Youth Speaking Out: "What do you seek?"

The Holy Father has said many times that he wants to listen to the voices of young people, and he invites them to speak without fear. "Youth Speaking Out" is a new video series, inspired by the upcoming Synod.

We know that the Holy Father wants to "listen to the youth... young people from the whole world, Catholic and non-Catholic youth, Christian youth and youth from other religions, and young people who do not know if they believe or do not believe. All of them... it is important that you speak; do not let yourselves be silenced." (Address to Youth in Chile, 17 January 2018). For this reason, he has called for a Synod meeting this coming October to consider "Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment."

Responding to this request, young people from different countries open up in this new video series "Youth Speaking Out," sharing their dreams and concerns as they respond to specific questions directed at them by the Holy Father.

In the series, young people respond to specific questions directed at them by the Holy Father.

As a starting point, the series takes a few words from the address given by Pope Francis at the pre-synod meeting that took place in March, which brought together youth from every continent. On that occasion, the Pope encouraged those present to "speak courageously. Without shame... You know how to speak like this."

In this first video, Matilda, who is Italian and Swedish, talks about passing through a crisis of faith in her adolescence and how her work with refugee children helps her gain perspective on what really matters in life. Responding to the Pope's question -- "what do you seek?" -- she explains how she managed to find Christ again, despite the doubts of her younger years, and how this guides her everyday life in a natural way.