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Madam President,
Distinguished Authorities,
Brothers and Sisters and Friends!
In his loving providence, God wished that the first international
trip of my pontificate should take me back to my beloved Latin America,
specifically to Brazil, a country proud of its links to the Apostolic
See and of its deep sentiments of faith and friendship that have always
kept it united in a special way to the Successor of Peter. I am grateful
for this divine benevolence.
I have learned that, to gain access to the Brazilian people, it is
necessary to pass through its great heart; so let me knock gently at
this door. I ask permission to come in and spend this week with you. I
have neither silver nor gold, but I bring with me the most precious
thing given to me: Jesus Christ! I have come in his name, to feed the
flame of fraternal love that burns in every heart; and I wish my
greeting to reach one and all: The peace of Christ be with you!
I cordially greet the President and the distinguished members of her
government. I thank her for her warm welcome and for the words by which
she expressed the joy of all Brazilians at my presence in their country.
I also greet the state governor who is hosting us in the government
palace, and the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, as well as the members of the
Diplomatic Corps accredited to the government of Brazil, the other
authorities present and all those who worked hard to make my visit here a
reality.
I would like to greet affectionately my brother bishops, to whom
falls the serious task of guiding God’s flock in this vast country, as
well as their beloved local churches. With this visit, I wish to pursue
the pastoral mission proper to the Bishop of Rome of confirming my
brothers in their faith in Christ, of encouraging them to give an
account of the reasons for the hope which comes from him, and of
inspiring them to offer everyone the inexhaustible riches of his love.
As you know, the principal reason for my visit to Brazil goes beyond
its borders. I have actually come for World Youth Day. I am here to meet
young people coming from all over the world, drawn to the open arms of
Christ the Redeemer. They want to find a refuge in his embrace, close to
his heart, to listen again to his clear and powerful appeal: “Go and
make disciples of all nations”.
These young people are from every continent, they speak many
languages, they bring with them different cultures, and yet they also
find in Christ the answer to their highest aspirations, held in common,
and they can satisfy the hunger for a pure truth and an authentic love
which binds them together in spite of differences.
Christ offers them space, knowing that there is no force more
powerful than the one released from the hearts of young people when they
have been conquered by the experience of friendship with him. Christ
has confidence in young people and entrusts them with the very future of
his mission, “Go and make disciples”. Go beyond the confines of what is
humanly possible and create a world of brothers and sisters! And young
people have confidence in Christ: they are not afraid to risk for him
the only life they have, because they know they will not be
disappointed.
As I begin my visit to Brazil, I am well aware that, in addressing
young people, I am also speaking to their families, their local and
national church communities, the societies they come from, and the men
and women upon whom this new generation largely depends.
Here it is common for parents to say, “Our children are the apple of
our eyes”. How beautiful is this expression of Brazilian wisdom, which
applies to young people an image drawn from our eyes, which are the
window through which light enters into us, granting us the miracle of
sight! What would become of us if we didn’t look after our eyes? How
could we move forward? I hope that, during this week, each one of us
will ask ourselves this thought-provoking question.
Young people are the window through which the future enters the
world, thus presenting us with great challenges. Our generation will
show that it can realize the promise found in each young person when we
know how to give them space; how to create the material and spiritual
conditions for their full development; how to give them a solid basis on
which to build their lives; how to guarantee their safety and their
education to be everything they can be; how to pass on to them lasting
values that make life worth living; how to give them a transcendent
horizon for their thirst for authentic happiness and their creativity
for the good; how to give them the legacy of a world worthy of human
life; and how to awaken in them their greatest potential as builders of
their own destiny, sharing responsibility for the future of everyone.
As I conclude, I ask everyone to show consideration towards each
other and, if possible, the sympathy needed to establish friendly
dialogue. The arms of the Pope now spread to embrace all of Brazil in
its human, cultural and religious complexity and richness. From the
Amazon Basin to the pampas, from the dry regions to the Pantanal, from
the villages to the great cities, no one is excluded from the Pope’s
affection. In two days’ time, God willing, I will remember all of you
before Our Lady of Aparecida, invoking her maternal protection on your
homes and families. But for now I give all of you my blessing. Thank you
for your welcome!
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