Message from Card. Tarcisio Bertone
Secretary of State

in the name of the Holy Father - Vatican, 14 December 2007

WORLD CATHOLIC ACTION YOUTH PILGRIMAGE - 28 December 2007 – 6 January 2008

Dear young Catholic Action members!

On the occasion of the first World Day of Peace, the Servant of God Pope Paul VI asked a group of young Italian Catholic Action members to take a lamp to the Nativity Grotto in Bethlehem as a symbol of the ideals, hopes and expectations for reconciliation of the whole of humanity. In order to commemorate this meaningful event and to reaffirm these ideals in the present historical context, the International Forum of this Association has very aptly organized a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for its young members for the 1st January 2008. The pilgrims will be renewing this same gesture of faith and they will pray so the human family may become a “community of peace".

I am pleased to convey to you the Holy Father’s great satisfaction at this initiative as it strongly portrays this message. The fact, that so many young pilgrims from so many different countries in Europe, America, Africa and Asia, as well as from Israel and Palestine, are getting together and visiting the places where Christ was born, lived, died and was risen, and where He founded His Church, is clear proof of their desire to be builders of that peace which is based on a strong faith in Him. During these last forty years the world has changed but as yet peace does not prevail in the Holy Land. The Holy Father is well aware of the difficulties and the hardship which Christian families, and particularly the younger generations, have to face. He also knows that the ecclesial Community living there is giving a strong witness of fraternity and very bravely it does its best to be leaven of reconciliation. In order to do this, they need the spiritual and material support of all the Church.

Pope Benedict XVI welcomes your genuine and generous gesture of communion. Following the example of His venerable Predecessor, he entrusts the 2008 World Day of Peace Message to you, so that you may pass it on to Christian young people in the Holy Land. He remembers you daily in His prayers and invokes Our Mother Mary and Saint Joseph to protect you. He prays that, with the help of God, you may find bridges of fraternity and solidarity and ways of keeping up these meetings and friendship so that those who live in the Holy Land do not feel abandoned but rather feel that they are full members of the great family of the universal Church.

May you, young Catholic Action members, pass these wishes to all those whom you meet during this visit. The Holy Father assures you that he will be accompanying in his prayers. He hopes and prays that the pilgrimage may develop in the best possible way and that it may bear the desired fruit. With this in mind, he sends you and your peers in the Holy Land, a special Apostolic Blessing, which he extends also to those who are guiding you or who have worked on the organization of this worthy initiative.
While expressing my personal appreciation and encouragement, I recommend you to Our Lord and send you my heartfelt greetings. 

(non official translation)