VATICAN (CNS): “I greet with particular affection the young people from various countries who have gathered in Rome for the Jubilee of Youth, which begins tomorrow,” Pope Leo XIV said in Italian, English and Spanish as he greeted all the young people who arrived in Rome for the July 28 to August 3 Jubilee of Youth, following the Angelus on July 27.
“I hope that this will be an opportunity for each of you to encounter Christ, and to be strengthened by him in your faith and in your commitment to following Christ with integrity of life,” he told them in the different languages.
While half a million people were expected to be in Rome for the start of the weeklong celebration, a million people were expected to attend the outdoor closing prayer vigil and Mass in Rome’s Tor Vergata neighbourhood.
Pope Leo also greeted journalists from Vatican Radio, Vatican News and L’Osservatore Romano who were working in a small, newly inaugurated news station under the colonnade in the square “to be closer to the faithful and pilgrims during the Jubilee Year.”
I hope that this will be an opportunity for each of you to encounter Christ, and to be strengthened by him in your faith and in your commitment to following Christ with integrity of life
Pope Leo XIV
He thanked the Vatican’s news outlets for their service in more than 55 languages to bring “the pope’s voice to the world.”
He said, “And thank you to all journalists who contribute to the communication of peace and truth.”
The pope also reminded Catholics that the day marked the fifth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, dedicated to the theme, “Blessed are those who have not lost hope.”
He said, “Let us not leave them alone, but instead, form a bond of love and prayer with them. Let us look to grandparents and the elderly as witnesses of hope, capable of showing the path for new generations.”
After reciting the Angelus, Pope Leo appealed to leaders with power to end wars to start peace talks. He called for “negotiations aimed at securing a future of peace for all peoples, and for the rejection of anything that might jeopardize it.”
The pope noted, “Every human person possesses an inherent dignity, bestowed by God himself,” adding, “I urge all parties involved in conflicts to recognise this dignity and to end every action that violates it.”
I am following with great concern the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the civilian population is suffering from severe hunger and remains exposed to violence and death
Pope Leo
Pope Leo expressed his closeness to “all those who are suffering due to conflict and violence throughout the world,” particularly those in southern Syria and Gaza.
“I am following with great concern the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the civilian population is suffering from severe hunger and remains exposed to violence and death,” he said. “I renew my heartfelt appeal for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the full respect of humanitarian law.”
Before the Angelus, the pope reflected on the Lord’s Prayer, which reminds us that “the Lord always listens to us when we pray to him.”
He said, “If he sometimes responds in ways or at times that are difficult to understand, it is because he acts with wisdom and providence, which are beyond our understanding. Even in these moments, then, let us not cease to pray—and pray with confidence—for in him we will always find light and strength.”
He urged the faithful, “through prayer and charity, to feel loved and to love as God loves us: with openness, discretion, mutual concern and without deceit.
