reflections, updates and homilies from Deacon Mike Talbot inspired by the following words from my ordination: Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach...
Showing posts with label Jubilee for Youth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jubilee for Youth. Show all posts
Pope Leo XIV speaks to 1 million youth at jubilee: ‘Stay with us, Lord’
Incredible pictures of faith, hope and love. 1 million youth gathered for the Jubilee for youth.
Pope Leo XIV approaches Tor Vergata in Rome on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media
Pilgrims celebrate and pray at a vigil at Tor Vergata, Rome, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Young people gather at a vigil at Tor Vergata, Rome, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Pope Leo XIV addresses hundreds of thousands of youth and pilgrims ahead of a vigil at Tor Vergata, Rome, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
The Blessed Sacrament is exposed at a vigil at Tor Vergata, Rome, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Following Pope Leo's annoucement of the dates for World Youth Day in 2027, the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life extends an invitation to bishops and youth ministry offices worldwide to start their journeys towards the global event.
By Kielce Gussie
Following the Angelus on 3 August during the Jubilee of Youth, Pope Leo XIV announced the dates for the next World Youth Day, which is to be held in Seoul, South Korea.
During the Angelus prayer at Tor Vergata, Pope Leo renewed Pope Francis' invitation to everyone to attend WYD 2027 (@Vatican Media)
“I renew the invitation that Pope Francis extended in Lisbon two years ago: young people from all over the world will gather together with the Successor of Peter to celebrate World Youth Day in Seoul, Korea, from 3 to 8 August 2027.”
“I renew the invitation that Pope Francis extended in Lisbon two years ago: young people from all over the world will gather together with the Successor of Peter to celebrate World Youth Day in Seoul, Korea, from 3 to 8 August 2027.”
The journey continues
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, responded to the papal invitation, expressing his gratitude for the announcement. He also extended an invitation to formators, youth ministry offices, and bishops “to journey together toward Seoul, guided by the theme of WYD Seoul 2027: ' Take courage! I have conquered the world!'
The Prefect shared that it is the theme of the 2025 Jubilee Year—hope—that helps encourage everyone to proclaim the Gospel message throughout the world. “It is up to young people to become pilgrims of hope to heal loneliness and poverty, and to become witnesses of peace in this world torn apart by divisions, conflicts, and wars”, he continued.
According to the Dicastery’s Secretary, Dr. Gleison De Paula Souza, preparation for the WYD in two years has already started and “is proceeding quickly towards the dates chosen by the Holy Father.”
The Dicastery has teamed up with the Local Organizing Committee of Seoul, Dr. De Paula Souza explained, as well as the bishops and young people from around the world, “welcomed by the Korean Church, come together to witness that the encounter with Christ changes lives and gives the courage to overcome the challenges to which they are called.”
See you in Seoul
Closing the Angelus, the Pope tied in the Jubilee message with World Youth Day, saying:
“It is precisely the hope that dwells in our hearts that gives us the strength to proclaim the victory of the risen Christ over evil and death; and you, young pilgrims of hope, will be witnesses of this to the ends of the earth! I look forward to seeing you in Seoul: let us continue to dream together and to hope together.”
“It is precisely the hope that dwells in our hearts that gives us the strength to proclaim the victory of the risen Christ over evil and death; and you, young pilgrims of hope, will be witnesses of this to the ends of the earth! I look forward to seeing you in Seoul: let us continue to dream together and to hope together.”
Pope Leo: We are with the young people of Gaza, Ukraine and war-torn lands
At the conclusion of the closing Mass for the Jubilee of Youth, Pope Leo remembers young people suffering "the most serious evils" caused by other human beings, mentioning specifically war-torn Gaza, Ukraine, and "every land bloodied by war."
Vatican News
Just before the conclusion of the closing Mass for the Jubilee of Young People at Rome's Tor Vergata field, Pope Leo expressed his closeness and solidarity with the young people suffering in Gaza, Ukraine and all those living in war-torn parts of the world.
“In communion with Christ, our peace and hope for the world, we are closer than ever to young people who suffer the most serious evils which are caused by other human beings. We are with the young people of Gaza. We are with the young people of Ukraine, with those of every land bloodied by war. My young brothers and sisters, you are the sign that a different world is possible, a world of fraternity and friendship, where conflicts are not resolved with weapons but with dialogue.”
Sympathies for Maria and Pascale
The Pope also expressed his sympathies and condolences over the death of two young pilgrims, Maria and Pascale, a Spaniard and Egyptian, who died during their time in Rome due to sudden health emergencies.
