VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI addresses young participants at UNIV 2006: “A person who discovers Christ feels impelled to carry Him because a joy so great cannot be hidden it demands to be shared”

Tuesday, 11 April 2006

Vatican City (Fides Service) - In the Paul VI Hall this morning, addressing participants at the UNIV international congress of university students, accompanied by members of their families Benedict XVI said “Dear young people allow me to say to you what I said to young people in Cologne last August: A person who discovers Christ feels impelled to carry Him because a joy so great cannot be hidden it demands to be shared. This is the task to which the Lord calls you; this is the apostolate of friendship", that Saint Josemaría, Fonder of Opus Dei, calls "personal, selfless, sincere friendship: intimate, heart to heart.” The participants who come from 32 countries are meeting to consider the theme: "Culture and the means of social communications".
Reflecting on the UNIV 2006 theme the Pope said “in our times new technology, the media do not always foster personal relationships, sincere dialogue, friendship; they do not always help to cultivate an intimate relationship with God”. Dwelling on the theme of friendship, so important for young people, Pope Benedict XVI said: “You must feel Jesus to be one of your closest friends, indeed the closest. ... Only in Him can you find the strength to give your brothers and sisters human affection and supernatural charity, in a spirit of service that is expressed above all in understanding”.
“Every Christian - the Pope said - is called to friendship with God and with his grace to draw his friends to God. In this way apostolic love becomes an authentic passion which is expressed in communicating to others the happiness found in Jesus. Again Saint Josemaría reminds you with a few key words your spiritual itinerary: “Communion, union, communication, sharing: Word, Bread, Love”.”
The Pope ended his address with these words: “"If you cultivate friendship with Jesus, if you practice the Sacraments assiduously, especially the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist, you will be able to become 'a new generation of apostles anchored firmly in the word of Christ, capable of responding to the challenges of our times and prepared to spread the Gospel far and wide'.".”
UNIV meetings organised by the Istituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria (ICU), were started in 1968 an inspiration of Saint san Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei. Since then every year student participants from 230 universities, 30 of them in Italy have been received by the Pope. The participants reflect on a set theme for a week and take part in various cultural activities, conferences, talks, exhibitions, debates, study groups, panel discussion. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 11/4/2006 - righe 31; parole 445)


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