Pope Leo XIV was greeted with rock-star enthusiasm by hundreds of thousands of young people at an open-air prayer vigil outside Rome on Saturday, where he made a dramatic entrance by helicopter.
Cheers erupted from the massive crowd as the white military helicopter descended over the sprawling site in Rome’s eastern outskirts. Organizers reported that more than 800,000 young pilgrims from 146 countries had gathered for the Jubilee of Youth, with estimates suggesting the final attendance could reach one million.
Smiling from the popemobile, the first U.S. pope waved to throngs of excited attendees who lined his route, many of whom ran to get a better view. They had spent the day in the hot sun listening to music and praying, with an announcer’s declaration of “The pope is here” met with thunderous applause.
The atmosphere shifted to a more solemn and contemplative mood as the pope, carrying a large wooden cross, took the stage. “Dear young people, after walking, praying and sharing these days of grace of the Jubilee dedicated to you, we now gather together in the light of the advancing evening to keep vigil together,” Leo, 69, told the assembly.
The event, which Italian broadcaster Rai dubbed a “Catholic Woodstock,” featured nearly two dozen musical and dance groups throughout the day. “We’re too happy to be here. Seeing the pope, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said French pilgrim Julie Mortier, 18, her voice hoarse from hours of singing.
Many in the crowd, spread across an area equivalent to 70 football fields, planned to camp overnight for a Sunday morning mass led by Leo, which will mark the culmination of the week-long pilgrimage. This is a key event in the Catholic Church’s Jubilee holy year and comes nearly three months into Leo’s papacy. The last such massive youth gathering in Rome was 25 years ago under Pope John Paul II.
The pilgrimage unfolds as young people globally navigate economic uncertainty, the climate crisis, and international conflicts. Some attendees traveled from war-torn regions like Syria and Ukraine. “Pope Francis told us to ‘get off your couches’, and that really gave me a boost,” said French pilgrim Quentin Remaury, 26, referencing a message from a 2016 youth event.
Throughout the week, participants took part in various church-organized activities, including mass confessions at the Circus Maximus, where 1,000 priests were available in 200 makeshift confessionals.
Ahead of the vigil, the Vatican reported that the pope met and prayed with companions of an 18-year-old Egyptian pilgrim who died of a heart attack on Friday night. Security for the event was extensive, with 4,300 volunteers and over 1,000 police officers on site.
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