World

Young People Must Speak Out, Pope Tells Palm Sunday Attendees

(Shutterstock/neneo)

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Grace Carr Reporter
Font Size:

Pope Francis kicked off Palm Sunday by strongly encouraging young people to not remain silent. He insisted, even, they have a duty not to at the mass in the Vatican’s St. Peters Square Sunday.

“Young people, you have it in you to shout,” he told the crowd of attendees, many of whom were youths who traveled to Rome for World Day of Youth, according to Reuters. “It is up to you not to keep quiet,” he added, explaining there has long been a temptation to silence the youth of the world.

“There are many ways to silence young people and make them invisible. Many ways to anesthetize them, to make them keep quiet, ask nothing, question nothing. There are many ways to sedate them, to keep them from getting involved, to make their dreams flat and dreary, petty and plaintive,” he continued in his remarks.

The pope did not mention Saturday’s “March For Our Lives” in Washington, D.C., calling for gun bans and increased regulation, but he has long condemned gun violence and of violence of any kind. (RELATED: Report: ‘March For Our Lives’ Crowd Count Well Below Expected And Initial Reports)

Two students — Gabriella and Valentina Zuniga — from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where a lone gunman wreaked havoc, killing 17 and injuring many others, attended the Palm Sunday services.

The pope is also set to visit Ireland shortly after it votes on reforming its 8th amendment outlawing abortion. He will visit Ireland during its “World Meeting of Families” Aug. 21 to 26. The trip will be the first papal visit since 1979.

Follow Grace on Twitter.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.