Pope Francis urged young people to “take the risk” and dare to “criticize and accept criticism” during a meeting that concluded his Apostolic journey to Asia and Oceania on Sept. 13.
Before his 12-hour flight back to Rome, the pontiff had a candid and witty conversation with 10 interreligious young people at the Catholic Junior College.
Pope Francis said there were three things from the youth that “really struck” him: “The three thoughts were the criticisms that were received, the comfort zone, and technology as something that we have to use, but at the same time, we have to be careful of because there are risks that come with it.”
Everyone laughed when the pontiff admitted that those thoughts were already in “the talk I had prepared.”
Before Pope Francis spoke, 10 youth leaders from various religions expressed their opinions, shared their situations, and presented their questions.
One of them was Raaj Shukul Kumar, a 28-year-old Hindu who raised concerns about the many critics who, despite the importance of the work, neither participate in nor support their efforts to foster a sense of belonging and collaboration among people.
“There are days where I cry myself to sleep knowing that even as we manage to make headways in our engagements with our youths, somewhere else in another part of the world, there’s global violence and the loss of lives in the name of religion,” said Raaj.
He questioned how they could continue this “labor of love,” particularly among today’s youth, who are still figuring out their lives and often do not prioritize inter-religious dialogue as a crucial platform for driving meaningful social cohesion.
Pope Francis stressed that it is important for young people to have the “courage to move forward” and “make your own path.”
The pontiff emphasized the need to be open to both giving and receiving criticism. “I ask every day, are you a critic? Do you have the courage to criticize, but at the same time, the courage to allow yourself to be criticized?” he said.
“Because if you criticize others, they can criticize you. And this is a sincere dialogue among young people,” he added.
The pontiff encouraged the youth to “take risks,” “go out there,” and “not be afraid.” He reminded them that “fear is a dictatorial attitude” that paralyzes.
Pope Francis also said that it is “normal to “make mistakes,” adding that the most important thing “is to realize that you made a mistake.”
“What’s worse? To make a mistake because you actually stepped forward and did something? Or not make a mistake but do nothing?” the pope told the young people.
The pontiff praised the young people for their “ability to engage in inter-religious dialogue,” noting that it takes “courage” to participate in such dialogue.
Pope Francis emphasized that youth is a period of courage in one’s life, but this courage can either be used unproductively or channeled to move forward and engage in meaningful dialogue.
He highlighted the importance of respecting dialogue as a key tool for growth and understanding.
“Because if we start to fight amongst ourselves and saying my religion is more important than yours, my religion is true, yours is not, where will that lead us? Where will it lead us?” he said.
After the meeting, Pope Francis boarded the papal plane in Singapore, which took off at 12:25 PM local time and is due to land in Rome at around 6:25 PM Rome time.
