This morning, after leaving the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV transferred to the Vatican heliport from where, at 7.55, he departe for Assisi on the occasion of the “GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting 2026”.

Upon arrival at 8.28 in the “Migaghelli” sports field, the Pope was welcomed by Archbishop Felice Accrocca, bishop of Assisi; the Honourable Stefania Proietti, President of the Umbria Region; Dr. Francesco Zito, Prefect of Perugia; Dr. Valter Stoppini, Mayor of Assisi; and Dr. Massimiliano Presciutti, President of the Province of Perugia.

The Holy Father immediately transferred by car to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Porziuncola, where he greeted the crowd of young people gathered in the square in front.

The Pope was welcomed in front of the Basilica by the Ministers General of the Franciscan Orders, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, O.FM.; Br. Carlos Alberto Trovarelli, O.F.M. Conv.; and Br. Roberto Genuin, O.F.M. Cap.

Pope Leo XIV then met with the young people in Piazza Santa Maria degli Angeli.

At the end of the meeting, the Holy Father Leo XIV proceeded to the cloister of the convent, where he greeted all the Franciscans present.

Then, inside the convent, the Pope greeted the bishops present, and the members of the National Committee for the Eighth Centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi.

The following is the text of the Holy Father’s conversation with the young people participating in the meeting in Piazza Santa Maria degli Angeli:

Question from Karolina (Zagreb)

Holy Father,

My name is Karolina, I come from Croatia, from the parish and basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua in Zagreb. We have grown up in Franciscan parishes, accompanied by the friars, learning from Saint Francis that the Gospel is proclaimed above all through the witness of our lives, through joy, simplicity, fraternity and closeness to every person. Thanks to this experience we have discovered a living faith that does not remain confined within our churches, but finds expression in service, welcome and hope for others.

Today, however, we live in a rapidly changing world, where many young people struggle to find points of reference, to build authentic relationships and open their hearts to God. We too want to be credible witnesses to the Gospel wherever we live, study and work, and to bring the light of Christ with the simplicity and fraternal spirit of Saint Francis.

Holy Father, what advice would you give to us young people who have grown up in the Franciscan spiritual tradition, so that we may remain true disciples of Christ and bring hope to our peers, without losing the joy of the Gospel, the simplicity of heart and that closeness to others which gives Christian witness its credibility?

The Holy Father’s Reply

Thank you, Karolina, for this question. First of all, good morning to all of you! I also greet the young people who are already inside the Basilica, who, I believe, are joining us via livestream. I am very happy to be here with you! Now, Karolina, thank you for your question.

I think that everyone listening sensed that your question already contained part of the answer. You yourself have borne witness to that spirit of simplicity, fraternity and closeness which has won your heart and enabled you to grow in faith within a community that remains open to everyone.

Your experience comes from a part of Europe that, only thirty years ago, was marked by war and the dangerous intertwining of religious identity and nationalism. Yet for centuries the Franciscans have fostered dialogue and encouraged peaceful coexistence among Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims. Today, remaining faithful to this tradition of closeness means swimming against the current. It means purifying memory and cultivating reconciliation.

Increasingly, Christians will be called to become artisans of peace within societies that are tempted to place religion at the service of competing identities. Being witnesses to Christ, therefore, is both captivating and demanding. It enlarges our minds and hearts, freeing us from artificial boundaries, from the fears created by misinformation and from walls built by prejudice. Rejecting the culture of power and building a civilization of love are choices that are not immediately understood or accepted. Saint Francis, however, teaches that radicalism of the Gospel is the very opposite of fundamentalism. It does not make us blind or violent; instead, it makes us aware, attentive and always eager to follow Jesus, and therefore humble and welcoming towards everyone. It is not an easy path, but it brings much joy.

Now try to imagine this very place, but eight centuries ago. Here, in the open countryside, hundreds of young friars from all over Europe had gathered around Francis. Picture them as the Sources describe them: “company by company, here forty, there a hundred and there eighty together, all employed in speaking of God, in prayers, in tears and in exercises of charity, behaving themselves with so great silence and with such sobriety that no clamor was heard there” (The Little Flowers of Saint Francis of Assisi, XVIII).

