Pope Leo XIV says “I invite you to keep" the Gospel "the true navigator for the journey of life...open it each day, because the Gospel is the map for life” to Scouts

Pope Leo XIV received over 3,000 members of the Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts of Europe Association (AGESCI Europa) in the Vatican. The pope addressed participants gathered for the 50th anniversary of the Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts of Europe Association on June 1.
FULL TEXT ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV
TO MEMBERS OF THE ITALIAN ASSOCIATION OF
CATHOLIC GUIDES AND SCOUTS OF EUROPE
in the Audience Hall
Monday, 1st June 2026
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

“If God wills, forever!” This is the motto you have chosen for the fiftieth anniversary of your Association. As I have the pleasure of meeting you just a few days after the Solemnity of Pentecost, which literally means “the fiftieth”, I hope that this joyful anniversary will be for you like a new Pentecost. May the Holy Spirit descend upon each of you, as he did upon the Apostles gathered in the Upper Room (cf. Acts 2:1).

The Acts of the Apostles reminds us that the gift of the Spirit enlivens life, opens us to mission and creates understanding between different languages (cf. Acts 2:4): indeed, the gift of the Risen Christ helps us to find ever new ways of bearing witness to the beauty of the faith. This proclamation of salvation is full of hope and encourages us to act rightly in every choice we make in life, in all our works.

Over the past fifty years, the Italian Association of Catholic Guides and Scouts of Europe has consolidated a specific educational approach to expressing the witness of faith. Using the tools devised according to Baden-Powell’s vision, you accompany boys and girls to an encounter with Jesus, the Master of the good life, the faithful Friend, the just and strong Guide on our journey.

Life in the open air and contact with nature are indispensable dimensions of your activity, which speak of God’s goodness through the traces left by the Creator Himself in creation.

You wisely combine the book of nature with the Word of God, which preserves the meaning of history and sustains us when life’s path puts us to the test. As from a spring of fresh water, I invite you to draw from the Holy Scriptures to enlighten and sustain your experiences of human and spiritual growth, both personally and within the community. As Pope Francis said, “I invite you to keep [the Gospel] with you always, as your navigator – the Gospel is the true navigator for the journey of life – and to open it each day, because the Gospel is the map for life” (Address to the International Union of Guides and Scouts of Europe, 3 August 2019).

Dear Scout Leaders, the Gospel is far more than a book: it is the very person of Christ, good news for a humanity that is confused, deluded and disillusioned by so many evils. He quenches our thirst for justice and truth and instils in us the courage to persevere in doing good and to put ourselves at the service of our neighbours, personally. You bear witness to this commitment for the young people entrusted to your care: the consistency of your lives and the maturity of your choices are, in their eyes, a very important example that helps them to grow. Together with them, therefore, live out the beauty of the faith in daily actions and shared prayer, in the Sacraments and in the discernment of each person’s vocation: respond generously to Christ’s call, which invites you to climb to the summit, to set sail, to walk together along the path of virtue.

The priests who are your Assistants are a guarantee of the bond between the Church and your Association: they live their priestly ministry in the service of young people and your leadership, sharing with you the responsibility for the educational action and spiritual growth of the young.

The Scout method puts the person at the centre, caring for all aspects of their relationships and human richness. Your Association’s pedagogical choice is expressed, in this regard, in educating in separate sections for boys and girls, so as to devote specific attention to each group. Exploring in this way the fundamental characteristics of being a woman and being a man is a preparatory step towards an authentic and conscious encounter with the other, which can foster mutual growth. The formation of good Christians and good citizens is the aim of the Scout method, achieved through the educational partnership between leaders and each girl and boy at the various stages of their journey.

In these complex historic times, I also appreciate your decision, as an association, to foster a sense of European identity – not on a political level, but a cultural one – by renewing your commitment to building a Europe of peoples, not merely of business, united by the highest values of Christian humanism.

To this end, service is the element that unifies all the components of Baden-Powell’s method: it is at the heart of his educational philosophy. To serve means placing one’s skills and time at the disposal of others, entirely freely, without expecting anything in return. Through service, altruism, solidarity, care for others and a sense of social responsibility are developed. Lived in faith, service frees us from the tendency to be self-centred, indifferent and closed off, opening us up to the experience of community and a sense of responsibility: from small things done well to mutual care. The adventure of Scouting helps us discover how our humanity is illuminated and engaged by the work of God, the true educator of us all.

Dear Scouts and dear Guides, whilst I encourage you to continue the activities of your Association with joy and commitment, I pray that the Holy Spirit may multiply His gifts amongst you, so that you may know how to speak and spread the language of charity, welcome and peace. I entrust you to the maternal guidance of the Blessed Virgin Mary and I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing upon all of you and your loved ones.

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 1 June 2026