THE LETTER OF POPE JOHN PAUL II TO THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD

Introduction. - The Year of Youth. - Values of youth. - Light of the Gospel. - Difficult challenge of the future. - Plan of life. - Pastoral love for the young. - Homeland of our mission. - Mary's intercession.

Rome, 31 May 1985

My dear confreres,

I am writing to you at a time when we are still experiencing the joy of the recent consistory in which the Holy Father raised to membership of the Sacred College of Cardinals, for a closer and more competent service to the ministry of Peter, three of our well-deserving confreres: His Eminence Rosalio Castillo Lara, titular Archbishop of Precausa and President of the Pontifical Commission for the authentic interpretation of the Code of Canon Law; His Eminence Michael Obando Bravo, Archbishop of Managua in Nicaragua (Central America); and His Eminence Alfons Stickler, titular Archbishop of Bolsena and Librarian and Archivist of the Holy Roman Church.

We can describe the event as one of outstanding importance in our brief history which, if on the one hand it gives honor to our Congregation, at the same time is a strong call to live with renewed intensity and fidelity our charism in the Church.

We congratulate our beloved confreres, and wish them ever greater wisdom and much ecclesial courage in the collaboration they have to give to the Roman Pontiff in his solicitude for the universal Church.

To each of them and also to our fourth Cardinal confrere, His Eminence Raul Silva Henriquez, former Archbishop of Santiago, Chile, we assure our solidarity, brotherly affection and a constant remembrance in our prayers.

Whilst we thank our Holy Father for this gracious choice, which indirectly involves also our own joint responsibility and strengthens the deep and keenly felt adherence to the Apostolic See spiritually bequeathed to us by Don Bosco, I invite you to read attentively once again the recent "Letter" written by John Paul II to the Youth of the world and to make its contents the subject of individual and community meditation: it is a precious document and one that makes us think.