Andrea and Benjamin, two young citizens of Monaco, posed a question to Pope Leo XIV: how can one preserve the hope of faith in the face of an uncertain future?
Ethan and Sophie, two new catechumens, asked the pope how they should prepare to receive baptism, to receive 'all that love that has changed their lives'.
To all these questions, the pontiff—after greeting each of them personally—responded with conviction:
POPE LEO XIV
“Only in this way does anxiety find peace, and the inner emptiness that Andreia spoke of is filled—not by material and fleeting things, nor even by virtual signs of approval such as thousands of ‘likes,’ nor by constraining, artificial, sometimes even violent forms of belonging. It is necessary to clear the doorway of the heart of all these things so that the healthy, oxygenating air of grace may return to refresh and revitalize its rooms.”
Moreover, Pope Leo did not hesitate to emphasize that Lent and Holy Week—which are about to begin—require something essential to be properly experienced:
POPE LEO XIV
“All this, dear friends, requires prayer, moments of silence and listening, to quiet the frenzy of doing and speaking, of messages, ‘reels,’ and chats, and to deepen and savor the beauty of truly being together in a real and concrete way.”
To conclude this energetic encounter, Pope Leo encouraged the young people of Monaco to give everything to God and, above all, not to be afraid of the process and the journey to which faith invites us:
POPE LEO XIV
“Dear young people, do not be afraid to give everything—your time and your energy—to God and to your brothers and sisters; to spend yourselves without counting the cost for the Lord and for others. Only in this way will you find an ever-new richness and an ever-deeper meaning in life.”
It was an emotional meeting in which the pope was also able to enjoy a performance of the “Monegasque dance,” a local folk dance linked to traditional music and featuring the principality’s most classic costumes.
