His Holiness Pope Francis sets off on his 25th Apostolic Journey on 25th September, visiting the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The people of Estonia are waiting with expectation for His Holiness Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to their thriving European country, and hoping for a chance to spend time together with the Pope and each other.
The motto for the Estonian leg of the Pope’s visit, which takes place on Tuesday, September 25th, is: “Wake Up, My Heart”. As reported by Vatican News, Marge-Marie Paas, Communications Coordinator for the Pope’s visit to Estonia points out that Estonians are searching for something deeper. She asks, echoing the motto: Where does our heart lie? “We really want this day to be spiritually deep for Estonian people, not just Catholics but everybody.” Pope Francis will hold an ecumenical youth meeting Tuesday afternoon, and Ms. Paas said that she knows many young people who are very excited to see the Holy Father. They have many questions for him about life and the future, she believes.
Ms. Paas said that His Holiness Pope Francis’ visit is an opportunity to take stock of how well Estonians have heeded that message. “We’re asking ourselves: are we truly strong spiritually? Have we kept our language?” She said these questions are pertinent at a time when young people often use other languages on social media, and as many of their peers leave the country to seek employment elsewhere.
