In mission, also on a continental level, it is very important to reaffirm the family, which remains the essential cell of society and the Church; young people, who are the face of the Church's future; women, who play a fundamental role in passing on the faith and who are a daily source of strength in a society that carries this faith forward and renews it.

Above all I ask leaders and legislators and the entire international community above all to confront the reality of those who have been displaced by force, with effective projects and new approaches in order to protect their dignity, to improve the quality of their life and to face the challenges that are emerging from modern forms of persecution, oppression and slavery.

I cannot imagine a Christian who does not know how to smile. May we joyfully witness to our faith.

Dear young people, you have many plans and dreams for the future. But, is Christ at the center of each of your plans and dreams?

Dear young people, do not bury your talents, the gifts that God has given you! Do not be afraid to dream of great things!

Let us never yield to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day.

Fathers are so necessary as examples and guides for our children in wisdom and virtue. Without father figures, young people often feel orphaned; left adrift at a critical moment in their growth and development.