We give thanks to God
The Pope's words came just before leading the Angelus prayer as he offered final greetings to the over one million pilgrims gathered for the Sunday morning outdoor Mass.
He took the opportunity to invite everyone to express their immense gratitude to God for the gift of these days of their Jubilee.
He said the outpouring of God's grace for the Church and the entire world was reflected in the participation of all the young people, and he thanked them with all his heart. Greeting the thousands of bishops, priests, religious and pastoral leaders accompanying the young people, the Pope thanked them for their pastoral care, as well as all those who offered their prayers for the events and participated spiritually.
World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, Korea
Finally, the Pope recalled that following this jubilee "Pilgrimage of Hope" in Rome, the next destination on the horizon will be Asia when the Successor of Peter will join them to celebrate World Youth Day in Seoul, Korea, from 3 to 8 August 2027. The theme of the next WYD is taken from John's Gospel, the verse recalling Jesus' words to his disciples at the Last Supper, “Take courage! I have overcome the world."
The Pope said may the hope that abides in our hearts give us the strength to announce the victory of the Risen Christ over evil and death. And it is this reality that gives the young pilgrims hope and the courage to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. He said may we continue to dream and hope together in view of the next meeting in Seoul, entrusting ourselves to the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Pope Leo prays with young Egyptian pilgrims in remembering Pascale Rafic, their 18 year old companion who died on her way to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth (@Vatican Media)
Pope expresses condolences on sudden death of Egyptian pilgrim
Pope Leo expresses his deep sorrow upon receiving news of the sudden death of an 18-year old Egyptian youth, Pascale Rafic, who was traveling to Rome to participate in the Jubilee of Youth.
Vatican News
On Saturday morning, 2 August, Pope Leo XIV received a group of Egyptian young people who have arrived in Rome to participate in the Jubilee of Youth. With them leading the delegation was Jean-Marie Chami, Titular Bishop of Tarsus and Auxiliary Bishop of the Patriarchate of Antioch of the Greek Melkites for Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan. Tragically, one of the pilgrimage group members, 18-year old Pascale Rafic, died earlier in the day just after travelling to Rome to participate in the Jubilee together with them.
Pope Leo giving the group of Egyptian pilgrims his blessing (@Vatican Media)
In welcoming the group, the Pope assured them of his "heartfelt prayers" and invoked "the Lord’s comfort and consolation upon Pascale’s family members, friends and all of those who grieve her loss." While consoling the group, he acknowledged the grief we feel, also so suddenly, but that our hope in the Risen Christ gives us hope in remembering Pascale's new life in Christ.
“So, we thought at least, in the midst of this pain, that you all experience for the loss of your friend, that at least to have this opportunity to come together to pray, to renew our faith, and to ask God both for the eternal rest of our sister but also for strengthening and consolation, strengthening of our faith and to be renewed in hope and as Church, as brothers and sisters, we therefore have gathered together for that reason. So we ask the Lord to be with us, to be with all of you, as you live these days of the pilgrimage of the Jubilee Year of Hope and that you will all also be protected with God‘s love and God‘s grace.”
Addressing the group in English, before imparting his apostolic blessing to them, Pope Leo encouraged them to find consolation in God's boundless love and mercy, and the hope that never disappoints.
“It is our hope in the resurrection, that is the ultimate source of our hope, and we speak about a Jubilee Year of Hope, our hope is in Jesus Christ who is risen. And he calls all of us to renew our faith, calls all of us to be friends, brothers and sisters to one another, to support one another, and he says you too must be witnesses to that Gospel message.”
Pope answers questions from pilgrims at Jubilee of Youth
An estimated million young people gather in the outskirts of Rome for the Jubilee of Youth prayer vigil. Three of them ask him questions: about friendship, life choices, and encountering Jesus.
By Joseph Tulloch
Around a million young pilgrims gathered in Tor Vergata, on the outskirts of Rome, for the Jubilee of Youth on Saturday evening.
As night fell, Pope Leo led the pilgrims in a prayer vigil, feauturing singing, Scripture readings, and Eucharistic Adoration.
The centrepiece of the event was a question-and-answer session in which the Pope responded to three questions posed by young pilgrims in Spanish, Italian, and English.
Pope Leo speaks to Dulce Maria from Mexico, who asked the first question (@Vatican Media)
Friendship, life choices, and encountering Jesus
The first question was asked by Dulce Maria, 23, from Mexico. Given the “fleeting and often illusory” nature of online connections, she asked, how can we “we find true friendship and genuine love that will lead us to true hope”?
