Pope urges crowd of one million young Catholics to ‘spread enthusiasm and faith'
'Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are,' Leo urged them. 'Do not settle for less. You will then see the light of the Gospel growing every day, in you and around you.'
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The young people camped in sprawling fields south-east of Rome overnight after attending a vigil service for the Jubilee of Youth on Saturday, also presided by Leo – who has been ferried to and from Vatican City by helicopter.
Young people wake up after spending the night at the Tor Vergata field in Rome as part of the event (Andrew Medichini/AP)
The Vatican said more than one million young people were present, along with 7,000 priests and 450 bishops.
The special Jubilee celebration is part of the Holy Year that is expected to draw 32 million people to the Vatican for the centuries-old pilgrimage to the seat of Catholicism.
The week has been a joyous gathering marked by bands of youths singing hymns as they move down cobblestoned streets, praying rosaries in piazzas and standing for hours at the Circus Maximus to confess their sins to priests offering the sacrament in a dozen languages.
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Leo led Mass with an estimated one million people (Andrew Medichini/AP)
Leo also shared tragic news on Saturday. Two young people who had made the pilgrimage to Rome had died, one reportedly of cardiac arrest, while a third was in hospital.
Rain overnight awakened the faithful but did not dampen their spirits.
Soemil Rios, 20, from Puerto Rico, said: 'At least we were a little covered, but we still got a bit wet. We lost our voices a little. It was cold, but we woke up to a beautiful sun and view.
'Despite the difficulties, it was very nice and very special to have been part of this historic moment.'
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Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Pope Leo exhorts crowd of million Catholic youth to spread their faith
ROME, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Pope Leo celebrated the largest event yet of his nearly three-month tenure on Sunday, encouraging a crowd of more than a million Catholic young people gathered in a field on the outskirts of Rome to spread their faith. Amid shouts of "Viva il Papa" (Long live the Pope) from young people dressed in colourful t-shirts and waving national flags at the Tor Vergata field, Leo led a Mass that capped a special week of events meant to energise Catholic youth. "Dear young people ... spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith to everyone you meet," the pope said during his sermon for the event, which also urged them not to focus on gaining material possessions but on helping those in need. "Buying, hoarding and consuming are not enough," said Leo. "We need ... to realise that everything in the world has meaning only insofar as it serves to unite us to God and to our brothers and sisters." Many of the youths attending the event spent the night outside in the field, to be ready for the pope's arrival at 7:45 a.m. (0545 GMT) in advance of heat expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) later on Sunday. "It's amazing to see just how big the world church is, and how many people are here ... and (are) on fire to see the pope," said Rita Piendl, 19, who came from Germany. "We want to truly spread hope and love to the world and we really want to make a difference for the better." The Catholic Church, which numbers more than 1.4 billion members globally, has grown slightly in recent years but has experienced sliding adherence in Europe. Sunday's Mass was part of a week-long series of events in Rome for Catholic youth, tied to the ongoing Catholic Holy Year. Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, was elected on May 8 by the world's cardinals to replace the late Pope Francis. (Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Additional reporting by Veronica Altimari and Roberto Mignucci; Editing by Helen Popper )
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Leader Live
Pope urges crowd of one million young Catholics to ‘spread enthusiasm and faith'
'Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are,' Leo urged them. 'Do not settle for less. You will then see the light of the Gospel growing every day, in you and around you.' The young people camped in sprawling fields south-east of Rome overnight after attending a vigil service for the Jubilee of Youth on Saturday, also presided by Leo – who has been ferried to and from Vatican City by helicopter. The Vatican said more than one million young people were present, along with 7,000 priests and 450 bishops. The special Jubilee celebration is part of the Holy Year that is expected to draw 32 million people to the Vatican for the centuries-old pilgrimage to the seat of Catholicism. The week has been a joyous gathering marked by bands of youths singing hymns as they move down cobblestoned streets, praying rosaries in piazzas and standing for hours at the Circus Maximus to confess their sins to priests offering the sacrament in a dozen languages. Leo also shared tragic news on Saturday. Two young people who had made the pilgrimage to Rome had died, one reportedly of cardiac arrest, while a third was in hospital. Rain overnight awakened the faithful but did not dampen their spirits. Soemil Rios, 20, from Puerto Rico, said: 'At least we were a little covered, but we still got a bit wet. We lost our voices a little. It was cold, but we woke up to a beautiful sun and view. 'Despite the difficulties, it was very nice and very special to have been part of this historic moment.'
Reuters
2 days ago
- Reuters
Pope Leo exhorts crowd of million Catholic youth to spread their faith
ROME, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Pope Leo celebrated the largest event yet of his nearly three-month tenure on Sunday, encouraging a crowd of more than a million Catholic young people gathered in a field on the outskirts of Rome to spread their faith. Amid shouts of "Viva il Papa" (Long live the Pope) from young people dressed in colourful t-shirts and waving national flags at the Tor Vergata field, Leo led a Mass that capped a special week of events meant to energise Catholic youth. "Dear young people ... spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith to everyone you meet," the pope said during his sermon for the event, which also urged them not to focus on gaining material possessions but on helping those in need. "Buying, hoarding and consuming are not enough," said Leo. "We need ... to realise that everything in the world has meaning only insofar as it serves to unite us to God and to our brothers and sisters." Many of the youths attending the event spent the night outside in the field, to be ready for the pope's arrival at 7:45 a.m. (0545 GMT) in advance of heat expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) later on Sunday. "It's amazing to see just how big the world church is, and how many people are here ... and (are) on fire to see the pope," said Rita Piendl, 19, who came from Germany. "We want to truly spread hope and love to the world and we really want to make a difference for the better." The Catholic Church, which numbers more than 1.4 billion members globally, has grown slightly in recent years but has experienced sliding adherence in Europe. Sunday's Mass was part of a week-long series of events in Rome for Catholic youth, tied to the ongoing Catholic Holy Year. Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, was elected on May 8 by the world's cardinals to replace the late Pope Francis.
