Quote: Pope Benedict speaks to youth at his first Mass as pope

The claim has recently been made that "Some youth feel detached from the Pope", and while Bill Cork has already responded to this feeling.

I think an easy solution to this problem would be to listen to what Pope Benedict XVI only have to look as far as his very first homily as pope!

This is how he ended this speech:

[Pope John Paul II spoke] to everyone, especially the young. Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom?

And once again [John Paul II] said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation.

And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life. Amen.

That underlining is mine. Notice how Pope Benedict is unabashed and bold in his defense of the claim that his "long pesonal experience" has revealed to him that no one should be afraid of friendship with Christ!

If young people are looking for a successor to Pope John Paul II, they've found him - it's Benedict XVI. So it's time to get attached! And as I said, a good start would be to read what the Pope has already said to young people. This book, (which I reviewed briefly here) is only $10, and collects the pope's recent Q&A sessions with youth into one handy little volume. A good read, and a great gift. Because no one should stay disconnected from him...