Pope Leo XIV says "The brightest light here is that of your eyes, your faces, your smiles, your songs, your dances, in which everything bears witness that Christ is joy, meaning, inspiration, and beauty for our lives." FULL TEXT at Meeting with Families and Youth
The Pope’s address, preceded by a welcome from the Apostolic Administrator of Bata, Bishop Miguel Ángel Nguema Bee, followed a series of testimonies that served as the guiding thread of his reflection. It began with Alicia, who spoke about the importance of being faithful to our duties and contributing, through daily work, to the good of the family and society. She said that being Christian means not only participating in the Eucharistic celebration, but also working with dignity and treating everyone with respect. She also spoke about the challenges women face in the workplace." To the families present, the example of Purificación and Jaime Antonio served as a reminder that, by trusting in God, their families can grow in unity, welcoming life as a gift to be protected and educated for an encounter with the Lord. Finally, the Pope thanked the “sincerity and courage” of a 13-year-old boy, Victor Antonio, the son of a single mother abandoned by his father, whose words should encourage us to build a better world.
MEETING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES
FULL TEXT - ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER
Bata Stadium on Wednesday, April 22, 2026
_____________________________
Dear young people, dear families, peace be with you!
Who's afraid of the rain? Who wants God's blessing? Thank you for being here! Let's keep celebrating! The Church needs your enthusiasm!
Dear brothers and sisters, I greet you with great joy and thank the Bishop for his kind words. I thank all of you for your warm welcome and for your enthusiasm, which manifests the joy of your faith.
His Excellency described Equatorial Guinea as a country "young, full of energy, questions, and a zest for life," and at the same time eager to make Christ its light. This is a reference to the motto of this journey— Christ, light of Equatorial Guinea, towards a future of hope —but it is confirmed by the presence of all of you here! The brightest light here is that of your eyes, your faces, your smiles, your songs, your dances, in which everything bears witness that Christ is joy, meaning, inspiration, and beauty for our lives.
Your country, Equatorial Guinea, is rich in history and traditions. We saw this a moment ago in the dances, costumes, and symbols with which each group expressed its identity, making our presence together even more evident and moving. You brought simple, everyday objects—a stick, a net, the reproduction of an island, a boat, a musical instrument—that speak of your life and the ancient and noble values that animate it, such as service, unity, hospitality, trust, and celebration. This is the luminous and challenging legacy of which you, dear young people, are called to be, in faith, the foundation of your future and that of this land. The future is yours!
Saint John Paul II recalled them when, upon his arrival in this country, encountering such a vibrant and dynamic Church, he said to the faithful present to welcome him: "Always give an example of harmony among yourselves, of mutual love, of the capacity for reconciliation, of effective respect for the rights of every citizen, every family, every social group. Respect and promote the dignity of all people in your country, as human beings and as children of God" ( Address upon Arrival in Equatorial Guinea , Malabo, 18 February 1982). These are words that still guide our hearts today and must illuminate your path as you prepare for the responsibilities that await you in the future.
Alicia, in this regard, spoke to us about the importance of being faithful to one's duties and contributing, through daily work, to the good of the family and society. She shared with us her dream of a land "where young men and women do not seek easy success, but choose the culture of effort, discipline, and work well done, and that this is valued." She said that being a Christian means, beyond participating in the Eucharistic celebration, also working with dignity and treating everyone with respect, also recalling the challenge of being a woman in the world of work. This invites us to reflect on the importance of fruitful commitment and the need to always promote the dignity of every human being.
Francisco Martin testified to the same thing, referring to the call to the priesthood. He opened before us a window onto the beautiful reality of so many young people who give themselves totally to God for the salvation of their brothers and sisters. He made no secret of the fact that he struggled to find the courage to say his "yes," his fiat , "yes," Lord, but in his words we all understood that entrusting ourselves to God's will brings joy and profound serenity. A life given to God is a happy life, renewed every day in prayer, in the Sacraments, and in encounters with the brothers and sisters the Lord places on our path. In the communion of hearts and in caring action towards those in need, the miracles of charity are renewed. Therefore, if you feel that Christ is calling you to follow him on a path of special consecration – as priests, religious men and women, catechists – do not be afraid to follow in his footsteps: as he himself assured – and I too want to forcefully tell you here today – you will receive “a hundredfold and […] eternal life” ( Mt 19:29).
