教宗告诫青年人：你们要向那些墨守成规的人说不
教宗出席世青节的欢迎仪式，教会“应从青年身上学会不断对天父的慈悲抱定信心。天主大父的面容永远年轻”
克拉科夫（亚洲新闻）—年轻人向那些说不可能变化的人、那些“提前退休了”的同龄人说“不”；向那些“百无聊赖”的人、“无聊的人”说“不”；向那些兜售幻想并用虚伪的幻想盗窃“精力、喜乐、梦想”的人说“不”。这是教宗向五十万名在克拉科夫参加第三十一届世界青年节的世界各国青年们发出的呼吁。教会“应从青年身上学会不断对天父的慈悲抱定信心。天主大父的面容永远年轻”。要学会“建设桥梁、打破围墙”、“援助穷人”；要聆听那些“来自其它文化、民族的人，包括那些我们害怕的人，认为他们会害我们”。
教宗乘环保电车来到了一百七十多个国家的青年们中间参加“欢迎仪式”。克拉科夫市长亲自到克拉科夫总主教区公署迎接教宗，然后陪同教宗同世界各国青年相聚。一些残疾青年随同教宗一行乘坐电车，教宗一一亲切问候了他们每一个人。
各国的旗帜、歌声和欢声笑语交织着人海迎接教宗。这次是不折不扣的欢迎仪式，主题为“成圣的召叫”，世界五大洲青年载歌载舞尽显民族风采。克拉科夫总主教济维茨枢机向教宗表示，“这一切都发生在与世界青年节发起人圣若望·保禄二世紧密联系在一起的地方。这里又因为圣傅天娜修女的缘故被称为天主慈悲的精神首都”。
教宗向青年发表的讲话全文如下：
Dear young people, 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. Nothing is more beautiful than seeing the enthusiasm, dedication, zeal and energy with which so many young people live their lives. 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 impatience with those who say that things cannot change. For me, it is a gift of God 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.
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.
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’. 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.
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.”
Citing the Gospel passage that refers to Jesus’ visit to Martha, Mary and Lazarus, the pope went on to say, “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, in order to learn from their wisdom.
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, and it will never be taken from us.”
