On Saturday (2 August), hundreds of thousands of young people gathered in a large field near Rome to see Pope Leo, marking the biggest event so far in his papacy. The occasion formed part of a special weekend designed to engage and inspire Catholic youth.
Young attendees from over 146 countries filled the Tor Vergata field, many wearing colourful bandanas to protect themselves from the summer sun. In the late afternoon, Pope Leo made his way through the crowd in his white popemobile.
The pope greeted the crowd warmly, smiling and waving, and at times catching small stuffed toys and national flags that were handed or tossed to him by enthusiastic supporters.
A message of faith and service
“Dear young people, my prayer for you is that you may persevere in faith, with joy and courage,” Pope Leo said during his address. He encouraged them to “seek justice to build a more humane world” and to “serve the poor, bearing witness to the good we all hope to receive from one another.”
Many young people spent the day enduring temperatures close to 30°C (86°F), waiting patiently for the chance to see the pope. Event organisers employed water cannons to help cool the crowd.
“For me, it is an incredible experience, as I have never attended an event like this before,” said Maya Remorini from Tuscany, Italy. She mentioned that her group had arrived early, around 5am local time.
Several young attendees planned to stay overnight in the field, hoping to see Pope Leo again on Sunday morning during a Catholic mass he will lead.
These events are part of the ongoing Catholic Holy Year, which the Vatican reports has drawn approximately 17 million pilgrims to Rome since it began in late 2024.
Pope Leo, the first pontiff born in the United States, was elected on 8 May by the world’s cardinals to succeed the late Pope Francis.
