Pope Francis and other Christian leaders have sent messages to the 44th European Taizé youth meeting, which is taking place online (currently) and in Turin (in July). The Taizé Community, an ecumenical French monastic community, was founded by Brother Roger Schütz in 1940.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, wrote the papal message. He said, “Many wonder: Does our planet have a future? What responsibilities do we have to take to ensure its protection and make the earth habitable? As polarizations increase, how can we, according to your theme for the coming year, ‘become builders of unity’?”

Cardinal Parolin continued. “Instead of giving in to defeatism and running away from these questions, you have decided to tackle them head on, to seek together, to pray, to listen to the Word of God, to let it shed light on increasingly complex human situations.”