A number of ebook readers (including Amazon Kindle devices, but not the apps) allow for text to speech reading. This version of the text has been designed to facilitate a smoother flow of this experience - so biblical books are listed in full, rather than the abbreviations, and paragraphs are named as such. For example, rather than (cf Gen 37:2-3), the text will have (See The book of Genesis 37 verse 2 to 3). Footnotes have also been deleted from this version. For epub, the Google Play Books app is recommended. This version is ideal if you wish to listen to the Holy Father, rather than reading. The unedited original version is also available.

I have also used text to speech software to prepare an mp3 recording of the Apostolic Exhortation. Some of the pronunciations are a little funny, so having the written text available as you listen may be helpful.

POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION

CHRISTUS VIVIT

OF THE HOLY FATHER
FRANCIS

TO YOUNG PEOPLE AND TO THE ENTIRE PEOPLE OF GOD

1. Christ is alive! He is our hope, and in a wonderful way he brings youth to our world, and everything he touches becomes young, new, full of life. The very first words, then, that I would like to say to every young Christian are these: Christ is alive and he wants you to be alive!

2. He is in you, he is with you and he never abandons you. However far you may wander, he is always there, the Risen One. He calls you and he waits for you to return to him and start over again. When you feel you are growing old out of sorrow, resentment or fear, doubt or failure, he will always be there to restore your strength and your hope.

3. With great affection, I address this Apostolic Exhortation to all Christian young people.It is meant to remind you of certain convictions born of our faith, and at the same time to encourage you to grow in holiness and in commitment to your personal vocation. But since it is also part of a synodal process, I am also addressing this message to the entire People of God, pastors and faithful alike, since all of us are challenged and urged to reflect both on the young and for the young. Consequently, I will speak to young people directly in some places, while in others I will propose some more general considerations for the Church’s discernment.

4. I have let myself be inspired by the wealth of reflections and conversations that emerged from last year’s Synod. I cannot include all those contributions here, but you can read them in the Final Document. In writing this letter, though, I have attempted to summarize those proposals I considered most significant. In this way, my words will echo the myriad voices of believers the world over who made their opinions known to the Synod. Those young people who are not believers, yet wished to share their thoughts, also raised issues that led me to ask new questions.