In his reply, the Pope stressed that although social media offers an “extraordinary opportunity” for dialogue, it can “be used to lull us, to make us addicted to consumerism”. He stressed that friendships can only be truly lasting if they are founded in God, and, quoting St Augustine, emphasized that “It is the one who loves God in his friend who truly loves his friend.”
The second question came from Gaia, 19, from Italy, she asked about the “climate of uncertainty” which “paralyses” many young people and prevents them from making important life choices.
In his reply, Pope Leo emphasized that these choices are not “a matter of choosing something, but of choosing someone.” When we make a choice, the Pope said, we decide “who we want to become”.
The final question was posed in English, by Will, 20 years old and from the US. How can we “truly encounter” Jesus, he asked, and be sure of his presence “even in the midst of trials and uncertainties?”
In his response, Pope Leo urged the young pilgrims to “reflect on your way of living”, “seek justice”, “serve the poor”, and “adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament”.
Pope Leo arrives at the stage, carrying the Jubilee cross (@Vatican Media)
Prayers for Maria and Pascale
In his answers to the pilgrims’ questions, Pope Leo also mentioned the two young women – Maria, 20, from Spain, and Pascale, 18, from Egypt – who have died while taking part in Jubilee of Youth events in recent days.
“Let us pray together for them, pilgrims of hope,” said the Pope. “Let us pray for their families, their friends and their communities. May the Risen Jesus welcome them into the peace and joy of his Kingdom.”
The vigil then came to an end with roughly an hour of Eucharistic adoration, accompanied by chanting and prayers in French, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Polish and Latin.
An estimated one million pilgrims came to Tor Vergata for the vigil An estimated one million pilgrims came to Tor Vergata for the vigil (@Vatican Media) (@Vatican Media)
200 confessionals now open for the day of penitence in Rome
From 10:30am to 6:00pm, the Circus Maximus, the ancient Roman arena, will be an open-air confessional for young people wishing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of the Holy Year celebrations. For the occasion, the Youcat Foundation will distribute 10,000 copies of a text on the subject.
Vatican News
For the hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims who have arrived in Rome for their Jubilee, Friday, 1 August, will be a day fully dedicated to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, before gathering with Pope Leo XIV on Saturday and Sunday at the Tor Vergata esplanade. From 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., 200 confession stations will be available, staffed by priests and confessors ready to listen.
Stations in Different Languages
Pilgrims who speak Italian, Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, and Polish will find confession stations in their own languages available throughout the day. Stations for German, Hungarian, Slovak, Korean, and Chinese speakers will be available at designated times.
Around 200 confessionals are available to young people for the Sacrament of Reconciliation today (ANSA)
Youcat Distributes Its Book on Confession
During the “Day of Penitence,” twenty volunteers from the Youcat Foundation will distribute 10,000 copies of the Youcat book on confession. This special edition, published for the Jubilee of Youth, will be available in four languages: Italian, English, French, and German.
The Youcat Foundation will distribute 10,000 copies of a text dedicated to confession.
First published in 2014 and updated for the occasion, the book aims to provide young people with an accessible introduction to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The new edition includes an examination of conscience, explanations of the meaning of confession, and some helpful prayers.
Rome, city of hope: The sites of the Jubilee of Youth
Rome welcomes one million young people to celebrate their Jubilee event in three key locations: St. Peter’s Basilica, the Circus Maximus, and the Calatrava Sail at Tor Vergata.
By María Milvia Morciano
One million young pilgrims from 146 countries around the world have arrived in Rome to celebrate their Jubilee. Three key locations will stand out during the days leading up to 3 August.
First is St. Peter’s Basilica: the origin, the source, the magnet that, as in times past, draws countless pilgrims to the tomb of the Apostle. The second stop is the Circus Maximus, a vast open space at the geometric center of the city and the heart of archaeological Rome, now a place for collective gathering. Finally, Tor Vergata—the same site that hosted the World Youth Day of 2000. Located on the outskirts of the city, in the southeastern periphery, it is a structure that today, thanks to this occasion, has been revived and brought back to life.
Three places of connection
These locations mark the extremes between the center and the periphery. They were not simply chosen for logistical reasons but rather for the physical embodiment, in a way, of a spiritual dream. These three places connect two opposite ends of the urban fabric. Past and present, near and far, come together in a single language: that of faith and hope, embodied by the enthusiasm of the young participants.
Pope Francis always worked to connect Rome's city center with its most remote areas, and with this goal, he reorganized the ecclesiastical administration: not “an isolated center and a periphery divided into separate compartments, but, in a dynamic vision that imagines no walls but bridges, the Diocese of Rome will be conceived as a single center expanding through the four cardinal points,” he wrote in the Motu Proprio of 1 October 2024.
