VATICAN CITY, OCT 23, 2004 (VIS) - Thirty-thousand Italian Scouts, members of AGESCI, The Association of Italian Guides and Catholic Scouts and MASCI, the Movement of Italian Catholic Adult Scouts, filled St. Peter's Square this morning for an audience with the Holy Father who told them that their "presence in such great numbers gladdens my heart."
"Today, he began, "you wished to renew your 'promise' before the Pope, and I am happy to be a witness to your proposal to be faithful to God, Who calls you to live communion and friendship with Him; to be faithful to yourselves, in seeking and fulfilling the project that the Father, in His love, has planned for each of you, and to be faithful to your neighbor who expects from you the gift of a fully human and Christian commitment."
Citing part of the scouting motto, the Holy Father told the "Brownie and Cub Scouts 'to do your best' every day to grow joyfully in your packs and dens, discovering the marvels of creation. I exhort you, Guides and Explorers, to 'always be prepared to do good, as, together with your troop, you learn responsibilities and how to be active members of the ecclesial and civil communities to which you belong. I ask you, Patrols and Rovers, to commit to making the words 'to serve' the motto of your life, with the conviction that the gift of yourselves is the secret that can make our lives happy and full."
He highlighted the "difficult, yet exhilarating role" of scout leaders from whom, he said, young people "await help in growing harmoniously in order to contribute to the building of a world of friendship and solidarity."
John Paul II asked the scouts and their leaders to live the Gospel and "to swim 'against the current' to overcome the temptations of individualism, laziness and disengagement."
Noting that the Year of the Eucharist had just begun, the Pope asked the young people to make the mystery of the Eucharist "a constant reference point in your daily choices."
AC/ITALIAN SCOUTS/... VIS 20041025 (340)
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