“At the beginning of this third millennium, you too, young people, are called to proclaim the message of the Gospel with the testimony of your lives. The Church needs your energies, your enthusiasm, your youthful ideals to ensure that the Gospel permeates the fabric of society and inspires a civilization of authentic justice and love without discrimination. Now more than ever, in a world all too often deprived of light and the courage of noble ideals, it is not the time to be ashamed of the Gospel (cf. Rom 1: 16). Rather, it is time to preach it from the rooftops (cf. Mt 10: 27). The Pope, your Bishops, the whole Christian community are counting on your commitment, on your generosity, and following you with confidence and hope…”
John Paul II, Meeting with the Catholic Youth of Switzerland, 5 June 2004