Pope Leo XIV has offered words of encouragement to young people facing uncertainty about the future. His reflections appear in the September issue of Piazza San Pietro, the magazine of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he responded to a letter from Veronica, a 21-year-old medical student in Rome.
The Holy Father began by recalling the words of St. Augustine: “Let us live well and the times will be good. We are the times: such as we, such are the times.” He explained that the challenges of our age are not beyond redemption. If men and women strive to be good, then goodness will shape the times in which they live. Christ alone makes this possible, the Pope reminded his reader, because He awakens noble desires in the human heart and gives the strength to persevere when difficulties arise.
Veronica had written that her dream was to become a doctor and help the sick, but she also confided her worry about wars and conflicts throughout the world. Pope Leo acknowledged those anxieties, noting that evil often appears to overwhelm and wars continue to claim countless innocent lives. “We are living in difficult times,” he admitted, but he quickly turned her eyes toward hope, insisting that believers must never give in to despair about the possibility of a better world.
To Veronica personally, the Pope expressed joy in her vocational choice, calling medicine one of the noblest professions, especially when it is lived in service to the poor and vulnerable. He urged her to see her studies not simply as preparation for a career but as part of a Christian calling to bring healing and compassion to those who suffer.
As he often does when addressing the youth, Pope Leo emphasized the importance of a personal relationship with Christ. He invited Veronica to cultivate her friendship with Jesus, recalling the same appeal he once made to the crowds of young people at Tor Vergata. This friendship, he said, gives life meaning and equips believers to withstand the difficulties of the present age. It is also the key to transforming society, for only in Christ can goodness flourish and renew the world.
Pope Leo closed his message with a personal touch, encouraging Veronica to keep him informed about both her studies and her inner journey of faith. With fatherly affection, he offered his blessing, assuring her of his closeness in prayer.
The Holy Father’s reply to a single student speaks more broadly to the hopes and fears of an entire generation. His counsel is simple yet enduring: in times of trial, turn to Christ, live with goodness, and do not lose hope. For it is by living well that the times themselves will become good.