Pope Leo to Rome’s Youth: “We Are Made for In Life Encounters, Not Virtual Connections”
In an energetic gathering, Pope Leo XIV urged young Romans to reject superficial online relationships and embrace real friendships rooted in faith — reassuring them they are never alone in Christ.
When Pope Leo XIV stepped before young Romans on January 10, the energy in Paul VI Hall was electric. Thousands packed the space, and even more watched on screens outside, braving the cold to be present.
Leo greeted them with gratitude, noting how wonderful it is to meet in person rather than through a screen — a theme he returned to throughout the evening. His warmth was immediate, the applause sustained. This wasn’t just another Vatican event.
It was a gathering that felt like a homecoming for a pontiff who has been steadily growing into his role as a voice for young people around the world.
From the beginning of his address, Leo spoke in a tone that was conversational and real. He shared a story he received just before coming onstage: a message from his young niece, who asked how he manages the weight of the world and if he ever feels alone.
His answer was simple and direct: we are not alone. “Because we are not alone,” he said, gesturing toward the young faces before him, “Jesus walks with us.”
This theme of presence — human and divine — undergirded the entire gathering.
What makes Leo’s bond with youth so distinctive is not only what he says, but how he says it. Since the Jubilee youth event in Rome last summer, when he first spoke off-script and responded to unscripted questions from young pilgrims, Leo has shown that he thrives in these moments of spontaneous engagement.
That event in July was a turning point. For a pope who early in his pontificate preferred carefully prepared homilies, Leo now seems more comfortable in his own skin — especially when he’s with young people.
In Lebanon last November, another youth event drew huge crowds and further solidified this connection. Tonight’s event continued that trajectory.
As part of the program, Leo invited questions from the assembled youth. One young man stood up and asked simply if he could have a hug. The room erupted when Pope Leo responded joyfully, pulling the young man into an embrace.
The gesture was unplanned, human, and deeply moving. It was more than a photo moment. It embodied Leo’s message: that closeness, affection, and authentic presence are not secondary to faith but central to it.
(I want to give thanks and credit to my Twitter buddy Camillao for putting these videos together.)
When he spoke about loneliness — about the sense that life’s colors can fade in the noise of notifications, expectations, and unfulfilling connections — he struck a chord.
He acknowledged that even among friends or in crowded rooms, young people can feel disconnected. He contrasted that with the profound reality that we are made for relationship, beginning with God and extending to one another.
Drawing on poetry, he reminded his listeners that the “ray of sun” that pierces the heart is not a fleeting burst of light but the abiding presence of Christ — a presence that invites young people to be fully present to others.
Leo did not shy away from the messiness of real life. He invoked the tragedy of young people lost in accidents and the grief of families left behind, urging the crowd not to turn away from suffering but to let compassion shape their commitment to one another. Prayer, he said, is not an abstract exercise, but an act that breaks the chains of isolation, pride, and indifference.
Through prayer, through shared witness, youth can become “salt of the earth and light of the world” — not as slogans, but as lived realities.
His words carried a pastoral urgency reminiscent of Pope Francis’s early encounters with youth, particularly at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. Francis had a knack for meeting young people where they were, speaking off-the-cuff with joy and an almost palpable affection.
Today, Leo showed a similar freedom; the scripted part of his remarks felt subsidiary to the spontaneous connections he forged with the crowd.
He also challenged the young people in his audience: do not wait for the world to validate you. “Joy is not something you accumulate,” he said. “It is something you live and share.” Advertising may command greater audience, he noted, but it cannot build friendships that last. What truly sustains a life are real relationships grounded in truth and love.
In closing, Leo invited the youth of Rome to carry the light they have encountered into every sphere of life — family, school, work, civic engagement, and the Church. A holy life, he said, is not a distant ideal but a daily commitment to love with courage and joy.
The applause that followed was more than appreciation for an address well delivered. It was a response to a pope who has become genuinely comfortable in his own skin, a pope who listens, laughs, and embraces — and who, in doing so, reflects the very presence he proclaims.
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I'm a lapsed Catholic, but this Pope gives me hope.