Pope Leo XIV met with thousands of young people from the Diocese of Rome. The event took place in the Paul VI Hall, and since capacity had already been reached, many were left outside… so the Pope went out to greet them.
POPE LEO XIV
Welcome! But you Romans are truly courageous—you have come in great numbers. Thank you, thank you all.
And not only outside the hall – many of the faithful crowded into St. Peter’s Square as well. Pope Leo wanted to go out and see them as well.
POPE LEO XIV
Thank you for being here. I see that some of you have come from other countries as well: welcome.
And this is how they received him upon his arrival…
During his meetings, the Pope does not usually improvise, but this time he did, in order to share something personal.
POPE LEO XIV
I want to share that, shortly before coming here this afternoon, I received a message from one of my nieces, also a young person, who said to me: ‘Uncle, how do you deal with so many problems in the world, with so many concerns?’ And she asked me the same question: ‘Don’t you ever feel alone? How do you manage everything?’ And the answer, to a large extent, is you, because we are not alone.
Following this, the Pope wished to remember the victims of the fire at a party in Crans-Montana on December 31.
POPE LEO XIV
The sadness and pain that we have all felt for those 40 young people from Crans-Montana who lost their lives are truly great. We too must remember that life is so precious that we can never forget those who suffer. Sadly, those families, still in mourning, must now find ways to overcome that pain.
One of the topics Pope Leo addressed was the isolation faced by many young people. He touched on an interesting point: the loneliness young people can feel despite being constantly surrounded by others.
POPE LEO XIV
A life of ‘links’ without connection or of ‘likes’ without affection disappoints us, because we are made for truth: when it is lacking, we suffer. We are made for goodness, but the disposable masks of pleasure betray our desire.
At the meeting, various Catholic groups were present, who were not only meeting with the Pope, but also with their bishop.
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