Speech by Pope Francis at the meeting with young people gathered in East Timor

We offer the official version provided by the Vatican of the speech addressed by Pope Francis to young people at the Dili Convention Center (East Timor) this Wednesday, September 11, 2024.

Father Diak!

First of all, I ask you a question, let’s see who answers it. What do young people do? “What do young people do?” You (indicates a young woman). “Proclaim Christ” (the young woman answers). Very good.

What else do young people do? “What else?” “Proclaim the Word of God” (answers another young man). Very good.

What else do young people do? “Love each other” (answers another young man). To love, young people have a great capacity to love.

What else do young people do? “We must cultivate peace in our country” (answers another young man). Never forget this. Very good, very good.

But there is one thing that young people always do, young people of different nationalities, young people of different religions. Do you know what young people always do? The young people make trouble,—the young people make trouble—. Do you agree? Do you agree with this? (The young people respond).

I thank you for the greetings, the testimonies and the questions, I thank you for the dances. Because you know that dancing is expressing a feeling with your whole body. Do you know any young people who don’t know how to dance? (The young people respond). Life comes with dancing, and you are a country of young people.

There is one thing that I said this morning to a bishop, I am not going to forget your smile again. Don’t stop smiling. And you, the young people, are the majority of the population of this land, and your presence fills this land with life, fills it with hope and fills it with a future. Do not lose the enthusiasm of faith. Imagine a young man without faith, with a face “like this”.

But do you know what it is that brings a young man—a young woman—down? The vices. Be attentive, because those who call themselves happiness sellers come and sell you drugs, they sell you so many things that give you happiness for half an hour, nothing more. You know this better than me. “You know this situation better than I do.” Do you know her or not? (The young people respond). I don’t listen (the young people respond again). Very well thank you.

I wish you to continue forward with the joy of youth. But, do not forget one thing, that you are heirs of those who preceded you founding this nation. Therefore, do not lose your memory. The memory of those who preceded them and with so much sacrifice consolidated this nation.

And there are two things that touched my heart when I was passing through its streets, they touched my heart a lot: the youth of this country and the smile of its people. You are a people that knows how to smile, keep up the good work, don’t forget this.

A young man has to dream. And, how does Father manage to dream? Do you drink alcohol? (The young people respond). No, if you do that you’re going to have nightmares. I invite you to dream, to dream big things. A young man who does not dream is a retiree from life. And is any of these young people, any of you, a retiree? (The young people respond). Young people have to make a mess, to show the life they have. But a young man normally finds himself in the middle of life’s path, he is in the middle—in the middle of life’s path. Between young children and older children. And you, do you know what is one of the most beautiful, most beautiful riches that a society has? Do they know it? They are the elderly, the grandparents. You young people (are a wealth) and the other end are the elderly, but it is the grandparents—they are the elderly—who give wisdom to the young. Do you respect the elderly? (The young people respond). The elderly always precede us young people in history, right? The elderly are a treasure. The two treasures of a town are the children and the elderly. Understood? Let’s repeat it, what are the two greatest treasures of a town? (The young people respond). Children and the elderly. Therefore, a society that has so many children, like yours, has to take care of them. And (a society) that has so many elderly people, who are the memory, has to respect them and take care of them.

I’m going to tell you a story. It turns out that in a family the father, the mother, the children and the very old grandfather ate together. And grandfather, poor old man, when he ate he got dirty, he dropped the food. So, dad decided to put a table in the kitchen so grandpa could eat alone there. And he explained to the family that, with grandfather away, they could invite people without being embarrassed by the old man. Think about this, a few days passed and the father arrived and found his five-year-old son playing with some wood. And his father asked him, what are you doing with those woods? I’m making a table (the boy answered). So that? For you. For when you’re old and have to eat alone.

The two greatest treasures that a society has are children and grandparents. Let’s repeat together, what are the two greatest treasures of society? (The young people respond). Please take care of the kids and take care of the grandparents, okay? And now a big round of applause for our grandparents.

You in this smiling country have a wonderful story: of heroism, faith, martyrdom and, above all, forgiveness and reconciliation. I ask you a question, who is the person, in all of history, who was able to forgive and want to reconcile? Think well. Who is that person? —Who is he? — (The young people respond). Jesus! Jesus our brother is the one who loves us all together, and (the theme of) reconciliation leads me to recommend three things to you—(I say this) and particularly to young people—: freedom, commitment, fraternity.