Dearest ones, you have come to this meeting with your families. They are the fertile soil in which the fresh yet fragile tree of your human and Christian growth sinks its roots. Therefore, I want to invite everyone to thank the Lord together for the gift of your loved ones and, as Purificación and Jaime Antonio told us, to entrust yourselves to Him so that your families may grow in unity, embrace life as a gift to be cherished, and educate them to encounter the Lord, the Lord who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6). Many of you are preparing for the sacrament of Matrimony. Being spouses and parents is an exciting mission, a covenant to be lived day by day, in which we find ourselves ever renewed for one another, promoters, together with God, of the miracle of life and builders of happiness, for yourselves and for your children. Prepare to live this calling as a journey of true love, which grows in freedom, a journey of hope born of the knowledge that God will not abandon you, a journey of holiness that always seeks the good and happiness of others.
I thank Victor Antonio so much for the sincerity and courage with which he shared his story with us. His words help us understand even more deeply the value of what we have said. They fall like a boulder among us, but not to destroy. Rather, they are words that should encourage us to build a better world, founded on respect for life as it is born and grows, and on a sense of responsibility toward children and the young. Victor Antonio reminded us that welcoming life requires love, commitment, and care, and these words, from his adolescent lips, should make us reflect seriously on the importance of protecting and cherishing the family and the values learned within it. Let us cultivate them, live them, and bear witness to them, even when doing so requires sacrifice, or when, as Jaime Antonio and Purificación said, judgments, prejudices, and stereotypes attempt to diminish their value. A family that knows how to welcome and love is light, is warmth. Pope Francis left us beautiful words on this, he told us: «The couple of the father and the mother with their whole love story […], the couple who love and generate life is the true living “sculpture” […], capable of manifesting God the Creator and Savior» (Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia , 9.11).
Dear young people, parents, and all of you present here, let us be enthused by the beauty of love; let us be witnesses of the love that Jesus left us and taught us! Let us testify every day that loving is beautiful, that the greatest joys, in every setting, come from knowing how to give and from giving of ourselves, especially when we reach out to those most in need. The light of charity, cultivated in homes and lived in faith, can truly transform the world, even its structures and institutions, so that every person finds respect and no one is forgotten (cf. Francis, Message for World Food Day, October 14, 2022). Sisters and brothers, let us make this a firm resolution, a joyful commitment, so that Christ, Crucified and Risen, the light of Equatorial Guinea, Africa, and the entire world, may guide us all toward a future of hope.
MEETING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES
FULL TEXT - ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER
Bata Stadium on Wednesday, April 22, 2026
_____________________________
Dear young people, dear families, peace be with you!
Who's afraid of the rain? Who wants God's blessing? Thank you for being here! Let's keep celebrating! The Church needs your enthusiasm!
Dear brothers and sisters, I greet you with great joy and thank the Bishop for his kind words. I thank all of you for your warm welcome and for your enthusiasm, which manifests the joy of your faith.
His Excellency described Equatorial Guinea as a country "young, full of energy, questions, and a zest for life," and at the same time eager to make Christ its light. This is a reference to the motto of this journey— Christ, light of Equatorial Guinea, towards a future of hope —but it is confirmed by the presence of all of you here! The brightest light here is that of your eyes, your faces, your smiles, your songs, your dances, in which everything bears witness that Christ is joy, meaning, inspiration, and beauty for our lives.
Your country, Equatorial Guinea, is rich in history and traditions. We saw this a moment ago in the dances, costumes, and symbols with which each group expressed its identity, making our presence together even more evident and moving. You brought simple, everyday objects—a stick, a net, the reproduction of an island, a boat, a musical instrument—that speak of your life and the ancient and noble values that animate it, such as service, unity, hospitality, trust, and celebration. This is the luminous and challenging legacy of which you, dear young people, are called to be, in faith, the foundation of your future and that of this land. The future is yours!
