Greta Haussmann: Pope Francis Urges Youth to Live with Purpose and Seek Happiness in Christ
During his July visit to South America, Pope Francis addressed young people in Paraguay on two separate occasions, speaking to them from his heart about the importance of living countercultural lives with open and free hearts.
Greta Haussmann
In his first address, he explained the difference between happiness and pleasure, saying that happiness comes from working together to create a more fraternal world. The Pope emphasized that happiness is distinct from pleasure in that happiness is fraternal, whereas pleasure is personal. The Holy Father urged young people to stay away from the false ideals that popular culture tries to instill and reminded them of the genuineness of happiness, while warning them against the falsehoods of pleasure. The Pope concluded his official address by advising youth to seek happiness and to put forth the effort and commitment to create a happier, more fraternal world.
In his second address, Pope Francis emphasized that the Church needs to realize how vital the experiences of young people are. The Holy Father urged young people to pray for liberated hearts and to surrender all of the things that are holding them back from living for Christ.
The Holy Father’s message to the young people of Paraguay could not be more relevant for young people all over the world. Pope Francis is calling on young people to utilize their lives in ways that are not temporary and selfish. He is urging young people to have hope and to live with free hearts for Jesus! He is calling on young people to live lives of purpose, but beyond that, he is calling on young people to live lives of purpose for the Church. Pope Francis believes that young people have a great role to play in the Church and he is not willing to let us forget that.
The message of Pope Francis’s addresses to the youth in Paraguay needs to be heard and taken to heart by every young member of the Church, no matter where they live. The Church needs its young people — its future leaders — to understand that they are called to more than what is immediately presented to them by the secular world. Young people need to realize that our years of youth are more valuable than they appear — they are years of flourishing that should be used for something greater than ourselves. We young people should use these years of flourishing and productivity to strive for fraternal happiness, liberated hearts, and influential lives in service and as part of the life of the Church.
— Greta Haussmann is a junior at The Catholic University of America majoring in theology and religious studies, and media studies.