In the Tetum language there is a saying that says: “ukun rasik-an”, that is, having the ability to govern oneself. A young man or woman who are not capable of governing themselves, who are not capable of living the “ukun rasik-an”. What are they? Repeat? (The young people respond), they are dependent. Very good. And a man, a woman, a young man, a young woman who does not govern himself is a slave, he is dependent, he is not free. And what can a young man be a slave to? Let’s see if one of you answers. about what? Of sin, of the cell phone. Then I’ll tell you something related to the cell phone. Of what other things, of what can he be a slave? He can be a slave to his own desire, (to) believing himself omnipotent. What else can a young man be a slave to? (The young people respond). Nice. Arrogance, a young man who is always like that, is an arrogant young man. On the contrary, a committed young man, a young man who works, what is he like? Tell me. How is? (The young people respond). He is a young man who works, who loves simplicity. What else? That he has responsibility. A young man who loves the company of brothers and sisters, who has responsibility, is a young man who loves his country. That’s very important.

And there is another (important) thing that Rogéria, Cecilia and Efranio said, referring to the importance of taking care of the common home and cultivating family unity. A young person has to understand that being free is not doing what one wants, but that a young person has responsibility. And one of the responsibilities he has is to learn to take care of the common home, and for that the young man has to commit himself. There is an Eastern proverb that says: difficult times create strong men. And look at your parents, your grandparents, who had to face difficult times to build the country’s freedom. And that’s why you have to learn to handle difficult times.

One last thing before I leave, it is about a value that you have to learn, brotherhood. Be brothers, not be enemies. Their elders, their parents and their grandparents, perhaps with different ideas, were brothers. I ask you: is it good for young people to have diverse ideas? (The young people respond), for what? To fight with others? Or to respect each other? (The young people respond). I think you think this: if I am of this religion and you are of this other religion, we are going to fight. This is not like that, it must be respected. Let’s repeat that word: respect yourself.

I ask you a question, is hate a good attitude? (The young people respond). Love and service, these are the true attitudes. Now all together we are going to repeat: hate no, love and service yes. (The young people respond). Again, I didn’t listen well. And if a young man, a young woman, fights with another, what should he do? (The young people respond). “I can’t hear, what did they say?” Let us all repeat together: love and reconciliation. I didn’t listen well. Love and reconciliation.

There is a little thing that I don’t know if it happens in this country, but in other countries it does: bullying. Is there bullying here? Bullying is an attitude through which the weakest are taken advantage of. Because he is ugly, because he is fat, because he walks badly, but it is always an ugly attitude because he uses the weakness of others. Here in Timor-Leste, is there bullying? Please, from now on no more bullying.

Dear young people, be heirs of the beautiful history that preceded you,—be heirs of the beautiful history that preceded you. And take it forward. Have courage—have courage to take things forward. And if they fight, reconcile. I thank you for everything you do for the country, for the people of God. And let’s remember what Ilham told us, that he just spoke, that we have to love each other beyond any ethnic or religious difference. Did you understand this? (The young people respond). Reconciliation, coexistence with all differences, this is important. Do we agree? (The young people respond).

And before finishing, I have to give you some advice, make a mess—make a mess—. My second piece of advice, respect and listen to the elders, okay? First piece of advice, what is it? (The young people respond). Very good. And the second piece of advice? (The young people respond).

May God bless you very much, thank you for this presence, thank you for the singing and dancing, very beautiful. And how did we say? Sorry, I already forgot. What were the two councils like? The first? The second? Make a mess—make a mess—and respect the elderly. May God preserve this joy for you. May God preserve it always.

Spontaneous words at the end of the meeting, before leaving:

Thank you for your joy, thank you for your smile. I gave you two pieces of advice. The first one, what is it? (The young people respond). Make a mess. And the second? (The young people respond). Young people have to make trouble and young people have to respect the elderly. OK? All together: first, make a mess; second, respect for the elderly.

Thank you for your presence. I am leaving this land, which is full of smiles, with your faces and with your hopes in my heart. May God bless you all.

The first tip. (The young people respond).

The second. (The young people respond).