Pope Leo’s Prayer Vigil with Young People
“Plaza de Lima” (Madrid) – Saturday, 6 June 2026
First of all, greetings to all of you! Thank you for being here, and thank you for sharing your faith with all of Madrid and all of Spain.
Pope Leo’s Question and Answer type prayer vigil
(1) We know that Saint Augustine is very important to you, but which other saints and role models have helped you to grow as a Christian?Regarding the first question, some saints who have been role models for me during my upbringing, youth, and as a bishop and as Pope.
St. Augustine has already been mentioned – and we all know he is a very important figure for the Church/
The question also brings to mind St. John Chrysostom, one of the Fathers of the Eastern Church. His name means “golden-mouthed,” a title he earned thanks to his eloquence.
Before his baptism in 368 AD, he studied philosophy.
He later devoted himself to interpreting Sacred Scripture alongside other young men from Antioch, his birthplace.
After living as a hermit, he devoted himself to serving the Church first as a priest and then as a bishop.
I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to consider a vocation to the priesthood, religious life, or any other form of service in the Church.
John Chrysostom carried a love for the Word of God in his heart. After becoming a priest and bishop, he bore great witness, above all through the consistency of his life.
He was able to preach because he lived that message first.
I was particularly impressed by his catechesis, sermons, homilies, and writings, which unite a love for the truth with the integrity of his life.
He was also very brave, not afraid to speak before the emperor and promote justice rather than simply please others.
He was a man of his word.
Another saint who comes to mind is Thomas of Villanueva, an Augustinian who was also called to shepherd the Church. He was Spanish.
He studied at the University of Alcalá, and his wisdom earned him the esteem of Emperor Charles V.
He was later appointed bishop of Valencia and undertook an intense process of reform within the church, particularly among the clergy. He exhorted his fellow priests to persevere in prayer, chastity, and obedience.
Because of his ardent charity, he is known to this day as “the Bishop of the Poor.”
His example of charity has encouraged me in times of trial and service.
The third companion on my journey is St. Toribio de Mogrovejo, who was also Spanish. He was a missionary in Peru in the 16th century.
He devoted himself to evangelizing with great zeal and studied the local languages.
St. Toribius combined an intense life of prayer with a commitment to justice, particularly regarding the abuses and corruption of his time. For this reason, he is a model of dedication to people, especially the poor, in the name of Christ.
Reflecting on the lives of these saints, I asked myself, as St. Augustine did, “If they were able to do it, why can’t I?”.
I am pleased to share this question with you, and I invite you to choose examples of a good life that inspire you and others.
(2) I would now like to ask you about your years as a missionary in Peru. Of the years I spent in Peru, first as a missionary and then as a bishop, I remember most of all the people’s witness of faith.
It was a faith marked by many difficulties yet full of hope.
Encountering the people’s hardships and joys helped me grow in my own journey following Jesus.
(3) What memories or experiences do you treasure from those years?
As I proclaimed the Gospel, I was also transformed by it, as well as by the lives and faith of these people who were often materially poor yet rich in faith.
Through experiencing their faith in the Word of the Lord, I have seen how the Word of God can transform conflict into peace. God can be a source of reconciliation, peace, and justice.
(4) What do you think would help us to recognize God’s voice among all the other voices?First
we can discuss how to listen to the voice of God and how to discern if it is truly Him speaking or if it is another temptation or challenge.
Silence is the most helpful when seeking to recognize God’s voice.
It is important for each of us to cultivate the ability to be silent.
We often wear headphones, listen to music, or seek distractions. We don’t know how to be silent.
It is often precisely in this experience of silence that God can speak to us or we can discern God’s voice.
When we seek silence, we choose what not to listen to and which noises not to let distract us.
By freeing ourselves from the clamor of a thousand different voices, we recognize which voices mislead us, exploit us, or speak out of self-interest.
In silence, we understand that ideologies pass away while the truth always remains.
I would also like to emphasize the importance of seeking the truth because many voices and things on social media deceive us and tell us lies.
Always seek the truth! God is truth!
If something leads you away from God, it is not the truth. Never forget this!
Secondly,
You can be sure that God knows your voice well. He hears you and will answer you. Do not be afraid to express what is in your heart.
As a Psalm says, “Does he who planted the ear not hear?” (Psalm 94:9).
When we direct our inner conversation to the one who alone can hear it, it becomes prayer, praise, and supplication.
