At the end of the Celebration of Palm Sunday and the Passion of the Lord, before the Apostolic Blessing, the Holy Father Francis led the recital of the Angelus prayer with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.

The following is the Pope’s introduction to the Marian prayer:

Before the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

[Before the Angelus, the Holy Father greets the representatives of the young people who participated in the pre-Synodal Meeting, who asked him to pose for a group “selfie” with them].

Have you seen: today it is impossible to imagine a young person who doesn’t take selfies: and they did it! They have been good.

Before concluding this celebration, I wish to greet you all, Romans and pilgrims, who have taken part, especially the young people from different parts of the world, and also those – around 15,000 of them – who have participated virtually: I greet you all! Thinking with gratitude of my recent trip to Peru, I greet with affection the Peruvian community present in Italy.

Today’s World Youth Day, which takes place at diocesan level, is an important stage in the journey towards the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and discernment this coming October, as well as in the preparation of the international Day to take place in Panama in January 2019. On this journey we are accompanied by the intercession of Mary, the girl of Nazareth whom God chose as the Mother of His Son. She walks with us and guides the new generations in their pilgrimage of faith and fraternity.

May Mary help us all to live Holy Week well. From her, we learn inner silence, the gaze of the heart, and the loving faith to follow Jesus on the way of the Cross, that leads to the joyful light of the Resurrection.

And before reciting the Angelus, I would like truly to thank Cardinal Baldisseri, Msgr. Fabene and all the Secretariat of the Synod and all the collaborators who have helped us so much this week: many thanks!

Angelus Domini…

[Blessing]