The Pope explained that young people may go through times when they feel that they have “inherited a world torn by wars and disfigured by social injustice,” but he affirmed the existence of “living hope” within them, describing it as “the gift that adults seem to have lost much of.”
His Holiness pointed out that Lebanon “will flourish again, beautiful and strong as the cedar,” which represents a deep symbol of the unity and fertility of the people, explaining that the strength of the cedar “lies in its roots,” and that what appears today of good in Lebanese society is the result of “humble, hidden and honest work done by people of good intentions… from good roots that have borne fruit.”
At the conclusion of his message, the Pope called on young people to emulate these good roots, and to emulate all who have dedicated themselves to serving society, saying to them: “Be the source of hope that the homeland awaits.”
