Address by Pope Francis to young people gathered in Papua New Guinea

We offer the official version provided by the Vatican Press Room of the speech given by Pope Francis at the meeting with young people that took place at the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea on Monday, September 9, 2024, during his apostolic journey to Asia and Oceania.

Dear young people, good morning.

I confess one thing, I feel happy for these days spent in this country, where the sea, mountains and tropical forests coexist; but, above all, a young country inhabited by many young people. And we have all been able to contemplate the young face of the country, also through the beautiful representation that we have seen here. Thank you! Thank you for your joy, for how you have narrated the beauty of Papua, “where the ocean meets the sky, where dreams are born and challenges arise.” And, above all, thank you because you have expressed to everyone else an important aspiration: “to face the future with smiles of hope.” With smile and joy.

Dear young people, I did not want to leave here without meeting you, because you are the hope of the future.

How is the future built? What meaning do we want to give to our lives? I would like to allow myself to be challenged by these questions based on a narrative that is at the beginning of the Bible: the story of the Tower of Babel. In it we see that they contrast of modelstwo opposite ways of living and building society. One leads to confusion already dispersionwhile the other, at harmony of the meeting with God and with brothers. Confusion on one hand and harmony on the other. This is important.

And now I ask you, what do you choose? Does the model of the dispersion or the model of the harmony? What do you choose? (They respond:harmony!). You guys are great! There is a story that the Scripture tells us and it says that, after the great flood, the descendants of Noah were scattered among different islands, each one “with his language, his clans and his nationalities” (Gn 10.5). Without canceling out differences, God granted them a way to communicate and unite; in fact, “everyone spoke the same language” (Gn 11.1). This means that the Lord created us to have a good relationship with others. Be careful! He has not created us for confusion, but to have a good relationship with everyone. And that is very important.

And in the face of these language differences, which divide, which disperse, we need to have a single language that helps us be united. I ask you, what is the language that favors friendship, that breaks down the walls of division and opens the way for us all to enter into a fraternal embrace?

What is this language? I would like to hear from some brave one among you. Who is able to tell me what this language is? Who is the bravest? Raise your hand and come forward. (A young man answers: love). Are you convinced of this? (The young people answer: yes!). Think a little. What exists as the opposite of love? The hate. But perhaps there is something uglier than hatred, and that is indifference towards others. Did they understand what hatred is and what indifference is? Did you understand it? (The young people answer: yes!). Indifference is a very bad thing, because you leave others on the street and you are not interested in helping them. Indifference has its roots in selfishness.

Listen to this, dear young people, in your life, you must have in your heart the concern of caring for others. You must have the concern to establish ties of friendship among yourselves. Pay attention to something I’m going to say now that may seem a little strange to you—one thing I’m going to say now that may seem a little strange. There is a very important relationship in the life of the young person, which is closeness with grandparents. Do you agree with this? (The young people answer: yes!). Now, let us all repeat together: “Long live the grandparents!” (The young people respond): Long live the grandparents! Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.

Let’s return to the biblical narrative of Noah’s descendants. Each one spoke a different language, including many dialects. I ask you, how many dialects are there here? One two three? But do you have a common language? Think carefully about the answer, do you have a common language? (The young people answer: yes!). The language of the heart! The language of love! The language of closeness! And also, the language of service.

I thank you for your presence here. And I hope that you all speak the deepest language, that you all are “wantok” of love!

Dear young people, I am happy with your enthusiasm and I am happy with everything you do and what you think. But I wonder—stay attentive to the question!—: can a young man make mistakes? (The young people answer: yes!). And can an adult person make a mistake? (The young people answer: yes!). And can an old man like me make a mistake? (The young people answer: yes!). We can all make mistakes, everyone! But the important thing is to realize the mistake. This is important. we are not superman. We can be wrong. This also gives us a certainty: that we must always make amends. In life we ​​can all fall, everyone! There is a very beautiful song, I would like you to learn it, it is a song that young people sing when they are climbing the Alps, the mountains. The song goes like this: “in the art of climbing, the important thing is not to fall, but rather not to stay fallen.” Did you understand this? (The young people answer: yes!). In life we ​​can all fall, everyone! I ask you, is it important not to fall? —Is it important not to fall?— (The young people answer: no!). What is more important? (The young people respond: get up!). Don’t stay down. And if you see a friend, a colleague, a friend your age who has fallen, what do you have to do? Laugh at that? (Young people say: no!). You have to look at him and help him up. Think that in only one situation in our lives can we look at others from the top down: when we have to help them get up—to help them get up. Do you agree with this or do you disagree? (The young people answer: yes!). If one of you has fallen or is bad in the moral life, would you kick him like this? (The young people answer: no!). Good, good.

Now we repeat together, to finish. In life the important thing is not to not fall, the important thing is not to stay fallen. Repeat. Thank you so much.

Dear young people, I thank you for your joy, your presence, your hopes.

I pray for you—I pray for you—. And don’t forget to pray for me, because the work is not easy. Thank you very much for your presence. Thank you very much for your hope.

And now, all together, let us pray. Let us pray for all of us.

(The Lord’s Prayer is prayed in English).

Thank you so much. I forgot (to tell you), if you fall, should you stay down? (The young people answer: no!). Very good. And if we see a friend, a colleague, who falls: should we leave him there or kick him? (The young people answer: no!). What should we do? (The young people respond: help him get up!).

Thank you so much. May God bless you. Don’t forget to pray for me.

Words after the blessing:

Before the final song, I have forgotten one thing. I would like to ask you—I didn’t remember—: when you find someone who has fallen on the road, who has fallen due to so many problems, what should you do, kick him? (The young people respond: no!) What gesture should they make when faced with someone who has fallen? (The young people respond: lift it!) Let’s make the gesture together! Thank you so much.

Words after the final song:

I would like to thank everyone who has prepared this beautiful meeting. This Salesian Bishop who came with you dressed like a real worker reminded me of this. Now, all together, let’s give a round of applause to those who have prepared the meeting. And there is one thing I forgot: what gesture should be done? So? (lift a fallen person).