Meeting with Representatives of the Young Christian Workers (31 May 1980)

On 31 May 1980, in Saint Denis, the Holy Father met with Representatives of the Young Christian Workers and Youth of Catholic Action. He encouraged the young workers to put Jesus Christ at the center of their faith.

The worker-priests who work with you know well how important this moment of your life is and this aspect and purpose of your apostolate. There would be many topics to talk about; but I believe that among all the issues, the fundamental one is man; man with his dignity, vocation and destiny. And for this reason we need Christ, because in this sense He gives us a total and appropriate response. It can be said that this response sometimes exceeds the capacity and aptitude of people, but it is always a total response. I would like to encourage you to move forward, to continue putting Jesus Christ at the center of your faith, of your witness, of your love, struggles and concerns. Go forward always having man as a point of reference in the full sense of this word; as the Son of God who came to earth and became man, one of us, to tell us what the true dignity of each one is and to make us grasp this dignity. I repeat it to you, go ahead! And may Christ himself be the light of your meetings, reflections and solidarity. Jesus Christ is in solidarity with each man, with our humanity, with each human person. Try to imitate him and follow his example, and be in solidarity with men, with your brothers and sisters who perhaps do not know Jesus; with those who are beginning to know him, with those who already know him but must increase this knowledge. It is precisely this knowledge, the total response to the problems of our life; our life makes sense thanks to this answer. Forward, forward, and that Jesus is always among you, with you, in your midst. I wish you that his light is always in your communities and families. I wish you to become apostles, because as Cardjin said: "It is the workers and the youth who must be apostles of the workers and the youth". This I wish you and this is what my presence wanted to testify".

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