The following is the text of the Video Message sent by the Holy Father Leo XIV on the occasion of the first West African Youth Day, taking place from 7 to 12 September in Accra, Ghana:
Video Message of the Holy Father
Dear young people, chers jeunes,
Peace be with you! La paix soit avec vous !
I am happy to join you on this joyful occasion of the first West Africa Youth Day. I am pleased by this beautiful initiative of the Episcopal Conferences of your countries, which have placed young people at the heart of their pastoral priorities. I am convinced that these powerful moments spent together will help you to grow in faith and become ever more deeply enriched by values such as encounter and openness to others.
At a time when so many crises seem to darken your horizon, I wish to encourage you to move forward without losing hope. I know how the weight of doubt, uncertainty and, at times, insecurity can weigh heavily on your shoulders and unsettle your plans for the future.
Cependant, vous n’êtes pas une jeunesse sacrifiée comme beaucoup peuvent le penser. Dans l’Église-Famille de Dieu, vous êtes l’aujourd’hui de Dieu, l’aujourd’hui de l’Église ! Comme le disait le Pape Benoît XVI, « vous êtes riches de qualités, d’énergies, de rêves et d’espérances, des ressources que vous possédez en abondance. Votre jeunesse est un trésor inestimable, non seulement pour vous-mêmes, mais aussi pour les autres, pour l’Église et pour le monde » (Message à l’occasion de la XXV Journée Mondiale de la Jeunesse, 22 février 2010).
[However, you are not a sacrificed youth, despite what many might think. In the Church-Family of God, you are the “today” of God, the “today” of the Church! As Pope Benedict XVI said, you are “rich in talents, energy, dreams and hopes. These are resources which you have in abundance! Your age itself is a great treasure, not only for yourselves but for others too, for the Church and for the world” (Message on the occasion of the 25th World Youth Day, 22 February 2010)].
One of the challenges you face is that of walking together to help bring about positive change in your societies. Walking together means ensuring that no one is marginalized, isolated, excluded or rejected. Be builders of bridges between peoples, cultures and religions. We must commit ourselves to living as Jesus, our Master and Lord, lived, who excluded no one from his journey. He recognized the presence of God in those who lived on the margins of society, even in those who did not belong to his own people.
Chers jeunes, je compte sur vous et je vous fais confiance, l’Église vous fait confiance. Par vos paroles et vos actions, donnez un message fort à notre monde traversé de guerres et de conflits de toutes sortes. Soyez les témoins de l’amour, de la justice, de la paix. Ne sacrifiez pas votre jeunesse si précieuse sur l’autel des plaisirs factices et de la superficialité. En effet, « nos questions les plus profondes ne trouvent ni écoute ni réponse dans le défilement infini sur notre téléphone portable, qui capte notre attention tout en laissant notre esprit fatigué et notre cœur vide. Elles ne nous mènent pas loin si nous les gardons enfermées en nous-mêmes ou dans des cercles trop restreints. La réalisation de nos désirs authentiques passe toujours par le fait de sortir de nous-mêmes » (Message pour la XL Journée Mondiale de la Jeunesse, 7 octobre 2025).
[Dear young people, I am counting on you and I have faith in you; the Church has faith in you. Through your words and actions, send a powerful message to our world, which is torn apart by wars and conflicts of all kinds. Be witnesses to love, justice and peace. Do not sacrifice your precious youth on the altar of false pleasures and superficiality. Indeed, “our deepest questions are not heard or answered by endlessly scrolling on our cell phones, which captures our attention but leaves us with tired minds and empty hearts. This search will not take us far if we keep it closed within ourselves or in narrow confinements. The fulfilment of our authentic desires always comes through going beyond ourselves” (Message for the 40th World Youth Day, 7 October 2025)].
I entrust you to the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, thinking especially of those countries of yours that, at times, face complex crises. May she intercede with her Son, Jesus Christ, for the integral human development of your dear nations. Upon you, the clergy and all those who work with young people, I invoke an abundance of divine graces.
Et maintenant je vous donne de tout mon cœur la Bénédiction :
[And now, with all my heart, I impart this Blessing to you: ]
May the Lord keep you always in his love.
The Lord be with you. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
