Dear friends,

The Lord Jesus is present among us and within us: all things and all people in the Eucharist. United with him, we wish to offer up a huge “thank you” to the Father for the gift of these days of your Jubilee. It has been an outpouring of grace for the Church and for the whole world! This has been possible through the participation of each one of you. For this, I wish to thank each of you, with all my heart. In particular I am thinking of the two young pilgrims, Maria and Pascale, one Spanish and the other Egyptian, who have passed away in these days. I entrust them to the Lord.  I thank the bishops, priests, religious men and women, and educators who accompanied you and all those who prayed for this event and participated spiritually.

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.

Yes, with Christ it is possible! With his love, with his forgiveness, and with the power of his Spirit. My dear friends, united to Jesus, like branches to the vine, you will bear much fruit. You will be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. You will be seeds of hope where you live, in your families, among your friends, at school, at work, and in sports. You will be seeds of hope with Christ, our hope.

After this Jubilee, the “pilgrimage of hope” of young people continues and will take us to Asia! 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 theme will be “Take courage! I have overcome the world!” (Jn 16:33). 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.

Let us entrust ourselves to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary.

_________________

Words of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to Young People following Holy Mass – Jubilee of Youth

Dear young people, I would like to offer a few final words.

Thank you again to all of you! Thank you for the music, thank you to everyone who worked to prepare so many things during this week for this Jubilee. 

We have already said that the next gathering will be in Korea.  A round of applause to the many Koreans in attendance!

I ask you also to bring greetings to the many young people who could not be here with us, in so many countries where it was impossible to leave. There are places from where young people could not come here, for reasons that we know.

Bring this joy, this enthusiasm to the whole world. You are salt of the earth and the light of the world!  Take this greeting to all of your friends, to all of the young people who need a message of hope.

Again, thank you to all of you! And have a safe trip home.

Source: vatican.va