Vatican City, Mar 24, 2010 / 17:03 pm
In a message for the inaugaration of the 10th International Youth Forum, the Holy Father reminded the 300 young participants from around the globe that "Learning to Love," the theme of the event, is "central in faith and in the Christian life."
The forum, which runs Monday to Friday of this week in Rocca di Papa, Italy, offers sessions on love in several different dimensions, including as a vocation, a life choice, and regarding sexuality.
"As you know," wrote Benedict XVI, "the starting point of each reflection on love is the very mystery of God, since the heart of Christian revelation is this: Deus caritas est (God is love)."
The Pope continued, adding that it is in man's likeness to God that we understand the "profound identity of the person" and "his or her vocation to love.