No one expected it. But the first surprise of the Youth Jubilee was this.
When Pope Leo XIV appeared at the opening Mass. No one expected it. His presence wasn’t scheduled, and his words sparked an outburst of excitement among the participants.
POPE LEO XIV
You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world! And today your voices, your enthusiasm, your cries—all of them for Jesus Christ—will be heard to the ends of the earth!
The Youth Jubilee was much more than just a meeting with the Pope. It was an opportunity to deepen faith and experience the vastness of the Catholic Church.
Catecheses and penitential celebrations like this one were organized, where the preaching was led by an exiled archbishop: Rolando Álvarez.
There were also large-scale confessions.
Above all, I wanted to ask Jesus for forgiveness for my sins, and also to feel better myself—more at peace, cleaner, happier.
The vigil at Tor Vergata was a pivotal moment. And Pope Leo's gesture of carrying the Jubilee cross did not go unnoticed.
Moments later, he engaged in a dialogue with the young people. One of the ideas the Pope repeated most often was this:
POPE LEO XIV
Dearest young people, we learn to choose through the trials of life, and above all by remembering that we have been chosen. This memory must be explored and cultivated. We received life freely, without having chosen it! At the origin of our being, there was not our own decision, but a love that wanted us into being.
However, the Jubilee was not without its sorrows. Two pilgrims died during the journey, and another young man was hospitalized. Pope Leo offered words for all of them.
The next day, during Mass, the Pope delivered his final message to the youth:
POPE LEO XIV
Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Don’t settle for less. Then you will see the light of the Gospel grow each day—within you and all around you.
And so concluded one of the most anticipated events of the Jubilee calendar and of this Holy Year. One of the most awaited weeks. This has been, so far, the largest gathering presided over by Pope Leo XIV to date.
BAM/JRB
