Don’t be afraid to doubt your faith: Pope to young people

In Pope Francis' last speech during his trip to Cyprus and Greece, the Holy Father addressed the concerns of young people. He responded to their testimonies, speaking on issues such as social media use, and the courage to dream in a complex world with uncertain futures.

He also gave advice on what to do when doubts against faith arise, or are recurring.

"I want to say to you and to everyone here: don’t be afraid of doubts, because they are not a sign of the lack of faith. Don’t be afraid of doubts," the Pope said.

In fact, the Pope said, doubts should be considered "vitamins of faith" because they help to strengthen faith and make it "more robust."

Referring to the testimony of the young woman who spoke of doubts, the Pope addressed the times when "faced with misunderstanding or the difficulties of life, with loneliness or disappointment, doubt can come knocking on the door of our heart. We can think: 'Maybe something is wrong with me... I think I may have made a mess of things...'"

"That, my friends, is a temptation!" he said. "A temptation to be rejected."

Pope Francis said that a sense of wonder and amazement is "the beginning not only of philosophy, but also of our faith."

He noted how often in the Gospel, people are "amazed" at Jesus. "In the encounter with God, amazement is always present, for it is the beginning of dialogue with God."

This, he said, points to the fact that faith is not a "list of things to believe or rules to follow."

Instead, said the Pope, faith is "a reality, a beautiful truth that does not depend on us and that leaves us amazed: we are God’s beloved children!"

Pope Francis encouraged his listeners to let go of the concerns that arise when we look in the mirror, and instead, stand before God, and let our perspective change.

Pope Francis urged the youth:

The Pope also insisted that the young people be confident in God's forgiveness.

The Pope warned against three things that could rob us of this treasure of forgiveness: laziness, fear, and shame.

Referring again to the culture of his hosts, Pope Francis asked them to remember the words engraved on the Delphi temple: Know thyself.

And he offered another image from Greek culture: the sirens, the mythological creatures who would enchant sailors with their beautiful songs, and cause them to crash into the rocks.