Pope: ‘Never stand still, never stop moving forward’

By Joseph Tulloch

Pope Francis met on Friday morning with a group of young people from the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired.

In a brief address, the Pope reflected with the group of children and teenagers on the meaning of pilgrimage, urging them to "never stop moving forward.”

On the move

The theme for the 2025 Jubilee Year, the Pope said, is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. The concept of pilgrimage, he pointed out, is intrinsically tied to that of walking.

“This is what I would like to wish for you," the Pope said, "that you might always be on the move.”

“Never stand still," the Pope urged. “Never stop moving forward.”

The destination

A pilgrim, however, the Pope stressed, is not only someone who walks but someone who has a destination—and, in the case of pilgrims this Jubilee Year, that destination is the Holy Door.

The Holy Door, the Pope said, is of course a symbol, one that represents Jesus Christ, who is the Mystery of Salvation, "which allows us to enter into new life.”

And so, the Pope stressed, “I would like to wish for you not only to be on the move but also to be pilgrims—that is, eager to meet Jesus, to know Him, and to listen to His Word."

Pilgrims of hope

Pope Francis brought his address to a conclusion by offering the example of various young people—Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Francis, and St. Clare, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus—who chose to live their lives in this way.

“Dear friends,” the Pope said, “these are ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, young people who encountered the Lord Jesus and walked with Him... Let us take this path, and we too can become little signs of hope for those we meet."