Scottish Catholic Observer

During a mass in St Peter’s Square yesterday (Sunday), the Pope (above) told over 70,000 young people that “remaining steadfast in the journey of faith, with firm hope in the Lord, is the secret of our journey.”

“To follow the Lord, to let his Spirit transform the shadowy parts of our lives, our ungodly ways of acting, and cleanse us of our sins, is to set out on a path with many obstacles, both in the world around us but also within us, in the heart.”

The young people were in the Vatican this weekend for a two-day celebration marking the Year of Faith, and made a pilgrimage at the tombs of St Peter and Blessed John Paul II on Saturday.

During the mass, 44 young people selected from different countries around the world were confirmed personally by the Pope.

The young people, a boy and a girl chosen from each country, were confirmed in order to help fellow confirmandi appreciate the sacrament themselves.

The Pope called the young people to heed the day’s Gospel message of the Holy Spirit making all things new.

“The Holy Spirit is truly transforming us, and through us he also wants to transform the world in which we live,” the Pope said.

“How beautiful it would be if each of you, every evening, could say: Today at school, at home, at work, guided by God, I showed a sign of love towards one of my friends, my parents, an older person.”