Now that World Youth Day 2016, held in Cracow, is come and gone, it is worth stopping and reflecting briefly on the outcome.

Pope Francis visited Poland for the occasion. Besides meeting the civil and Church authorities, he presided over a Eucharistic celebration at the shrine of Czestochowa on the 1,050th anniversary of Poland’s baptism.

Pope Francis also went to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. There he prayed in silence, in a gesture that spoke louder than words. He left a written message invoking the Lord’s mercy for so much cruelty inflicted on millions of people, including the martyr St Maximilian Kolbe, OFM Conv.

In this way the Pope re-stated what is arguably the most basic theme of his papacy: the need for God’s mercy. In every possible way, Pope Francis stresses what happens when hatred takes over and compassion no longer characterises human relationships.

Evidently the Pope’s time in Poland was mostly dedicated to young people. There was joy, sharing and togetherness among the millions of young people, for many of whom this was the first, very impressive experience of how truly universal the Catholic Church is.

The Pope spoke and listened to the young people. There was also much time for prayer, including a vigil and a large solemn Mass.

Christian faith should lead to concrete action – in favour of life, justice and God’s creation; in work for the poor

Pope Francis commented on some biblical texts in such a way as to challenge young people to seek to change the world.  He asked them to switch off their video games and go out to those rejected by society, notably migrants and refugees.

Perhaps unusually at a World Youth Day, the Pope urged young people to become politicians and social activists. This was another way in which the Pope was telling his young audience that Christian faith should necessarily lead to concrete action – in favour of life, justice and God’s creation; in work for the poor.

In other words, Pope Francis did not allow World Youth Day to be a festive but essentially inward-looking Catholic meeting. His was a strong outward-looking ‘missionary’ call to the youths present to look beyond their smartphones to the needs of old people, their disabled brethren and the world’s poorest.

Pope Francis’ homily at the large conclusive Mass touched on the delicate contemporary issue of the relationship between Christianity and Islam. He refuted the idea of a war of religions. He stressed rather the common humanity of the believers of both religions. These remarks were not aimed specifically at any one country, but – given perhaps especially the influx of Syrian Muslims fleeing their ravaged country – meant rather to energise young people to act decisively in their own country against the racist and xenophobic attitudes of certain politicians, some media and others.

Several hundred young people from Malta attended World Youth Day 2016. They came back enthusiastic about their time in Cracow. It is important that their experience of the universal Church should not be reduced to a mere memory, however wonderful, but that it bears fruit along the lines that the Holy Father envisaged. Archbishop Scicluna has met these youths, calling on them to have the courage openly to profess their faith and hope. Groups that made up the Maltese contingent now need themselves to reflect and identify specific issues on which concrete action for those in need can be taken locally, following this up by persevering implementation.

The local Church has much to learn from what Pope Francis said: he spends a lot of time in prayer but is also a man of action, stressing mercy in particular. Catholics cannot divorce the two: both prayer and works embodying mercy/justice are needed. It is vital for the future that the local Church help especially young people to ‘translate’ their faith concretely onto the social level.

The outcome of World Youth Day 2016 will be positive for the local Church if all in their own way pray and are involved in the concrete loving outreach that Pope Francis had in mind.

Fr Robert Soler is a member of the Society of Jesus.