Pope tells young Catholics being ‘cool’ not a priority

POPE Francis told a global gathering of young Catholics in Panama that meaningful service was the key to attracting a new generation of faithful, rather than trying to make the Church more “fun” or “cool”.

The 82-year-old Pope (pictured) received a rockstar welcome by tens of thousands of young people when he arrived for the World Youth Day event at a palm-fringed park on the shores of Panama Bay.

After arriving in his Popemobile, two young Panamani- ans accompanied the Pope through a replica of the locks of the Panama Canal.

“We want to tell you not to be afraid,” the Pope said, urging them instead to go forward with “fresh energy and restlessness”. “To go forward, not to create a parallel Church that would be more ‘ fun’ or ‘cool’ thanks to a fancy youth event, as if that were all you needed or wanted.

“That way of thinking would not respect either you or everything that the Spirit is saying through you. Not at all!”

Instead, in order to reawaken the Church’s “constant freshness and youth” the Pope emphasised “service to our brothers and sisters, and concrete service at that”.

Pope Francis earlier spoke out in defence of migrants.