Pope Leo XIV delivered a powerful message of solidarity with youth suffering from war during a Mass for over one million young people at Tor Vergata, Rome, concluding the Jubilee for Youth. “We are closer than ever to young people suffering the gravest ills, caused by other human beings. We stand with the youth of Gaza, with the youth of Ukraine, with those of every land bloodied by war,” declared the Pope.
“You are the sign that a different world is possible: a world of fraternity and friendship, where conflicts are resolved not with weapons but through dialogue,” Pope Leo emphasized, insisting true peace is achievable with genuine will. He then announced the next World Youth Day will be held in Seoul, South Korea, from August 3-8, 2027.
The event marked the culmination of the Jubilee for Youth, which saw Rome peacefully filled all week with young people chanting “peace” in countless languages – the stated priority of the under-30 generation embracing Pope Leo. It was the Pope’s first major public gathering, which he navigated with measured style, visibly moved by the youth’s presence. He urged attendees: “Aspire to great things,” “do not settle for less,” and “infect everyone you meet with your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith!”
Reflecting on the 25th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s Great Jubilee World Youth Day at the same Tor Vergata site in 2000, Pope Leo invoked Pope Francis’s words, encouraging youth to embrace their restlessness: “Let us not be alarmed if we find ourselves inwardly thirsty, restless, incomplete, desiring meaning and a future. We are not sick, we are alive!” He warned against quenching this thirst with “ineffective substitutes,” viewing the younger generation’s restlessness positively but urging them to accept their fragility as part of the human “wonder.”
The massive turnout demonstrated the enduring bond between young Catholics and the Pope of Rome, organizers citing over a million attendees. The celebration involved over 20 cardinals, 450 bishops, and 7,000 priests concelebrating with Pope Leo. The Pope underscored that friendship “can change the world” and is “the path to peace,” reinforcing the message embraced by generations of youth looking to popes who speak of peace and hope amid global conflict.