That silence stands in stark contrast to war, with its violence, clamor and cruelty. The simple mats on which those friars slept speak to us of peace — just like your sleeping bags today. This is the Church: an assembly of brothers and sisters to which everyone is invited. Dear young people, how beautiful it is to gather together to “speak of God” and, in his light, to reflect on life itself, in all its beauty, mystery and seriousness! Bear witness to this way of life wherever you are, especially at a time when technology is making us less accustomed to meeting one another face to face, in person.

Saint Francis understood that embracing poverty enables us to draw near to those who are far away, to foster encounters and to exchange our gifts. In this way, he grasped that the Gospel cannot be separated from the choices made by Jesus Christ, who became poor that we might become rich (cf. 2 Cor 8:9). The Gospel is Jesus’ own life, his journey and his unwavering trust in his Father. Whenever we gather in his name, he is present in our midst (cf. Mt 18:20), and our hearts are filled with a joy that is free and genuine (cf. Jn 20:20). More than words, it is this joy that evangelizes, and it cannot be hidden. Thank you.

Question from Giovanni (Bologna)

Holy Father,

My name is Giovanni, I am 27 and come from Bologna. We young people live in a culture dominated by the temporary, where the prospect of making a lifelong commitment fills us with fear. Yet God, in his unique and loving way, continually speaks to us and calls us to follow him, promising us life and joy, while gradually revealing our vocation.

My question is this: How can we say a full and courageous “yes” to him, without “putting our hand to the plough and looking back,” by dwelling too much on the hardships and sacrifices that the journey may entail? What helped you most on your own vocational journey?

The Holy Father’s Reply

Thank you, Giovanni, for this question, one which I would say is courageous. It expresses a longing for what endures. Today we tend to speak negatively about what is temporary. Yet there was a time when it was the Church herself who constantly taught people to appreciate the meaning of the temporary, for this world is passing away, time hastens on, earthly realities are fleeting. God alone remains, because God is eternal. We must therefore ask ourselves what has changed. Otherwise, we risk becoming people who simply long for the past, while failing to face the present or take responsibility for the future.

Almost everywhere in the world, the stability that once characterized traditional societies is disappearing. Entire generations could once live their whole lives with very little change around them. Society was highly structured, and much of life seemed already mapped out. In that context, the Church encouraged people not to settle for a destiny that appeared already written, but to discover the eternal significance of every action. Today, by contrast, an often-confused understanding of freedom leads us to believe that nothing in life is ever truly decided, because the world around us changes so rapidly and we ourselves are constantly changing as well. Yet this illusion only increases our fears and makes it easier to lose our way. In such a context, the courage to make a definitive choice may well be the most revolutionary act of all.

Choosing “for ever” does not imprison us within a cage; rather, it opens us to a greater dynamism. To love is an exodus. It is a path to be discovered, a journey that God himself walks with us. This is the meaning of every vocation. Sacred Scripture continually invites us to live in this way: like those who are called to rise, to set out on the journey of their own history, and to receive from the Lord both its direction and meaning, so as to love according to his plan (cf. 1 Cor 13; 1 Jn 4). Here we see the inseparable bond between faith, trust and faithfulness. Faith unmasks the illusion that our problems can be solved by running away, or abandoning our commitments, or taking a few steps along ever-changing roads without ever truly arriving anywhere. We may multiply our experiences, our acquaintances and our possessions, yet remain in exactly the same place. The human cost is immense, and the inner emptiness that follows is profound. All too often, people end up using others and being used in turn. “For ever,” then, is a grace which God himself enables us to respond to through our own fidelity, so that we may attain the fullness of life (cf. Jn 10:10).

For this reason, from adolescence onwards it is important to learn to know ourselves, to make decisions and to stake our lives on them — in other words, to respond to the Lord who calls us. Nor in adulthood should we stop being faithful to the commitments we have already made and to those still to come. It is an adventure in which no one should ever feel alone, and one that, like faith itself, lasts until our final breath. Looking back on my own life, I can say that the Lord has never left me alone. He has always accompanied me, often by placing people beside me with whom I could share the journey. As a priest, as a member of the Augustinian community and as a missionary, I found a light that has guided me to this very day, even to the moment when I had to say “yes” to another and altogether unique calling: that of being Pope.

