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Pope Leo XIV Leads Prayer Vigil for Jubilee of Youth in Rome
On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV presided over a mass attended by thousands of young Catholics in Rome, marking a prayer vigil for the Jubilee of Youth, a significant event within the Catholic Church’s sacred year. This vigil served as the culmination of the Jubilee celebrations.
The gathering drew an estimated one million participants, making it the largest ceremony of the pontificate that commenced in May. The event began at 8:30 PM local time on Saturday. By early morning, numerous young pilgrims had already established themselves in the Tor Vergata neighborhood, east of Rome, the designated venue. Equipped wiht blankets and mattresses, they prepared to spend the night outdoors on a vast terrace spanning approximately one hundred hectares, where large screens had been erected.Prior to the mass, Pope Leo XIV arrived at Tor Vergata via helicopter and acknowledged the assembled crowd from his Popemobile.
Pope Leo XIV then officiated the ceremony at a specially constructed wooden altar measuring 1,400 square meters.He was joined by thousands of priests,religious figures,450 bishops,and over 7,000 priests.
During his homily, the Pontiff conveyed a message centered on hope, humility, and fraternity. He stated, “The fullness of our existence does not depend on what we accumulate, nor what we have. Instead, it is linked to what we can welcome and share with each other.” He urged the young attendees to “spread their enthusiasm and the testimony of their faith to everyone they find,” and encouraged them to prioritize assisting the needy over accumulating material possessions.”Buying, accumulating, and consuming is not enough,” Pope Leo XIV remarked. “We need to realize that everything in the world has only meaning to the extent that it serves to unite us with God and our brothers and sisters.”
Concluding the mass, Pope Leo XIV announced the dates and location for the next World Youth Day. The event is scheduled to take place from August 3 to August 8, 2027, in Seoul, South Korea, under the theme “Tends Courage, I Won the World.”
The organization of the Jubilee presented a substantial logistical undertaking for authorities, involving approximately 10,000 personnel, including police and civil protection agents. Sanitary measures, such as the distribution of water bottles and sprayers, were implemented to help participants cope with the summer heat in Rome.
Throughout the week, waves of pilgrims filled the streets and public transportation of the Italian capital, creating a festive atmosphere with concerts, conferences, and prayers. From the Colosseum to the outskirts of the Vatican, the city experienced a significant influx of young people. On Friday, the Circus Maximus, an ancient Roman stadium, was transformed into an open-air confessional, where around one thousand priests heard confessions from tens of thousands of young people in ten different languages.
A notable aspect of this Jubilee was the organization of events specifically for “influencers,” a first in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church. This initiative highlights the Vatican’s increasing focus on evangelization through social media.The gathering of young people represents the peak of the Jubilee, a “Holy Year” observed by the Catholic Church every 25 years.During this period, pilgrims have the possibility to recieve a “plenary indulgence,” which, according to tradition, signifies the forgiveness of sins. For comparison, the Jubilee of 2000 saw over 2 million young people participate in World Youth Day in Rome, an event convened by Pope John Paul II (1920-2005).
