Pope Leo XIV has responded to a reader of Piazza San Pietro, the magazine published by St Peter’s Basilica.

The September issue opens with a correspondence section. In it, Pope Leo replies to Veronica, a 21-year-old medical student from Rome.

“My dream is to become a doctor and help people heal from their illnesses,” writes the young woman.

She adds that she is concerned about conflict worldwide: “It almost seems impossible to live in peace. What future awaits us? Can we hope for a better world? And what can we young people do to make that happen?”

Difficult times

Pope Leo’s reply is simple and affectionate. “Dear Veronica, first of all, I sincerely wish that you may fulfil your dream. The profession you aspire to is among the noblest, especially if lived as service to the weakest and most unfortunate … Your questions are the ones that many of your peers hold in their hearts.”

“We are living in difficult times,” the Pope adds, “but this should not make us lose hope for a better world.”

Live well and the times will be good

Whilst recognising the pain throughout our world, Pope Leo emphasises a message of hope and resistance.

“It is true that we live in difficult times. Evil seems to overwhelm our lives. Wars are taking more and more innocent victims,” but we must never stop hoping, he writes.

“As I have already said, quoting Saint Augustine: ‘Live well and the times will be good. We are the times.’ Exactly so—the times will be good if we are good! For this to happen, we must place our hope in the Lord Jesus,” the Pontiff affirms.

“It is He who has awakened in your heart the desire to make something great out of your life. It is He who will give you the strength to improve yourself and the society around you, so that the times we live in will truly be good times.”

Friendship with Jesus

Pope Leo ends his message on a personal note: “For this reason, I repeat the invitation I addressed to you and to all the young people who came to Tor Vergata: ‘Cultivate your friendship with Jesus.’ It’s worth it. Be sure of that. Keep me updated on your studies and your inner journey. I bless you from my heart.”