(ANS - Sarajevo)- "When I meet young people I sense the joy and the love they have - not only for me, but for ideals and for life. They want to grow! But you are special: I believe you are the first generation after the war. You are flowers of a new spring (...) you have a great vocation: never build walls, but bridges."  With these words, spoken off the cuff, Pope Francis addressed the young people of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, last Saturday 6 June.

The meeting with young people at the John Paul II diocesan youth centre, took place in the late afternoon, as one of the last events of the pastoral visit of the Holy Father to Sarajevo, "the Jerusalem of Europe", as he himself called it, because of the presence of so many different faiths and denominations.

Previously the Pope had met with the authorities, to whom he explained the significance of his journey, calling himself "a pilgrim of peace and dialogue". He expressed his satisfaction at seeing the progress made on the path of peace. "For this we must thank the Lord and the many people of good will." He recalled the "cooperation of the international community, particularly the European Union" in encouraging the continuation of this process. He also stressed the participation of the Catholic Church "through the prayer and action of the faithful and its institutions, in the work of material and moral reconstruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina".

The main act of the day was the Eucharist celebrated in the Kosevo stadium, crowded with about 65,000 people. Accompanied by all the bishops of Bosnia-Herzegovina, led by Cardinal Vinko Pulijc, archbishop of the city, the Pope devoted the entire homily to the theme of Peace, recalling how the Gospel beatitudes do not speak of the preachers of peace but of peacemakers. "Making peace is an art. It requires passion, patience, experience and tenacity. Blessed are those who sow peace with their daily actions, attitudes and acts of service, of fraternity, of dialogue and of mercy. "

The long day of meetings continued with a meeting with the priests, Religious, and seminarians in the Cathedral of the city. The Holy Father was moved on hearing the stories of three martyrs, a priest, a monk and a nun, who suffered persecution, imprisonment and violence during the civil war. There was also an Ecumenical and Interreligious Encounter at the Franciscan International Student Centre after which Pope Francis led the prayer "Lord, the Eternal One, True and Living God, the Merciful."

Published 08/06/2015