A young person for every slip of paper. Since Friday 22nd tens of thousands have passed by the seven Tents of Mercy set up across seven squares in Rome’s historic centre, each one of which was dedicated to a work of mercy. It was a colourful pilgrimage, sometimes noisy as only youths can be, but at the same time also silent when listening to personal testimonies or during the catecheses to learn more about the works of mercy, trying to understand how to implement them in daily life. They wrote leaving traces of their life. The Jubilee of Boys and Girls, wanted by Pope Francis – the very first in the framework of Jubilee events – acted as a mirror in which 70thousand participants reflected their dreams, problems, expectations and burdens, temporarily releasing their weights. With the timeless questions of every teenager: “Who am I really? Who should I be?” “We read many beautiful personal notes – said Fr Calogero Manganello, deputy-head of the National Service for the Pastoral Care of young people, the Department of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI) responsible for the organization of the event – in the post-its written by young people, describing moments when they were the object of mercy and when they were merciful towards others.
Unfortunately nobody helps them see life through the lenses of mercy”
Yearning to listen. When visiting the Tents these young people spoke about their inner feelings. As when, in the tent “Burying the dead”, they spoke about the death of a dear one. “When my father died I rediscovered God”, “When my grandmother died I saw the mercy of God in the unity of my family which I realized was very close…”, “when a friend of mine died we all gathered together to pray for him”, a few words on desperation.
A feeling entrusted to yellow paper slips almost concealed, and discovered by chance, stood out: “The end will come, but it won’t be the end.”
In the tent “Visiting convicts” a Caritas worker spoke about his service to detainees in the Regina Coeli prison. Moreover, there are also youths who live in prison, a prison without bars but not less closed: it’s the prison created by oppressive burdens. “I wish I could get out of the prison as it destroys me more and more as days go by. I wish I had the courage to speak about it with someone.” “I wish I could free myself from my prison: what people think about me.”
“I wish the burden I carry inside me were not a secret. I believe that in this way I would be truly happy and free.”
The rewarded wait of a person who extended a helping hand is found is in this simple sentence, found in the tent “Hosting the pilgrims”, namely “To console those who are afflicted”: “There was a time when I wouldn’t stop crying, but the help of a special person brought back a smile on my face.”
There are many young people who “yearn to be listened to.”
Receiving and giving mercy. The sensitivity of adolescents strongly stands out: “I gave a coin to a beggar and I received a warm smile in return”, “I played with my sister who often plays alone”, “every time someone begs for money or food…” .
Many notes are accounts of daily abuse and violence: “I pray to you, my Lord, stop them from teasing me and molesting me…”, “one day I protected my friend from acts of bullying….” “I encouraged a school-friend to feel at ease even when she is with people who don’t appreciate her as she deserves.” The works of mercy come to life in young people yearning to assume small and big responsibilities: “I pledge not to tease, and to defend them”, “I will resolve to remain quiet and listen to what the other person has to say”, including equally significant resolutions: “I pledge to never start smoking.” “Clothing the naked” for a young boy doesn’t only mean giving away second-hand clothes, it also means “dressing others with my forgiveness.”
Seven Tents, seven bodily works of mercy summarized in this post: “It’s forbidden to stop dreaming”
With heads held high. “These messages – remarked Fr Manganello – invite us, as a Church, to take care of these youths with greater consciousness. The Pope urged them to proceed with their heads held high. It was a highly motivational encouragement. It’s up to us to preserve this motivation.” “These young people have a lot to give”, underlined Paolo Ferrari, coordinator of activities inside the Tents – sometimes we complain about them but they have wonderful things inside them. We must help them express all of this.
What they wrote in their post-its shows they are much stronger than we imagined.
Moreover, as parents, we tend to protect them. Sometimes it seems that they don’t listen but then they speak the same words that in some way we have managed to transmit them. Our youths breathe the atmosphere of their family.
We must help them see life with joy, and hold their heads high.”
A cold, strong wind continues to blow. One of the notes falls down. It says: “Amazing and exciting”, with a “smile” as a signature. It’s the same smile we see on the faces of these youths returning home with their rucksacks …
