The pope's message comes on the heels of a meeting of young Catholics who told the Vatican they want a more transparent and authentic church, and a day after tens of thousands of young people marched in the United States with others to demand greater gun control.
Pope Francis said "the temptation to silence young people has always existed", and cited the many ways to keep them quiet, "to sedate them, to keep them from getting involved, to make their dreams flat and dreary, petty and plaintive".
But he told youths "you have it in you to shout" even if "we older people and leaders, very often corrupt, keep quiet".
The Catholic leader was cheered by faithful clutching palm leaves after he celebrated Palm Sunday Mass in the Vatican's St Peter's Square on Sunday morning.
Reporting by Associated Press, sent via Press Association.
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