Saint John Paul II – 10 Great World Youth Day Quotes

World Youth Day was founded in 1984 by Saint John Paul II. 30 years later, World Youth Day has travelled the globe, and young people everywhere encountered the spirit of John Paul II. As we prepare for World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland – the land of John Paul II – here are some of the most popular quotes said by this beloved Saint during World Youth Days.

1. “My dear young people, at the conclusion of the Holy Year, I entrust to you the sign of this Jubilee Year: the Cross of Christ! Carry it throughout the world as a symbol of Christ’s love for humanity, and announce to everyone that only in the death and resurrection of Christ can we find salvation and redemption” – Palm Sunday, Rome, 1984

2. “To all of you I say: let yourselves be embraced by the mystery of the Son of man, the mystery of Christ who died and rose again. Let yourselves be embraced by the paschal mystery! Let this mystery penetrate the depths of your being, your lives, your consciences, feelings, heart, so that it will give the truest meaning to your conduct.” – Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1987

3. “You young people have in a special way the task of witnessing today to the faith; the commitment to bring the Gospel of Christ – the Way, the Truth and the Life – into the third Christian Millennium, to build a new civilisation – a civilisation of love, of justice and of peace.” – Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 1989

4. “Be demanding of the world around you; be demanding first of all with yourselves. Be children of God; take pride in it!” – Czestochowa, Poland, 1991

5. “…I pray that young people from East and West will walk together along the path of freedom, working to overcome all conflicts between races and peoples, so as to build a world of authentic brotherhood and carry the liberating message of the Gospel everywhere.” – Czestochowa, Poland, 1991

6. “Young people of the world, listen to what Christ the Redeemer is saying to you! ‘To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.’ The World Youth Day challenges you to be fully conscious of who you are as God’s dearly beloved sons and daughters.” – Denver, USA, 1993

7. “It is always Christ who sends. But whom does he send? You, young people, are the ones he looks upon with love. Christ, who says: ‘Follow me,’ wants you to live your lives with a sense of vocation. He wants your lives to have a precise meaning and dignity.” – Manila, Philippines, 1995

8. “Dear young people, your journey does not end here. Time does not come to a halt. Go forth now along the roads of the world, along the pathways of humanity, while remaining ever united in Christ’s Church!” – Paris, France, 1997

9. “Dear friends, to believe in Jesus today, to follow Jesus as Peter, Thomas, and the first Apostles and witnesses did, demands of us, just as it did in the past, that we take a stand for him, almost to the point at times of a new martyrdom: the martyrdom of those who, today as yesterday, are called to go against the tide in order to follow the divine Master, to follow ‘the Lamb wherever he goes’ (Rev 14:4).” – Rome, Italy, 2000

10. “People are made for happiness. Rightly, then, you thirst for happiness. Christ has the answer to this desire of yours. But he asks you to trust him. True joy is a victory, something which cannot be obtained without a long and difficult struggle. Christ holds the secret of this victory.” – Toronto, Canada, 2002