“I am really happy to celebrate the Genfest here with you and with all those who are connected with us in different ways. I greet you with all my heart! I can bear witness to Chiara’s relationship with thousands of young people all over the world: her dialogue with them always came from the heart, open, sincere and characterized by trust.
Chiara was demanding, just as you are, and she was convinced that the new generations, who have the ideal of unity at heart, will become new men and women who spread this light and bear witness that a united world is possible, because it is already a living reality among us, as we see here today. I too have been fortunate to meet young people from many parts of the world, and I have always been fascinated and enriched by your energy, creativity and courage. Chiara challenged you to be men and women of unity, people who know how to not only cherish in their hearts the specific treasures of each culture, but also share them with others: to be global men and women.
At Genfest 2012, you launched an ambitious project, the United World Project. Then in recent years you have been working on many practical ways of doing this. And the vision behind the project – to foster and spread a culture where all people are one family – has spread to many others, including adults and children.
I know that you will soon launch a new process continuing with what is already happening. We will all be setting off on many pathways to achieving a united world. Ours is indeed a fantastic goal, but we know that great ideals are what make history. Our goal is “that all may be one.” We are aiming towards “all”! Making God’s dream our own is something that links us to heaven and at the same time fixes us firmly in human history, to highlight its journey towards becoming one universal family.
The Genfest is concluding with the project you are launching now. We will all go back to our own countries, to our towns and cities. Then what will we do? The united world that we are experiencing here is one that we will bring everywhere we go, to make it become a reality in our families, wherever we study, or work or play sports. There is a secret that can help us not lose sight of this goal, which here at the Genfest seems so beautiful, real and fascinating. I’d like to sum it up in a few words: LOVE, START AGAIN AND SHARE!
Love is the secret to a life that is happy, full, interesting, ever new, never boring and always surprising! Start again whenever problems, discouragement and failures overwhelm us and may make our passion for a united world waver. World champions train hard and get up every time they fall until they reach their goal.
Share our experiences, our joys, and difficulties, our talents and goods. Let’s use every means possible to build networks; let’s launch the most varied initiatives to build unity: large-scale projects, both locally and globally, and let’s make this universal family visible. We know that the visible part of an iceberg sits on top of a larger part that’s submerged under water.
Similarly, being one family is built up through many ordinary deeds and actions carried out with the strong conviction that the most powerful means we can use to renew the world is our own heart. While our heart is still beating, we can still love, we can start again and we can share.
A universal family starts with my heart, with our hearts. This is the fascinating challenge we want to take up together so that a united world becomes a dream fulfilled.
