The following is the message sent by the Holy Father Francis to the participants at the opening of the eleventh National Meeting of Catholic Action Youth taking place in Maracaibo, Venezuela, from 13 to 15 September on the theme “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men” (Lk 5: 1-11).

Message of the Holy Father

To His Excellency Archbishop José Luis Azuaje Ayala of Maracaibo

President of the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela

From the Vatican, 11 September 2019

Dear brother,

On the occasion of the 11th National Meeting of Catholic Action Youth, which is taking place in the city of Maracaibo, I ask you to send my greetings to all the participants, gathered with the motto: “Mission with all and for all”.

The evangelizing mission springs from adhesion to the gift of faith in Jesus Christ, which we receive through Baptism. This gift has been given to us freely, it is lived in the bosom of the ecclesial community, and we freely proclaim it and share it with others. That is to say, we live it in communion “with all” and we are sent “so that it reaches all”, without excluding anyone.

I encourage you to live these days as a propitious occasion to share and renew together faith and apostolic commitment, with the dynamic of an outbound Church, so that you will be able to transmit courageously the hope and joy of the Gospel in each of your environments, taking into account especially those most in need and those rejected by society.

May Jesus bless you, your families and other members of Catholic Action in Venezuela, and may the Holy Virgin keep you. And please, do not forget to pray for me.

Fraternally,

FRANCIS