Young Catholics Celebrate with Pope Leo XIV in Rome

• Hundreds of thousands of young Catholics gathered in Rome for the celebration.
• Pope Leo XIV will preside over the mass and the night vigil at Tor Vergata.
• A tragic incident involving the death of an 18-year-old girl occurred just before the celebration.

Rome (AP) — On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of young Catholics gathered in a vast field on the outskirts of Rome to participate in the evening vigil, the night in the campsite, and the early morning mass, which will be presided over by Pope Leo XIV. This event is a culmination of the celebrations for the Jubilee in 2025, where it is expected that 32 million people will visit the Vatican.

Throughout last week, young Catholics from around the world filled the areas around St. Peter's Square, praying, singing, and performing with guitars and bongo drums. They utilized their prayer as a parallel to the sun, organizing rock concerts and spontaneous discussions.

On Saturday, the youth began arriving at the Tor Vergata field, having traveled 5 kilometers from the nearest metro station. The Pope, elected in March, will be present on a helicopter to conduct the vigil and a question-and-answer session, before returning to the Vatican at night.

Coinciding with World Youth Day

This event coincides with World Youth Day, which was initiated by Saint John Paul II in 2000 in Rome. The event was expected to attract 500,000 young people, but Leo estimated that they could be up to 1 million.

However, just before the start of the vigil, a tragedy occurred — an 18-year-old Egyptian girl, Pascal Rafik, died during the gathering. The Pope met with her group and expressed condolences.

The weather was mostly favorable, with temperatures not exceeding 30°C. Romans who remained in the city experienced inconvenience due to the overcrowding of public transport, but many of them positively embraced the energy of the youth. Premier of Georgia Meloni welcomed the participants, calling their celebration "an extraordinary festival of faith, joy, and hope."

Some residents of Rome, such as hairdresser Rina Verdone, expressed satisfaction with the presence of the youth, regardless of the need to change their routes due to the increased crowds.

Tags: Europe/Culture