Pope Leo XIV, with his personal history as a missionary and concern for the marginalized, ordained his first 11 diocesan priests last June, sending them to the outskirts of Rome. He knows this area well, having visited Tor Bella Monaca last year as a cardinal to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the local parish, run by the Augustinians and dedicated to Saint Rita of Cascia.
A place created for the community
During this Jubilee year, St. Peter's Basilica has been a symbol forever in everyone's minds, whether they be pilgrims visiting Rome or people watching from home through social media or television.
Another icon of the Eternal City is the Circus Maximus—a vast open space capable of hosting large-scale collective events such as concerts and outdoor gatherings. But what is its history and original purpose? The Circus stretches across the Murcia Valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, measuring 600 meters long and 140 meters wide.
Sources link this area to the origins of Rome. It was in this very valley, during the games organized by Romulus in honor of the god Consus—with races of donkeys, horses, and mules—that the Rape of the Sabine Women took place, an event marking the city’s founding and settlement. The Murcia Valley was initially developed to host chariot races during the time of the Tarquin kings, but it was the Roman general Gaius Julius Caesar who built the first masonry seats and gave the structure its definitive form around 46 B.C.
The monument was restored after a fire and likely completed by Emperor Augustus, who added an obelisk from Egypt dating to the time of Ramses II—the Flaminian Obelisk—which was moved to Piazza del Popolo by Pope Sixtus V in the 16th century. A second obelisk was brought to Rome at the request of Emperor Constantius II and erected on the spina (the long central barrier that ran down the middle of the racetrack) in 357 A.D. It now stands near the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
Chariot races were among ancient Rome’s most popular activities, with twelve chariots completing seven laps around the central spina between the two finish lines. The structure could hold between 260,000 and 300,000 spectators, making it the largest building ever dedicated to this spectacle. The spina was richly decorated with statues, shrines, small temples, and seven eggs and seven dolphins from which water flowed and were used to count the laps of the race. The carceres—the chariot starting gates—were equipped with a mechanism allowing them to open simultaneously.
The outer facade was divided into three levels, the lowest featuring arches. The seating area rested on masonry structures that housed corridors and stairways leading to the various seating areas. After being devastated by fires and restored multiple times, the site remained in use until the last games held by Totila, the penultimate King of the Ostrogoths, in 549.
The Circus Maximus and the medieval Moletta Tower (Copyright (c) 2017 Stock Photos 2000/Shutterstock.)
Over the centuries, the Circus Maximus underwent various transformations and was used for different reasons, including the construction of a Jewish cemetery and a gasometer in the 19th century. The area was cleared and restored between 1911 and the 1930s. Today, it is a site of great historical and cultural importance.
A concrete structure that moves
A sail waving in the wind, a shark’s fin can be seen even from afar in the rural plains of Rome crisscrossed by highways. Completed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, this monument symbolizes the culmination of the 2025 Youth Jubilee. The Sail was designed as part of the Sports City complex, whose construction began in 2006. Its complex and unfinished construction history suffered several interruptions and changes of use, until its restoration in 2025 in preparation for the Jubilee of Hope. Viewed from above, its floor plan also resembles a large open shell, further reinforcing the sense of welcoming and symbolic architecture.
Reinforced concrete, Calatrava’s preferred material, allows for fluid, dynamic forms, fully harnessing the material’s structural capabilities. The roofs of the sports pavilion and water polo pool share the same dimensions and shapes, mirrored along the longitudinal axis dividing the two stadiums and the transverse axis passing through the arches of the spine.
They were built using spatial lattice steel structures enclosed by glass panels. The result is a network that appears to move when seen from different perspectives, like a living organism in transformation. An ethereal metal mesh that absorbs and reflects daylight, emerging delicately on the horizon and blending into the clouds. In this work, as imposing as it is delicate, architecture and engineering intertwine and complement each other, integrating and transforming between natural forms and advanced technologies.
Return to Tor Vergata
Tor Vergata was already home to an event that still lives in the memories of many people. From August 15 - 19, 2000, Pope John Paul II joined two million young people for the 15th World Youth Day during the Jubilee Year dedicated to the bi-millennium of Christ’s birth.
A multitude of faces, voices, and colors covered the plain of Tor Vergata. Returning to this place 25 years later, in light of our times, has special meaning. It offers a breath of hope and encourages reflection on the words the saintly Polish Pope spoke during that Prayer Vigil: “Is it difficult to believe in a world like this? Is it difficult to believe in the year 2000? Yes! It is difficult. There’s no point in hiding it. It’s difficult, but with the help of grace, it is possible.”
