Pope to Lead Youth Jubilee Vigil at Historic Tor Vergata Site

Pope Leo XIV will preside over a major vigil at Rome’s Tor Vergata esplanade within hours, the same location where St. John Paul II gathered over two million people 25 years ago. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in a social media video marking the Youth Jubilee, reflected on the historic 2000 event: “That day changed countless lives—healing wounds, opening eyes, and illuminating paths. Though I didn’t witness it personally, I’ve seen how it gave answers and purpose to those who attended.” Meloni described the original gathering as a night of “prayer, faith, love, and profound emotion,” where “millions of morning sentinels heralded the new millennium with a roar Rome never forgot.” Addressing young pilgrims, she declared: “Dear young people, the time has come to make Rome hear that roar once more.”