Prayer is a free voice because it is not spoken to prove ourselves, demonstrate preparedness, or make us feel important.
When we become prayer ourselves, the Lord responds to us through his Word, who became man for us, demonstrating his love for us.
Thirdly,
In order to recognize God’s voice, we must listen to the Word of God.
The Word of God is alive because it is Jesus Christ, whose voice continues to resonate in the Church, his body.
In him, all Scripture is fulfilled—the Old and New Testaments, which were given to humanity as a promise of salvation.
Eucharistic adoration, which we share this evening, is the perfect opportunity to be silent, open our hearts, and be ourselves in the presence of the Lord. There, we can converse with him and allow his love, transformed into nourishment for humanity, to speak eloquently.
(5)How can we, as seekers ourselves, accompany others to discover the beauty of faith?
Furthermore, dear young people, as you help others discover the beauty of our faith, remember that none of us was born a teacher, and that before the Lord we are all disciples.
Share your spiritual journey and bear witness to it through the authenticity of your lives. The decision to follow Jesus will renew you constantly, especially in times of weariness.
It is important to realize that no one believes in Jesus alone. Just look at how many of you are here!
In community, in youth groups, and in families, we can all learn about the beauty of our faith.
By sharing your spiritual journey with others, you will constantly renew your desire to follow Jesus. He walks alongside us, enlightening our path.
Follow the example of the Master. This is how I invite you to act as shepherds, educators, and friends.
(6)How can we live, as committed young Christians, in today’s society?
When you pray with love, young people will recognize the importance of prayer.
If your faith burns within you, you will pass on its living flame.
Let us all seek the fire of God’s love in our hearts!
Jesus is present with us, even in our moments of weakness, because he does not abandon us.
(7) What specific mission are you asking us to undertake as young people in the Church?
When we reach out, offer a fraternal embrace, or seek opportunities to serve, we find ways to touch the lives of others in their times of need.
There, our faith in Jesus Christ comes alive, and Jesus helps us support one another on our journey.
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Congratulations on your marriage, Fernando!
I have also seen other couples here who are getting married.
Congratulations and best wishes to them!
As I said before, don’t be afraid to consider marriage as a vocation.
Don’t be afraid of marriage or starting a family!
Throughout the centuries of Church history, we Christians have lived in all types of societies, adapting to changes in the cultures we have shared and helped shape.
There is an ancient text called the Letter to Diognetus, which offers us a beautiful insight on this point: “Christians are to the world what the soul is to the body” (VI).
This is our way of life.
Jesus’ disciples are always people of their time, but never prisoners of a passing era.
We are free in Christ! His love has set us free.
Thanks to this love, we are always free from all coercion and deception.
We are free from passing fads, because we are disciples of the truth.
We are open to the future, because we know that does not await us.
On the contrary, the meaning of history is fulfilled in the eternal communion of life that God prepares for us all.
From this perspective, young people are called to lead society in a new direction.
You can play a key role in bringing about change through your daily relationships—what you experience at home, at university, and at work
Dear young people,
Seeing your enthusiasm, which stems from your faith, gives me hope that you will bear witness to Christ in the world, including in the realm of digital media, and communicate the values and beauty of the Gospel.
Therefore, I invite all of you to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
In order to do so, you must first understand today’s society and live wisely in order to transform it as witnesses of the Gospel.
A young Christian is a source of light in times of both joy and trial.
Young Christians add flavor to life by enjoying it from the inside out.
They don’t look to wealth, pleasure, or power as sources of flavor.
This is our freedom, rooted in faith.
It has the power to illuminate and enrich every society and human experience.
Conversely, when life loses its flavor.
It feels as if it has been stolen from us.
We no longer feel as if it is our own.
In the face of emptiness, indifference, compliance, and violence—whether it be war or lies—you must be the sparks of a new humanity.
I want to entrust all of you the mission to be truly human.
Yes, be human: men and women of flesh and blood!
Not just appearances, but trustworthy faces.
People who seek justice because they hunger for it, as they do for their daily bread.
People who desire an honest and upright lives, because they would gladly do for others what they would want done for themselves.
Be human like Christ, the perfect man, the risen one who shares history with us in every age.
As you carry out this mission, look to the apostles and the first Christians, who lived in a pagan world.
Following their example, be missionaries of the Gospel in the face of the material and spiritual poverty of our time.
Remember that our faith is a way of life lived in charity.
Dear young people, this is the virtue that will change history the most.
You can change history! Do it with love! Thank you very much.
