Holy Father!
With great hope and joy the young people gathered in youth organizations in Ukraine have been waiting for the day when Your Holiness would set foot on our land. And now that day has come.
Together with youth of the whole world we had the great good fortune to praise God in Czestochowa, Denver, Paris and Rome. Today with sincere and open hearts we welcome Your Holiness, our long-awaited guest, a great friend of youth on all continents, now in our midst.
Each meeting with your Holiness was a clear call to spread the youth apostolate among Ukrainian youth. And each word to youth which came forth from the Holy Father's mouth called us to follow Christ.
We are aware that the future of every nation depends on its younger generation. The state of young people today shows the state of the nation tomorrow. On this day when we are together, we want again want to say, in the name of all the youth organizations of Ukraine, that we hope to build our nation on those principles which we hear expressed in Your Holiness' appeals to us youth,
Your Holiness, we sincerely believe that this meeting will become a strong foundation for our common home, which is the Church and the nation, of which young people are the architects.
Accept, Holy Father, our deep gratitude and respect, for your prayer and instruction, self-sacrifice and love for us. And we, representatives of youth organizations of Ukraine, in such great numbers and with such joy greet Your Holiness. We will ask God, in His great mercy, to grant you strength in peace and health, with inspiration and fatherly wisdom, to proclaim the Lord's word to the world.
Today bless all of us who with love have received Christ into our hearts, Christ, who you, Holy Father, preach to all nations, so that, strengthened by your word we will be able to pass this love this all those who follow you, because your way is our way, our truth and life.
Religious Information Service of Ukraine 26.06.2001 (21:12)
26. juni 2001