Pope Leo XIV met with thousands of Roman young people in Paul VI Audience Hall last evening (video) and told them that his greatest wish for them is holiness.
After greeting young people who would follow the event on screens outside, Pope Leo entered the hall, listened to remarks from Cardinal Baldassare Reina (his vicar general for Rome) and heard questions from young people about loneliness, dissatisfaction, and boredom.
The Pope spoke about the importance of drawing near to our neighbor, as God draws near to us. He also advised:
First of all, pray. This is the most concrete act that the Christian does for the good of those around him, of himself and of the whole world. Praying is an act of freedom, which breaks the chains of boredom, pride and indifference.
To set the world on fire, an ardent heart is needed! And God kindles the fire when we pray, especially when we receive him and adore him in the Eucharist, when we encounter him in the Gospel, when we sing of him in the Psalms. Thus he renders us capable of being the light of the world and the salt of the earth.