Pope Leo to young people: Prayer and connection with others breaks chains of isolation

Pope Leo XVI told young people in a Jan. 10 address in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall that, in this time when many are lonely, finding genuine connection with others and with God can “break the chains” that bind them.

“It is possible to be isolated even in the midst of many people,” the Holy Father said in his address, according to Vatican News.

He explained that isolation comes not so much when physically alone as when others fail to listen. He also warned against trying to find fulfillment purely through digital connection.

“A life of [web] link without connection or likes without affection disappoints us, because we are made for the truth: when it is lacking, we suffer,” he said.

The Pope said that his niece recently asked him how he faces the world’s problems and whether he ever feels alone in doing so. He said that the answer was in front of him, indicating the many young people in attendance. He explained that people are not alone.

He then reflected on the beauty of faith, joy, youth, and togetherness. He explained to the young people that they are never truly alone because God is always with them. The presence of God, he said, also impacts relationships with other people.

“The light of the Gospel illuminates our relationships,” the Pontiff said, according to Vatican News. He added that the Gospel changes everyday actions until it turns “a gray and anonymous world into a welcoming place, shaped to the human person, precisely because it is inhabited by God.”

However, the Pontiff advised young people that as they try to spread the light of Christ, they should be aware they won’t always be well-received. 

“Do not expect the world to welcome you with open arms,” he said, according to Vatican News. “Advertising, which needs to sell something to be consumed, attracts more attention than witness, which seeks to build sincere friendships.”

He told those present to continue their work with joy and tenacity, and to remember that, to improve society, people must first work on changing themselves.

The Pope reflected on Christ’s sacrificial love. He said that Jesus Christ came into the world, not to teach people abstract ideals, but to give His life in ransom for them.

The Pontiff then reflected on the question of what young people should do concretely to break the chains of isolation, Vatican News reported. The most important thing to do, he advised, is pray.

“Prayer is an act of freedom,” he said, “that breaks the chains of boredom, pride, and indifference.”