Pope Leo XIV leads mass for 1 million at Jubilee of Youth finale
The event, a highlight of the Jubilee holy year, drew Catholics from 146 countries, transforming the city into a vibrant hub of faith and fellowship.
'Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less,' Pope Leo urged the massive crowd gathered at Tor Vegata, a sprawling venue east of Rome.
The Vatican reported that attendance swelled from 800,000 during Saturday's twilight vigil to a million by Sunday's closing mass.
Many pilgrims camped overnight in tents or sleeping bags, braving the open-air space to secure a spot for the historic gathering. New Yorker Christofer Delano expressed awe at the turnout, saying, 'I didn't expect to see all these people. I knew there was going to be a lot—but not this many.'
In his homily, the first American pope and former missionary encouraged the youth to 'spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith to everyone you meet.' He also voiced solidarity with young people in conflict zones, stating, 'We are with the young people of Gaza. We are with the young people of Ukraine, with those of every land bloodied by war.'
The jubilee, likened to a Catholic 'Woodstock' by Italian media, featured music, prayer, and a sea of green-robed clergy. A towering cross and golden arch framed the stage where Pope Leo led the service, visible to distant attendees via giant screens. British student Andy Hewellyn, seated far from the stage, remarked, 'The main thing is that we're all together.'
The event marked Pope Leo's first major youth gathering since his papacy began three months ago, continuing a tradition last held by John Paul II 25 years prior. Organised after Pope Francis announced it during World Youth Day in Lisbon (2023), the jubilee included open-air confessions at Circus Maximus and other faith-based activities. - AFP
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Pope Leo XIV leads mass for 1 million at Jubilee of Youth finale
ROME: Pope Leo XIV presided over a final mass for more than one million young pilgrims on Sunday, marking the end of the week-long 'Jubilee of Youth' in Rome. The event, a highlight of the Jubilee holy year, drew Catholics from 146 countries, transforming the city into a vibrant hub of faith and fellowship. 'Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less,' Pope Leo urged the massive crowd gathered at Tor Vegata, a sprawling venue east of Rome. The Vatican reported that attendance swelled from 800,000 during Saturday's twilight vigil to a million by Sunday's closing mass. Many pilgrims camped overnight in tents or sleeping bags, braving the open-air space to secure a spot for the historic gathering. New Yorker Christofer Delano expressed awe at the turnout, saying, 'I didn't expect to see all these people. I knew there was going to be a lot—but not this many.' In his homily, the first American pope and former missionary encouraged the youth to 'spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith to everyone you meet.' He also voiced solidarity with young people in conflict zones, stating, 'We are with the young people of Gaza. We are with the young people of Ukraine, with those of every land bloodied by war.' The jubilee, likened to a Catholic 'Woodstock' by Italian media, featured music, prayer, and a sea of green-robed clergy. A towering cross and golden arch framed the stage where Pope Leo led the service, visible to distant attendees via giant screens. British student Andy Hewellyn, seated far from the stage, remarked, 'The main thing is that we're all together.' The event marked Pope Leo's first major youth gathering since his papacy began three months ago, continuing a tradition last held by John Paul II 25 years prior. Organised after Pope Francis announced it during World Youth Day in Lisbon (2023), the jubilee included open-air confessions at Circus Maximus and other faith-based activities. - AFP
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ROME: Pope Leo XIV presided over a final mass in Rome for over one million young people on Sunday, the culmination of a youth pilgrimage that has drawn Catholics from across the world. The week-long event ending Sunday, a highlight of the Jubilee holy year, was an enormous undertaking for the Vatican, with a half a million young pilgrims in Rome for most of the week. On Saturday night, before an twilight vigil led by the pope, organisers had confirmed the attendance of 800,000 people in the vast, open-air space on Rome's eastern outskirts, and on Sunday the Vatican said that number had grown to one million people. Most of those attending slept on the ground overnight in tents, in sleeping bags or or mats in anticipation of Sunday's mass. "There is a burning question in our hearts, a need for truth that we cannot ignore, which leads us to ask ourselves: what is true happiness? What is the true meaning of life? What can free us from being trapped in meaninglessness, boredom and mediocrity?" asked the 69-year-old pope in his homily. "Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less," Pope Leo told the young people. Upon your return to your countries, Leo told them, "continue to walk joyfully in the footsteps of the Savior, and spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith to everyone you meet!" "Have a good trip home!" The colourful event under sunny skies was accompanied by music from a choir, and the presence of about 450 bishops and 700 priests, all in green robes. The massive golden arch that covered the stage was dominated by a massive cross. The young pilgrims – hailing from 146 different countries, according to the Vatican – have filled Rome's streets since Monday, chanting, singing and waving flags of their countries. The festive atmosphere reached its peak Saturday ahead of an evening vigil presided over by Leo, with Italian broadcaster Rai dubbing it a Catholic "Woodstock." Hundreds of thousands of youths camped out at the dusty venue, strumming guitars or singing, others snoozing, as music blasted from the stage where a series of religious bands entertained the crowds. Leo was greeted with deafening screams and applause after his arrival by helicopter Saturday as he toured the grounds in his popemobile, with many people running to catch a better glimpse of the new American pope. At over 500,000 square metres (125 acres), the grounds were the size of around 70 football fields. British student Andy Hewellyn had parked himself in front of a huge video screen – a prime spot, as he could not even see the stage far away. "I'm so happy to be here, even if I'm a bit far from the pope. I knew what to expect!" he told AFP. "The main thing is that we're all together." The youth pilgrimage came about three months after the start of Leo's papacy and 25 years after former pope John Paul II organised the last such youth gathering in Rome. It was announced by former Pope Francis during World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023. The Church planned a series of events for the young pilgrims over the course of the week, including turning the Circus Maximus – where chariot races were held in ancient Rome – into an open-air confessional. --AFP
