Thousands of young adults from across Europe will gather in Assisi this week for the GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting, culminating in a pastoral visit by Pope Leo XIV on Aug. 6. According to Vatican News, the Holy Father will answer questions from young people, celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, and encourage participants to embrace lives of faith, purpose, and missionary discipleship.
The four-day gathering, which welcomes young adults ages 18 to 33, is centered on prayer, workshops, Eucharistic adoration, and reflection inspired by the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Organizers expect approximately 2,150 registered participants, along with many more pilgrims attending the Pope’s Mass, according to Vatican News.
In an interview with Vatican News, Friar Luca de Pasquale, one of the event’s organizers, said the gathering seeks to inspire young people who often struggle to envision hopeful futures.
“What attracts people to him is his simplicity, his ability to speak to the lives of young people as though he were one of their peers and, above all, the fact that Francis was always a great dreamer,” Friar Luca said. “He was never a young man who simply settled for what life offered, and that is something that fascinates many young people.”
According to Vatican News, organizers hope Pope Leo’s presence will reinforce that same message of courage and hope.
The Pope’s visit will begin with personal prayer inside the Porziuncola, the small chapel restored by St. Francis that became the birthplace of the Franciscan Order. He will then meet young pilgrims gathered outside the basilica, listen to three questions posed by participants from different parts of Europe, and later celebrate Mass on the Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord, according to Vatican News.
Following the event, organizers plan to present participants with a “missionary charter” based on the discussions held throughout the gathering. According to Vatican News, the document will summarize the hopes, insights, and commitments expressed by the young people and encourage them to bring those experiences back to their local communities across Europe and beyond.
Workshops throughout the meeting will focus on peace, forgiveness, and vocational discernment, while perpetual Eucharistic adoration will remain available during the event. Organizers have also prepared exhibitions exploring the authentic life of St. Francis and examples of modern witnesses who brought the light of the Gospel into situations marked by conflict.
Friar Luca told Vatican News that the gathering is intentionally open to believers and non-believers alike because St. Francis continues to draw people beyond the boundaries of faith.
“Seeing how Francis continues to attract people beyond the boundaries of faith prompted us to be a little daring and to make ourselves available to those who may wish to take a step beyond prejudice, reconnect with the important things in life and perhaps encounter the Lord,” he said.
The Franciscan friar also cautioned against reducing St. Francis to modern stereotypes, particularly regarding his relationship with creation.
“The Canticle is misunderstood when read in this way,” Friar Luca explained, referring to interpretations that view the Canticle of Brother Sun primarily as an environmental text. Instead, he said, “The Canticle… is actually a song to God,” with creation pointing believers toward the Creator rather than becoming the central focus itself, according to Vatican News.
Looking ahead to the gathering’s conclusion, Friar Luca expressed hope that St. Francis will continue guiding young people toward deeper meaning in their lives.
“Our hope is that he can help respond to the yearning for depth that young people carry within themselves,” he told Vatican News, adding that St. Francis can become “someone capable of crossing the boundaries of a religious context and truly embracing every possible sphere of life.”
Your support brings the truth to the world.
Catholic Online News exists because of donors like you. We are 100% funded by people who believe the world deserves real, uncensored news rooted in faith and truth — not corporate agendas. Your gift ensures millions can continue to access the news they can trust — stories that defend life, faith, family, and freedom.
When truth is silenced, your support speaks louder.
