Late Pope Francis' video to young people: 'Learn to listen to others'
Late Pope Francis' video to young people: 'Learn to listen to others'
In mid-January, a month before his hospitalization, the late Pope Francis recorded a video message, reminding young people about the importance of listening while others are speaking.
Apr 28, 2025
Screenshot of the late Pope Francis in the video message recorded in mid-January 2024
VATICAN: A previously unseen video recorded on January 8 shows the late Pope Francis addressing young people participating in "Listening Workshops."
The initiative was founded in Italy by Luca Drusian and brings together young people and adults to discuss various topics, in hopes of exploring the beauty of being heard and listening to others.
The video was published on Sunday, a day after the late Pope's Requiem Mass, by the Italian weekly magazine Oggi ("Today").
In the video message recorded in the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis urged young people to always "listen to your grandparents—they teach us so much."
'Dear boys and girls, one of the most important things in life is to listen—to learn how to listen," said the late Pope. "When someone speaks to you, wait for them to finish so you can really understand, and then, if you feel like it, respond. But the important thing is to listen.'
Pope Francis noted that many people are unable to truly listen to other people, since they are already formulating their response as the other person speaks.
"Look closely at people—people don't listen," he said. "Halfway through an explanation, they'll answer, and that doesn't help peace. Listen—listen a lot.'
The late Pope's video message was released as hundreds of thousands of teenagers gathered in Rome to celebrate the Jubilee of Teenagers.
Around 200,000 people came out to St. Peter's Square to attend Mass for the second day of the Novemdiales, or "nine days" of mourning for Pope Francis.
Though the Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday was in suffrage for Pope Francis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin invited young people to embrace the late Pope's teaching on mercy, so that they might discover the path to peace for their personal relationships and for the entire world.--Vatican News
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