In embracing the unique plan that God has prepared for each of us, we discover that the deepest vocation, written in every human heart, is a call to communion. We hear that call not only once, but every day. Sin obscures this truth by introducing mistrust, rivalry and suspicion into our most fundamental relationships. Thanks to God, however, every vocation is also a journey of redemption and healing. Jesus’ invitation to follow him reveals our own dignity and teaches us to honor the dignity of others by placing our trust in them and proving ourselves worthy of their trust. This dynamic is so liberating that it deserves the wholehearted commitment of our lives. Thank you.

Question from Luigi (Paternò, Sicily)

Holy Father,

My name is Luigi. I am twenty-two years old and come from Paternò, a small town in Sicily. I speak on behalf of the Franciscan Youth of Sicily, a group of young people seeking to live the Franciscan charism. I would like to ask you about one aspect of Saint Francis that has always struck me deeply.

“Brother Francis promises obedience and reverence to the Lord Pope Honorius and to his canonically elected successors, and to the Roman Church” (Rule, I). Although he lived in a time when the Church was marked by contradictions and internal difficulties, he did not choose the path of heresy. He did not attack or judge the Church of his day but instead chose obedience to the Pope — a free and revolutionary decision, fully in keeping with his spirit of being “lesser.” His only desire was to overcome the poverty of judgment through the compassion and reparation that only love can bring.

Today many young people say that they “believe, but not in the Church.” Even within our own communities we sometimes see a Church marked by contradictions and internal crises. So, my question is this: How can we remain faithful to this reparative love? Why is it so difficult today to see the Church as a Mother who, despite her wounds, is always ready to welcome us and to love us?

The Holy Father’s Reply

Thank you, Luigi. Yours is a timely question that brings us to the heart of Saint Francis’ experience. To answer it is to share in a longing — the very longing of the Lord Jesus for his Church. Francis came to know that desire while contemplating Christ Crucified. We too must always return to that desire. Throughout history, and even today, many people struggle to experience the Church as Jesus desires her to be. This causes deep suffering; it leaves wounds and disappointments, and for some it even becomes an obstacle to faith.

In the Gospel, Jesus himself warns us about this danger, namely the scandal that his disciples can cause, especially to the little ones and the poor. Yet from the very beginning, his desire was to gather a people in whom everything that ordinarily divides humanity would be overcome. Around Jesus, men and women became brothers and sisters who otherwise would never have met. Whenever this miracle continues to take place in the Church — and thanks to God, it still does — it remains something extraordinary, even in our cities, where so many invisible walls continue to separate people from one another. How many forms of discrimination and inequality disappear the moment we begin to recognize one another as brothers and sisters!

There is another aspect of this revolutionary unity. Jesus says: “It shall not be so among you” (Mk 10:43). Things are not to be as they are among the rulers of this world, who seek power, prestige and domination. Rather, Jesus tells us: “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be the slave of all” (vv. 43-44.). Jesus’ desire for the Church is unmistakable: she is to become his Body and make his own life visible by exercising a different kind of authority — one that does not oppress but raises others up.

The word of God, the Sacraments and the practice of fraternal love are the means by which the image of Christ is formed within us. Francis walked this path: not to dominate, but to serve; not to grasp, but to receive; not to withhold, but to give back. This is the very life of God, which continually renews the Church and makes her a free people, a place of refreshment and salvation. “Francis, go and rebuild my house, which, as you see, is falling into ruin!” (Second Life of Saint Francis, 10). Each of us has a part to play in this work that is always underway. We have different responsibilities and different vocations, yet we walk together, encouraging one another, supporting one another and correcting one another along the way. What matters is that each of us faithfully fulfils the role entrusted to us. Then we shall speak of the Church with the affection one has for a mother, because we shall know that we belong to her. Ours will be a love that embraces the people and the history through which Jesus Christ comes to us and remains with us: “I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:20). This is the Gospel we proclaim, humbly. To share in our Lord’s desire, we do not need to appear better than we really are. Rather, we need only acknowledge the Risen Jesus in our lives and allow him to act. Thank you.

Let us conclude this first part by asking for God’s grace, the Lord’s blessing on each and every one of us. [Blessing]