The Pope Puts Young People (and Wars) at the Center of His Attention

The Pope has once again turned his attention in a special way to young people during these summer months. To young people and to wars.

And in the Angelus on this 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, after greeting the young people from the St. Mary Magdalene Community of the Diocese of Milan, he stated that “the presence of so many youth groups, who choose to devote a few days of their vacation to educational activities and fellowship, is a sign of hope; just as was the gathering of the young Franciscans, whom I had the pleasure of meeting last Thursday in Assisi.”.

Saints: Getting to Know Exemplary Witnesses to the Gospel

He then strongly urged young people to let themselves be “inspired by exemplary witnesses to the Gospel” whom the liturgical calendar presents to us during these days.

And he referred to “some wonderful saints whom I invite you to get to know better: yesterday, the great Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers; today, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Edith Stein, a Carmelite nun murdered in Auschwitz and co-patroness of Europe; tomorrow, Saint Lawrence, deacon of the Church of Rome; the day after tomorrow, Saint Clare of Assisi, who left a life of comfort to follow Jesus—poor and humble—following the example of her fellow citizen, Saint Francis. ”Dear young people, let yourselves be inspired by these exemplary witnesses to the Gospel!”.

In the Storm on the Sea of Galilee: Jesus Does Not Abandon Us

Before reciting the Marian prayer of the Angelus, the Successor of Peter commented on this Sunday’s Gospel, which tells us of “Jesus, who, on the Sea of Galilee, walking on the water, joins the disciples in the midst of a storm (cf. Mt 14:22–33).”.

Toward the end of the night, Jesus came out to meet them on the choppy waters, and they, frightened, mistook him for a ghost (v. 26). But He said to them, ‘¡Cheer up, ’It’s me—don’t be afraid!” (v. 27). 

The Lord’s presence changes everything, the Pope said. “Peter even manages to take a few steps across the waves toward Him; then he becomes frightened, begins to sink, and Jesus saves him. When the Master gets into the boat, the storm subsides, and then a profession of faith springs spontaneously from the disciples‘ hearts: ’Truly, you are the Son of God” (v. 33).”.

“Don’t let success go to our heads”

This miracle teaches us something important, the Pontiff emphasized. “First and foremost, not to let ourselves be carried away by success and never to be presumptuous; and, at the same time, not to despair, even in moments of darkness, when we feel powerless in the face of problems and, despite our efforts, it seems to us that we are moving backward rather than forward.”. 

“No matter what, Jesus never abandons us, and if we welcome him humbly into the boat of our lives—through prayer, the sacraments, and listening to his Word—we will find peace in him, as well as light and strength for our journey.”.

Sudan, Ukraine, Russia

After reciting the Angelus, the Holy Father expressed his solidarity with all the people of Sudan, especially those in the city of El Obeid, and renewed his call on the authorities to guarantee humanitarian corridors for the civilian population, and urged the international community to support efforts aimed at achieving an immediate ceasefire. 

In closing, he encouraged prayer, “asking the Lord to sustain those who are suffering, to convert the hearts of those who sow violence, and to grant the peace we so long for.”.

Along the same lines, he revealed that he continues to receive distressing reports of innocent people being killed and wounded in Ukraine and Russia. These tragic events are occurring one after another—indeed, they are multiplying—resulting in an ever-increasing number of civilian casualties, including children. 

War only leads to more war and immense suffering

”I stand in solidarity with the families of the victims, with the wounded, and with all those who are suffering as a result of the ongoing conflict," said Leo XIV.  

“In the face of so much suffering, I renew my impassioned call for respect for international humanitarian law and for both sides to put an end to attacks on civilian targets. War only breeds more war and causes immense suffering. It is time to stop the spiral of violence and make way for diplomacy and dialogue to pave the path toward peace.”.