Pope Leo XIV is urging Catholic communities around the world to respond to what he described as a growing crisis of “spiritual poverty” among young people, warning that many are searching for meaning in societies increasingly marked by indifference, consumerism, and isolation.
Speaking Thursday to participants in the Plenary Session of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for Fundamental Questions of Evangelization in the World, the Holy Father emphasized that the Church must remain focused on proclaiming the Gospel in ways that reach modern hearts — especially younger generations living in an increasingly digital world.
According to Vatican News, Pope Leo reflected on the recent 2025 Jubilee of Hope, which brought more than 33 million pilgrims to Rome. He described the Jubilee as “a time of grace” that revealed humanity’s deep longing for hope, faith, and spiritual renewal.
The Pope stressed that evangelization cannot become secondary in the life of the Church.
“Evangelization asks that it continue to be the fundamental motivation of every action of the universal Church and of local communities,” Pope Leo said, according to Vatican News. “Only in this way is faith rediscovered again and again in its beauty and able to express its credibility in the best way.”
The Holy Father pointed especially to the growing crisis of faith in many Western nations, where religious indifference has become widespread. He warned that this indifference often leaves people disconnected from life’s deepest questions about truth, purpose, and meaning.
Yet Pope Leo also offered hope, insisting that Christ remains the answer to the spiritual emptiness many people experience today.
“Even in this context,” he said, “the encounter with Christ is able to restore fullness of meaning and value to people’s lives,” according to Vatican News.
The Pope noted that many young people are not rejecting Christianity outright but are instead searching for something authentic in a culture that often leaves them spiritually unsatisfied.
“The new generation is not closed off to the Gospel,” Pope Leo said. “On the contrary, many, when they rediscover it, want to know it better, because they perceive that within it lies the secret to being truly happy.”
His message comes at a time when many Catholic ministries are increasingly using technology and digital platforms to bring the faith directly to young people where they already spend much of their time — on phones, tablets, and computers.
Catholic Online School has become one example of this mission in action, offering free Catholic education and catechetical resources online to students, parents, teachers, and lifelong learners around the world. Through video lessons, faith formation programs, and accessible digital learning, Catholic educators are helping answer Pope Leo’s call to evangelize in modern spaces where young people are actively searching for truth and meaning.
Pope Leo warned that modern “hyper-mediated and consumeristic societies” can make people less patient, less reflective, and less willing to pursue truth through prayer, study, and authentic relationships.
For that reason, he said the witness of joyful and faithful Christian communities remains essential. According to Vatican News, he explained that faith is often transmitted most effectively through encounters with believers who live the Gospel sincerely and consistently.
“The holiness of life, therefore, always remains the most convincing form of the beauty of the Christian faith,” the Pope said.
Pope Leo also encouraged Catholic communities to support the growing number of adults seeking Baptism and entry into the Church. He said new Catholics need more than instruction alone — they need communities rooted in love, service, and authentic Christian friendship.
As the Church continues its mission in an increasingly secular and digital age, Pope Leo XIV called on Catholics to remain attentive to the Holy Spirit and open to new ways of sharing the Gospel with younger generations hungry for hope, truth, and authentic joy.
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