Youth Day, which will be held from September 7 to 11, 2026, in Accra, Ghana, is a historic event organized by the Episcopal Conferences of West Africa (RECOWA/CERAO), modeled after World Youth Day.
In its video message, in French and English, Leo XIV praises “this wonderful initiative” by the Episcopal Conferences of West African countries, “which have placed young people at the center of their pastoral priorities.”.
I am convinced that these precious moments shared together, as the Holy Father tells you, “will help you grow in faith and be increasingly enriched by values such as connection and openness to others.”.
“Promoting positive change in our societies”
One of the central messages of the Pontiff, who made a lengthy pastoral visit to four African countries (Algeria, the land of St. Augustine, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea), is his call to “walk together to bring about positive change in our societies. Walking together means ensuring that no one is marginalized, isolated, excluded, or rejected.”.
In this regard, Leo XIV encourages young people to “be builders of bridges between peoples, cultures, and religions.” We must commit ourselves to living as Jesus, our Teacher and Lord, did—he who excluded no one from his path. He recognized the presence of God in those who lived on the margins of society, even in those who did not belong to his own people.”.
“You are God’s gift, the Church’s gift”
At the outset, the Pope encourages them to move forward with hope. “In these times when so many crises seem to cast a shadow over the horizon, I want to encourage you to move forward without losing hope. I know how much doubt, uncertainty, and, at times, insecurity can weigh on your shoulders and disrupt your plans for the future.”.
However, the Holy Father adds, “You are not young people who are being sacrificed, as many might think. In the Church—the Family of God—you are God’s gift, the Church’s gift. As Pope Benedict XVI said: “You are rich in qualities, energy, dreams, and hopes—resources that you possess in abundance! Your youth is a great treasure not only for you, but also for others, for the Church, and for the world” (Message for the 25th World Youth Day, ”February 22, 2010).”.
“I’m counting on you, and I trust you.”
Pope Leo then assures the youth of West Africa: “Dear young people, I am counting on you and I trust you; the Church trusts you. Through your words and actions, send a powerful message to our world, torn apart by wars and conflicts of every kind.”.
Abandon “fictitious pleasures and superficiality”
“Be witnesses of love, justice, and peace,“ adds the Pontiff. ”Do not sacrifice your precious youth on the altar of illusory pleasures and superficiality. Indeed, “our deepest questions find neither a listening ear nor an answer in the endless scrolling through our cell phones, which captivate our attention but leave our minds weary and our hearts empty. They will not take us far if we keep them locked away within ourselves or within circles that are too narrow. The fulfillment of our authentic longings always requires going beyond ourselves” (Message for the 40th World Youth Day, ”October 7, 2025)”.
He entrusts the integral human development of nations to the Virgin Mary
In closing, Pope Leo XIV entrusts young people to the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, “with special thoughts for those in your countries who sometimes face complex crises.”.
“May she intercede with her Son, Jesus Christ,” the Pope prays, “for the integral human development of your beloved nations. Upon you, the clergy, and upon all who work with young people, I invoke an abundance of divine graces.”.
An initiative by the region's bishops
The initiative by this Conference, according to the Dicastery for Integral Human Development (DSDHI), “it stems from the desire of the region’s bishops to offer young Catholics a shared space for faith, fellowship, and formation.”.
The chosen theme, “Take heart” (Jn 16:33), serves as the central theme for the five-day event, which brings together numerous youth delegations from West Africa, along with bishops from the region, international guests, and official delegations.
Burkina Faso proposed the meeting
The idea for a gathering of Catholic youth from West Africa arose at the request of the young people themselves: Burkina Faso proposed the initiative as early as 2019, and the bishops gave their approval the following year, but the event had to be postponed due to the pandemic, explains the Dicastery
Fr. Vincent de Paul Boro, first deputy secretary of the CERAO, explained that the meeting It aims to be a “prophetic sign” for the region, capable of converting young people from 16 countries and from diverse cultures and languages, “as leaders of a renewed youth ministry and as witnesses to unity on a continent marked by tensions.”.
Representing the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DSDHI), Fr. Avelino Chico, S.J., is present in Accra to present a video message from the new Prefect, Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, F.M.A., and the Prefect Emeritus, Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J.
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