Pope encouraged young people not to fall into conformity

"Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less. Thus you will see the light of the Gospel grow each day, within yourselves and around you," said Pope Leo XIV during his homily at the closing Mass of the Jubilee of Youth this Sunday.

During the Mass, which concluded a week of events and celebrations with thousands of young people from around the world for the Holy Year, the Pope stated: “The fullness of our existence does not depend on what we accumulate or what we possess (…) it is linked to what we know how to welcome and share with joy.”

"Buying, accumulating, and consuming are not enough. We need to lift our eyes, look upward, to heavenly things," he argued in his homily, read in Italian, English, and Spanish to the crowd, whom he challenged to practice humility, forgiveness, and peace.

Leo XIV also spoke about human fragility, comparing it to the constant renewal of nature: “Fragility is part of the wonder that we are,” he said.

"This is how the countryside lives, continually renewing itself, and even during the cold winter months, when everything seems silent, its energy vibrates underground and prepares to explode in thousands of colors during the spring," compared the leader of the Catholic Church.

"We too, dear friends, are like this. We were not made for a life where everything is firm and secure, but for an existence that is constantly regenerated in giving, in love," he maintained.

The Pope concluded his message by entrusting young people to the Virgin: “With her help, as you return to your countries in the coming days, continue to walk joyfully in the footsteps of the Savior and spread enthusiasm and faith to those you meet,” he urged.

In his speech to the crowd gathered at Tor Vergata, in the same place where John Paul II celebrated a historic World Youth Day half a century ago, the new Pope also thanked the large turnout for this jubilee event.

He emphasized that it is an experience that allows us to understand the “true flavor of life”: It is not conformism, “boredom or mediocrity,” but the ability to welcome and share with joy.

"Over the past few days, you've had many wonderful experiences. You've met peers of your own age, from different parts of the world and from distinct cultures. You've exchanged knowledge, shared expectations, and engaged with the city through art, music, computers, and sports," he celebrated.

Leo XIV, who cited in his homily his predecessor, Francis, or the one who would become the first “millennial” saint, Carlo Acutis, had with this Youth Jubilee his most massive act of his still brief pontificate, which began in May.

In Tor Vergata, he presided over a prayer vigil on Saturday afternoon, after which hundreds of thousands of young people remained camped out there, waiting for Mass this Sunday.

Local authorities and the Vatican have already confirmed that participation in this event exceeded one million people.

The Youth Jubilee was attended by young pilgrims from 146 countries, including 11,500 Portuguese, in a representation that is “in the 'top 5' of the largest delegations present.