By Charles Igwe
In a powerful address on Tuesday evening at St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV welcomed thousands of young people to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth, launching the event with a stirring message about their unique role in the world. Following a welcoming Mass celebrated by Monsignor Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, the Holy Father rode through the square in the popemobile, joyfully greeting the young pilgrims who had come from across the globe.
With unmistakable energy and warmth, Pope Leo proclaimed, “You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world! And today your voices, your enthusiasm, your cries — all of them for Jesus Christ — will be heard to the ends of the earth!”
He described the Jubilee as not merely a gathering, but the beginning of a spiritual journey—“a few days, a journey, the Jubilee of Hope,” as he called it. “The world needs messages of hope,” the Pope declared, “and you are that message. You must continue bringing hope to everyone.”
Pope Leo urged the young pilgrims to embrace their role as bearers of grace and instruments of peace. “In the coming days,” he said, “you will have the opportunity to be a force that brings God’s grace, a message of hope, a light to the city of Rome, to Italy, and to the entire world.”
Calling them to action, the Pontiff emphasized the urgent need for peace. “Let our cry be: We want peace in the world!” he said, prompting the crowd to echo the call. He then led a moment of prayer, inviting all present to become “witnesses of the peace of Jesus Christ, of reconciliation — this light of the world that we are all seeking.”
As he concluded, Pope Leo encouraged the youth to make the most of their time in Rome and to prepare their hearts for the climax of the Jubilee: the vigil and closing Mass at Tor Vergata on August 2 and 3. “See you in Tor Vergata,” he said with a smile, blessing the crowds and sending them forth with a message that continues to resound: they are not just the future of the Church—they are its radiant present.
