Pope Francis has on Sunday urged young people not to be silent and let their voices be heard during Palm Sunday celebrations.
Palm Sunday is marked to commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
The Pope’s message came on the heels of a meeting of young Catholics who told the Vatican they wanted a more transparent and authentic church.
It also came a day after tens of thousands of young people marched in the United States with others to demand greater gun control.
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Pope Francis said “the temptation to silence young people has always existed.”
The attempt, he said, included sedating them to keep them from getting involved.
But he told youths “you have it in you to shout” even if “we older people and leaders, very often corrupt, keep quiet.”
The Catholic leader was cheered by faithful clutching palm leaves after he celebrated Palm Sunday Mass in the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square on Sunday morning.