Characteristics of Youth

Pope John Paul II March 7, 1981

What are the characteristics of youth today?
It is not difficult for you who are young and
always live in the midst of the young to note
the spiritual aspects that characterize it:
it is a CRITICAL YOUTH which, having
considerably increased its cultural assets, is
logically led to THINK MORE, to REFLECT,
to JUDGE;
it is a DEMANDING YOUTH which, though
it may sometimes exaggerate and succumb to
personal SELFISHness, WANTS AND
CLAIMS honesty, truthfulness, justice and
consistency;
it is a youth that suffers from the
CONTRADICTORY NATURE OF THE
ideologies that IMPINGE upon it, and from
the continual emptying of ideals which it
WITNESSes;

it is a QUESTIONING YOUTH which wants

to ACCOUNT for what is happening, which
looks for the meaning of its own life and the
significance of the history of man and of the
whole universe, which INVOKES
CERTAINTY AND CLARITY on its own
destiny and with regard to its own conduct;
it is a YOUTH ANXIOUS FOR TRUTH,
IDEALS for which to live; responsibility,
moral beauty, innocence and joy.
Well, beloved young people, it is the youth of
this generation that you must approach, get
to know, love and enlighten; it is with this
youth that you must continue along the way
of the search for truth! Clearly and
confidently!
In whatever environment you find
yourselves, 1.always advocate in the first
place the validity of the search for truth, in
order to combat that sense of scepticism and
absolute incertitude, which eliminates all
desire for investigation, and which may
easily penetrate into the youthful spirit. In

the second place, 2. make sure of the serious

nature of the search, in order never to cast
doubt on the fundamental truths concerning
rational certainty about God, the message of
Christ and the authentic teaching of the
Church. And finally, 3. bear witness to the
efficacy of the search for salvific truth with
Christian joy, living the Beatitudes and
sustaining spiritual life with the Eucharist
and prayer.
To the young who ask themselves with
anguish and distress: What is truth? Does
truth exist? you will reply with courageous
conviction: Of course! CHRIST IS THE
TRUTH AND ONLY HE HAS WORDS OF
ETERNAL LIFE! To the young who are
thirsty for joy, beauty and love, you will reply
with St. Augustine: ONLY TRUTH BRINGS
HAPPINESS. Happiness is to enjoy truth.
This is, therefore, joy of Thee, who are Truth,
O God, my light, my salvation, O my God.
This is the happiness for which everyone
longs, and this is the only happy life that

everyone wants, this is the joy that everyone

desires: THE JOY OF TRUTH (Confessions).
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