ROME. Pope Leo XIV captivated hundreds of thousands of young Catholics during a vigil service at the Tor Vergata field on Saturday, marking the highlight of the Vatican’s 2025 Holy Year celebration known as the Jubilee of Youth.
Arriving by helicopter to a sea of pilgrims from over 150 countries, the pope urged young people to have the courage to make radical choices for good, such as pursuing marriage or religious life. Speaking in Spanish, Italian, and English, he also warned about the dangers of social media and emphasized the power of friendship and the need for peace.
“Friendship can really change the world. Friendship is a path to peace,” the pope said. “How much the world needs missionaries of the Gospel who are witnesses of justice and peace.”
In an emotional moment during the vigil, the pope announced that two pilgrims had died, including one reportedly from cardiac arrest, while a third had been hospitalized. Despite the tragedy, the gathering continued in a spirit of solidarity and prayer.
The pope is expected to return to the same venue Sunday morning to lead a closing Mass.
For the past week, tens of thousands of young Catholics have flooded Rome to participate in the Jubilee celebration. With guitars, bongo drums, and flags doubling as sunshades, the pilgrims brought energy and music to the city’s piazzas and streets. At the Circus Maximus, some lined up for hours to receive the sacrament of confession from among 1,000 priests offering the rite in multiple languages.
Francisco Michel, a pilgrim from Mexico, described the event as a unique spiritual opportunity. “As a young person, having the chance to live this meeting with the pope, I feel it is a spiritual growth,” he said.
Originally, organizers expected 500,000 participants, but Pope Leo and event coordinators later estimated the crowd may have reached 1 million.
The gathering recalled memories of the 2000 World Youth Day at the same location, when Pope John Paul II called young Catholics “sentinels of the morning” at the dawn of the new millennium.
Not all Romans welcomed the massive crowds. The city’s aging public transportation system faced heavy strain, with locals venting frustrations online about congested metro stations and delayed commutes. Still, others found inspiration in the influx of youth and faith.
“I think it’s marvelous,” said Rina Verdone, a local hairdresser who lives near Tor Vergata. “You think the faith, the religion is in difficulty, but this is proof that it’s not so.”
She referred to the presence of thousands of pilgrims in her neighborhood as a “positive invasion” and said she was willing to adjust her route home to make way for the festivities.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also released a video message welcoming the young pilgrims, calling the event an “extraordinary festival of faith, joy, and hope.”
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
