“The history of Loppiano is just beginning. It is a small seed sown in the furrows of history that has already sprouted luxuriantly, but needs to develop strong roots and bear abundant fruit, at the service of the mission of proclaiming and incarnating the Gospel of Jesus that the Church is called to live today. This calls for humility, openness, synergy and the capacity to take risks”. In the concluding part of his speech, full of off-the-cuff remarks, the Pope reflected on the future of the international citadel of the Focolare Movement, on the second leg of his pastoral journey which began in Nomadelfia. “The often dramatic crises that challenge us on every front cannot leave us indifferent, but demand that we do our best, that we always trust in God’s grace”. “At a time of epochal changes – the Pontiff said – we must not only promote the encounter of persons, cultures and peoples, an alliance of civilizations, but also win together the historic challenge of building a shared culture of encounter and a global civilization of alliance”.   “Culture of encounter and civilization of alliance: this is the challenge”, he added off the cuff. “Like a rainbow of colours that radiates the bright light of God’s love! And to do this, we need men and women – young people, families, people of all vocations and professions – able to open up new paths for us to walk together”. “The Gospel is always new”, he continued off the cuff: “Jesus’ Resurrection speaks to us of youth and makes us ask for a renewed youth. Always go forward with creativity!”. The challenge, for the Pope, “is creative faithfulness: to be faithful to the original inspiration and, at the same time, be open to the breath of the Holy Spirit and courageously undertake the new paths that He suggests”. “For me – he revealed off the cuff – the best example is found in the Acts of the Apostles, they were able to remain faithful to Jesus’ teaching and to have the courage to do so many crazy things, to follow Him everywhere, because they knew how to live out this creative faithfulness”. Hence the importance of “communal discernment”: “We need to listen to God until we hear with Him the cry of the People, and we must listen to the People until we breathe the will to which God calls us. The disciples of Jesus must be contemplative of the Word and contemplative of the People of God. We are all called to become artisans of communal discernment. This is the way, so that even Loppiano may discover and follow step by step God’s way at the service of the Church and of society”.