Hundreds of thousands of young Catholics welcomed Pope Leo XIV like a rock star during an open-air prayer vigil near Rome on Saturday. The spiritual leader of the Catholic Church made a striking entrance by helicopter, thrilling the massive crowd.
As the white military helicopter landed at the vast site on Rome’s eastern outskirts, pilgrims erupted in cheers and tears. Organizers estimated over 800,000 young people from 146 countries had gathered for the Youth Jubilee event, with some suggesting the crowd might have reached a million.
Smiling from his popemobile, the first American pope waved to ecstatic young supporters lining his path, many scrambling for better views. The pilgrims had spent the day under the hot sun – praying, listening to music, and bonding with fellow Catholics. “The pope is here!” blared over loudspeakers, met with thunderous applause.
The mood turned more solemn when the 69-year-old pontiff took the stage carrying a large wooden cross. “Dear young people,” he began, “after walking, praying and sharing these special Jubilee days together, we now gather as evening falls to keep vigil.”
Among the crowd was 18-year-old Julie Mortier from France, her voice hoarse from hours of singing and cheering. “We’re so happy to be here. Seeing the pope is a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” she said. Organizers noted people kept arriving throughout the vigil, possibly pushing attendance to a million.
Most pilgrims planned to camp overnight for Sunday’s closing mass led by Pope Leo, the climax of the weeklong youth pilgrimage – a highlight of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee year. Some attendees were so far from the massive golden-arched stage (set in an area spanning 70 football fields) they couldn’t see it clearly.
“I knew what to expect,” said British student Andy Hewellyn, unfazed by the distance. “The important thing is we’re all together.” Nearby, young people played guitars, sang, or napped in the sun. Italian media dubbed the event a Catholic “Woodstock,” with nearly two dozen musical and dance groups performing throughout the day.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed the pilgrims in a video message, praising their joyful spirit of prayer and celebration. The Youth Jubilee marks Pope Leo’s first major youth gathering since becoming pope three months ago, and the largest such event in Rome since Pope John Paul II’s time 25 years earlier.
Earlier that Saturday, groups had marched from central Rome to the Tor Vergata site, prepared for 24 hours of communal celebration under the stars. “I can’t wait to see the pope up close,” said 21-year-old Victoria Perez, waving a Spanish flag in anticipation of a “night of prayers under the stars.”
French pilgrim Quentin Remaury, 26, credited the late Pope Francis’ 2016 message in Poland for inspiring his attendance. “He told us to ‘get off your couches,’ and that really motivated me,” Remaury recalled. Throughout the week, participants had attended various church-organized events, including confession sessions at Rome’s famous Circus Maximus, where 1,000 priests heard confessions in 200 white gazebos on Friday.Young people under 30 gathered in Rome’s Circus Maximus, the ancient hippodrome where chariot races were once held, for a pilgrimage that reflects their struggles with economic instability, climate change, and global conflicts. Some pilgrims came from war-affected regions like Syria and Ukraine.
Samarei Semos, a 29-year-old from Belize who traveled for three days to reach Rome, expressed hope that Pope Francis would advocate for developing nations.
Before the vigil, the Pope met and prayed with fellow travelers of an 18-year-old Egyptian pilgrim who died the previous night. According to Rai News, the young woman suffered a fatal heart attack on a bus while returning to her accommodation after an event in Rome.
Security was strict at the gathering, with organizers reporting at least 4,300 volunteers and over 1,000 police officers overseeing the vigil.
