Pope Leo’s address to the “policoro project” of the Italian Episcopal Conference
Clementine Hall – Saturday, 21 February 2026
“You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13)
Pope Leo’s address
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!
Dear Brother Bishops, Brothers and Sisters,
The Progetto Policoro has reached its thirtieth anniversary: an occasion that should inspire gratitude and confidence for the future.
You, young people, are the beautiful face of Italy that never gives up, never resign itself, always rolls up its sleeves and always gets up again.
In thirty years, you have sown an immense amount of good that is worth recounting.
You are young people who have dedicated themselves to social and political causes.
You have inspired new motivation in people’s lives thanks to the Gospel and the social doctrine of the Church.
You have said “no” to corruption, labor exploitation, and injustice.
You have turned confiscated mafia assets into investments in social projects.
You have established cooperatives that have made cities and local areas flourish.
You have helped many young people start businesses.
Additionally, you have spent hours in schools and parishes educating people about the meaning of work and justice, teaching peace, and raising awareness to the common good.
You have cared for young people who have been marginalized, disappointed and disengaged.
Thank you for all the good you have sown!
Thank you for understanding that no young person in life can be left “on the sidelines”,
but rather must be supported in realizing their dreams and improving the world.
The Progetto Policoro initiative began in 1995, thanks to the pastoral creativity of the national directors of social pastoral care, Caritas, and the youth pastoral ministry of the Italian Episcopal Conference.
The Ecclesial Convention in Palermo requested specific attention be given to southern Italy.
The project began as a proposal and, over time, evolved in response to new needs, primarily focusing on evangelizing the world of work.
Several individuals have assumed the roles of training and accompaniment, which is a tradition that continues today.
Each has contributed to the Project’s growth in different territories.
The coordinated efforts of many have multiplied energies and results.
This is a living, youthful image of what the Church can and must be in service to the country.
We thank the Lord for everything.
The power of the Holy Spirit has made you come alive and flourish in society, giving you the ability to love life.
Your commitment is still needed, especially during this time of demographic winter and depopulation of the country’s most fragile areas.
Young people are at risk of becoming demotivated and withdrawing.
No one should feel neglected.
Progetto Policori was born as an ecclesial experience.
It is the fruit of a Church’s imagination that wants to do more than just help young people.
It wants to make them the protagonists of its journey and of every territory’s future.
With you, young people, we are a church at the service of the world, like leaven in dough.
One of the most beautiful experiences you have on a daily basis is accompaniment.
The dioceses has chosen you and has taken you by the hand, and supported you as you help young people find their path in work, the economy, and society.
Thus, your commitment to addressing the employment and social crisis in southern Italy has led to renewed involvement in other areas.
There is always time to spread your enthusiasm and sensitivity to even the most resistant places and the most resigned people.
Looking ahead, do not lose sight of the values that have brought you this far and that will allow you to continue your journey for a long time.
At this moment, I would like to ideally give them back to all of you.
Firstly, your commitment is guided by the Gospel, which has the true power to transform hearts and the world. Don Mario Operti, one of the creators of the Project together with Monsignor Giuseppe Pasini, wrote:
“If we were so poor that we could give nothing to others, perhaps we would be more aware of the richness of the Gospel, which can truly change people’s lives and help them to walk”.
A second point of reference is the Church’s social teaching.
Studying social doctrine allows you to appreciate this time and provides you with the tools to interpret reality.
Don’t be fooled by prophets of doom who see everything negatively, but also, don’t be so naive as to think everything is fine.
As St Paul teaches us: “Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21).
The centrality of the human person, the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, the universal destination of goods, participation, integral ecology, and peace guide us in building a society according to God’s plan of love for humanity.
The third resource is the community as an incubator for the future.
Current culture tends to view us as isolated individuals and in competition with one another.
However, work, the economy, politics and communication are not sustained by solitary leaders, but by experts in social relations.
When community life grows, both in society and in the Church, then we create the conditions for life to flourish.
You will be generative whenever you care for community networks.
Intelligence, talent, knowledge, social organization and hard work develop thanks to good relationships. If you dream together, if you devote time to developing shared paths, if you love your cities, you will become like the salt that gives flavor to everything (Matthew 5:13 – You are the salt of the earth).
Finally, remember that you have many spiritual fathers and mothers, who have served as role models for cities and territories throughout the country.
They are the saints and martyrs whose social commitment has inspired civic and charitable renewal.
They are the saints and witnesses whose social commitment has been a source of civic and charitable renewal.
On the eighth centenary of Francis of Assisi’s death, how can we forget figures such as him, Catherine of Siena, John Bosco, Bartolo Longo, Francesca Cabrini, Armida Barelli, Luigi Sturzo, Pier Giorgio Frassati, Alberto Marvelli, Giorgio La Pira, Lorenzo Milani, Primo Mazzolari, Maria di Campello, Aldo Moro, Tina Anselmi, Pino Puglisi, Tonino Bello, and Annalena Tonelli?
I invite you to do an exercise:
Get to know the life stories marked by the presence of the Spirit in the places where you live.
Learn about them and share their stories.
his is a concrete sign that God never leaves us alone.
He loves us, continues to love us, and never tires of being present among people, who are capable of transforming social life and evangelizing the world of work.
Learn courage and daily openness to grace from them.
Dear friends,
Go forward together with confidence!
Italy and Europe and the english-speaking world needs you and your enthusiasm.
Never stop dreaming, and forge bonds with other young Europeans and people from other continents who love the Church and work on her behalf in society.
I follow your journey with hope,
I remember you in my prayers, and I cordially impart my apostolic blessing to you and your families. Thank you!
Footnote:
The Policoro Project began 20 years ago as a result of the Ecclesiastical Congress of Palermo.
The project came about for a specific purpose: to provide answers to the existential question of so many young people who risk passing from having no work occupation to having no life occupation.
The Policoro Project is active in 15 Italian regions.
In its attempt to combine the Gospel with the practicality, this was an immediate success, representing a great initiative for advancing young people and promoting local development on a national scale.
Its powerful ideas have led to its success: training young people, launching cooperatives, creating intermediaries such as “community animators,” and a long series of tangible actions.
This is a visible sign of effective, active commitment over the last 20 years.
Through its practical approach to the specifics of its workplaces and its search for shared solutions, the Policoro Project has demonstrated that the quality of “free, creative, participatory, and mutually supportive” work expresses and enhances the dignity of human life.
We must not lose sight of the urgency of reaffirming this dignity! It is proper to each of us.
Every worker has the right to be protected, especially young people, who must be able to trust that their efforts, enthusiasm, and investments will not be in vain.