Saint John Paul II recalled them when, upon his arrival in this country, encountering such a vibrant and dynamic Church, he said to the faithful present to welcome him: "Always give an example of harmony among yourselves, of mutual love, of the capacity for reconciliation, of effective respect for the rights of every citizen, every family, every social group. Respect and promote the dignity of all people in your country, as human beings and as children of God" ( Address upon Arrival in Equatorial Guinea , Malabo, 18 February 1982). These are words that still guide our hearts today and must illuminate your path as you prepare for the responsibilities that await you in the future.
Alicia, in this regard, spoke to us about the importance of being faithful to one's duties and contributing, through daily work, to the good of the family and society. She shared with us her dream of a land "where young men and women do not seek easy success, but choose the culture of effort, discipline, and work well done, and that this is valued." She said that being a Christian means, beyond participating in the Eucharistic celebration, also working with dignity and treating everyone with respect, also recalling the challenge of being a woman in the world of work. This invites us to reflect on the importance of fruitful commitment and the need to always promote the dignity of every human being.
Francisco Martin testified to the same thing, referring to the call to the priesthood. He opened before us a window onto the beautiful reality of so many young people who give themselves totally to God for the salvation of their brothers and sisters. He made no secret of the fact that he struggled to find the courage to say his "yes," his fiat , "yes," Lord, but in his words we all understood that entrusting ourselves to God's will brings joy and profound serenity. A life given to God is a happy life, renewed every day in prayer, in the Sacraments, and in encounters with the brothers and sisters the Lord places on our path. In the communion of hearts and in caring action towards those in need, the miracles of charity are renewed. Therefore, if you feel that Christ is calling you to follow him on a path of special consecration – as priests, religious men and women, catechists – do not be afraid to follow in his footsteps: as he himself assured – and I too want to forcefully tell you here today – you will receive “a hundredfold and […] eternal life” ( Mt 19:29).
Dearest ones, you have come to this meeting with your families. They are the fertile soil in which the fresh yet fragile tree of your human and Christian growth sinks its roots. Therefore, I want to invite everyone to thank the Lord together for the gift of your loved ones and, as Purificación and Jaime Antonio told us, to entrust yourselves to Him so that your families may grow in unity, embrace life as a gift to be cherished, and educate them to encounter the Lord, the Lord who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6). Many of you are preparing for the sacrament of Matrimony. Being spouses and parents is an exciting mission, a covenant to be lived day by day, in which we find ourselves ever renewed for one another, promoters, together with God, of the miracle of life and builders of happiness, for yourselves and for your children. Prepare to live this calling as a journey of true love, which grows in freedom, a journey of hope born of the knowledge that God will not abandon you, a journey of holiness that always seeks the good and happiness of others.
I thank Victor Antonio so much for the sincerity and courage with which he shared his story with us. His words help us understand even more deeply the value of what we have said. They fall like a boulder among us, but not to destroy. Rather, they are words that should encourage us to build a better world, founded on respect for life as it is born and grows, and on a sense of responsibility toward children and the young. Victor Antonio reminded us that welcoming life requires love, commitment, and care, and these words, from his adolescent lips, should make us reflect seriously on the importance of protecting and cherishing the family and the values learned within it. Let us cultivate them, live them, and bear witness to them, even when doing so requires sacrifice, or when, as Jaime Antonio and Purificación said, judgments, prejudices, and stereotypes attempt to diminish their value. A family that knows how to welcome and love is light, is warmth. Pope Francis left us beautiful words on this, he told us: «The couple of the father and the mother with their whole love story […], the couple who love and generate life is the true living “sculpture” […], capable of manifesting God the Creator and Savior» (Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia , 9.11).
Dear young people, parents, and all of you present here, let us be enthused by the beauty of love; let us be witnesses of the love that Jesus left us and taught us! Let us testify every day that loving is beautiful, that the greatest joys, in every setting, come from knowing how to give and from giving of ourselves, especially when we reach out to those most in need. The light of charity, cultivated in homes and lived in faith, can truly transform the world, even its structures and institutions, so that every person finds respect and no one is forgotten (cf. Francis, Message for World Food Day, October 14, 2022). Sisters and brothers, let us make this a firm resolution, a joyful commitment, so that Christ, Crucified and Risen, the light of Equatorial Guinea, Africa, and the entire world, may guide us all toward a future of hope.
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