On the evening of August 2, 2025, Pope Leo XIV presided over a prayer vigil at Tor Vergata, just outside Rome, drawing around one million young pilgrims from over 150 countries for the Jubilee of Youth, according to Vatican News. In a heartfelt exchange, three young pilgrims—in Spanish, Italian, and English—posed questions about friendship, discernment, and encountering Christ. The Holy Father’s responses, rooted in gospel truth and the teachings of the saints, offered clarity and encouragement.
Cultivating True Friendship
Dulce Maria, 23, from Mexico, spoke of the dilemma facing today’s youth: the excitement of social media “friends,” yet the sting of loneliness beneath the digital glow. She asked, “How can we find true friendship and genuine love that will lead us to true hope?”.
Pope Leo acknowledged the “extraordinary opportunity” of online dialogue, but warned that social platforms risk reducing human beings to instruments of consumerism. He explained that only genuine relationships and stable connections can build meaningful lives, and that true friendship must be anchored in God. Quoting Augustine, he noted, “It is the one who loves God in his friend who truly loves his friend”.
When Life Is Uncertain: Choosing Someone Rather Than Something
Nineteen‑year‑old Gaia from Italy asked how to make life decisions amid an environment of uncertainty that often paralyzes young people: “How do I choose amid this climate?”.
The Pope responded that true freedom comes when one realizes that choices are about identity, not mere options: choosing someone rather than something. In Christ, God chooses each person first. From that love arises “the courage to choose.” He encouraged young people to let their decisions—whether marriage, religious life, or other vocations—reflect self‑giving love that transforms us into the likeness of Christ.
Encountering the Risen Christ in Daily Life
Will, 20, from the United States, asked how one can “truly encounter Jesus” and remain aware of His presence amidst trials and uncertainty.
Pope Leo called youth to examine their lives in light of Christ’s word—reflect on your way of living, seek justice, serve the poor, and adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. He encouraged them to study, work, and love according to the example of Jesus, and to pray to remain friends with Him: “Stay with us, Lord,” he said. Such prayer allows the dialogue with Christ to continue through every moment, even when invisible to the eye.
Remembering Pilgrims Gone Before Us
With solemn compassion, Pope Leo mentioned two young pilgrims—Maria, 20, from Spain, and Pascale, 18, from Egypt—who had died in the days leading up to the vigil. He invited the gathered youth to pray for them and for their loved ones, asking that the Risen Jesus welcome them into peace and joy (vaticannews.va).
A Night of Faith, Unity, and Hope
The vigil concluded with Eucharistic adoration, hymns, Scripture readings, and prayers in multiple languages, including French, Portuguese, German, Polish, and Latin—all uniting in silent worship beneath the Roman night sky. The following morning, Pope Leo returned to Tor Vergata to celebrate a closing Mass, reaffirming his message that young Catholics are “the sign that a different world is possible” through friendship, dialogue, and justice—not violence.
As the Jubilee of Youth drew to a close, Pope Leo invited the young Church to bring the same hope, courage, and witness back to their homes—living as pilgrims of hope through love rooted in Christ.
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