KRAKOW, Poland – Pope Francis thanked World Youth Day organizers and volunteers and urged them to be "the hope of the future."

KRAKOW Poland – Cosmos Nandi-Esom said he is a politician back home in Nigeria.

KRAKOW, Poland – Humankind's cruelty did not end with the Holocaust, but rages on in the suffering of those living through war, homelessness and persecution, Pope Francis said.

KRAKOW, Poland – Catholic priests and nuns must renounce their personal interests and create a church that "goes into the world" with "living writers of the Gospel," Pope Francis said.

KRAKOW, Poland – Questions about suffering have "no easy answers," Pope Francis said in a visit to Children's University Hospital.

VATICAN CITY – Fear nothing, break the chains that may bind you and bring hope to the world, Pope Francis told young people attending a special World Youth Day gathering in Cuba.

KRAKOW, Poland – The youthful face of God's mercy can change the hearts of people who have lost hope, Pope Francis said.

KRAKOW, Poland – Pope Francis held up the life of a young man who designed the World Youth Day graphics as a gift to the church.

From the readings of this Liturgy a divine thread emerges, one that passes through human history and weaves the history of salvation.

VATICAN CITY – As Pope Francis was getting ready to head to Poland this week, he had this message for the hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims gathering there for World Youth Day.

KRAKOW, Poland – Poland's Catholic bishops spent 90 minutes meeting with Pope Francis, but the meeting was private so people could speak freely.

KRAKOW, Poland – Poland's memory and identity are the two catalysts that will lead the country forward and turn hopeless situations – such as those facing migrants – into opportunities for future generations, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis is urging young people to have courage and enjoy life to the full, in a personal video message he sent to a Texas diocese before leaving for World Youth Day in Poland.

VATICAN CITY – While recent terror attacks in Germany and Afghanistan bring sorrow and death to the world, they are also a reminder for Christians to pray fervently for peace, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY – With his visit to World Youth Day only a few days away, Pope Francis asked young pilgrims to accompany his visit to Krakow, Poland, with prayers.