the World Youth Day and also encourages the young people of Taizé to never lose the desire to enjoy “the taste of encounter, of friendship, of dreaming together and of walking with others.”  This, he explains, is because “authentic Christians are not afraid to open themselves to others, to share their living spaces, transforming them into spaces of fraternity .”

Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox participate in the Taizé meetings. The Pope then asks the Holy Spirit to help young people to accept the differences of the other as "a journey of communion" and invites them to "use your talents, your energy and your strength to improve the world and make sure that every person can find his place within the great human family ". "That the example of Mary, whose" love is full of audacity and all oriented to the gift of oneself ", concludes the message stimulates us to live concretely" this charity that impels us to love God above all things and ourselves , to love the people with whom we share everyday life ".

The message of the Pope was published on the community website together with the messages of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew, of the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (Wcc) rev. Olav Fykse-Tveit, of the general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, rev. Martin Junge, of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, M. António Guterres and of the Mayor of the City of Madrid, Manuela Carmena. The event, in fact, takes place in the Spanish capital and young people are welcomed by 170 parishes and thousands of families from Madrid.