Pope Leo XIV addressed young Catholics at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis via livestream. The Pope's interaction with young people is valuable for Catholics of all ages. The article recommends watching the EWTN broadcast of the Pope's address on YouTube. The Pope responded to concerns from young Americans, articulating fundamental aspects of faith.
19 days ago
Pope Leo XIV participated in a livestreamed interaction with young Catholics at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis on November 21, 2025, broadcast via EWTN.1
The event featured questions from five American teens, allowing the Pope to address universal faith challenges relevant to all ages.1
Pope Leo emphasized that everyone makes mistakes and should seek God's mercy through the sacrament of reconciliation.1
He assured that God never tires of forgiving sins, encouraging open acknowledgment of faults.1
When feeling sad or lost, the Pope advised placing problems in God's hands and fostering a personal relationship with Jesus.1
This includes silent adoration, reading Scripture, daily conversations with Christ, and devotion to Mary via the Rosary, alongside supportive friendships.1
Distractions during prayer, especially from digital influences, should be briefly acknowledged before refocusing on Jesus.1
Pope Leo suggested honestly telling the Lord about distractions to resist temptations without straying too far.1
The Holy Father promoted moderate use of technology, highlighting St. Carlo Acutis as a model who used his skills to evangelize, pray, teach, and serve the poor.1
On AI, he stressed it cannot replace the unique dignity of human persons, urging ethical integration with faith.1
Pope Leo stated the Church prepares for uncertainties by remaining faithful to Jesus' teachings, seeking God's kingdom first, and trusting the Holy Spirit's guidance.1
He reminded youth they are the Church's present, not just future, calling them to attend Mass, participate in parish life, and embrace faith-growth opportunities.1
The editorial praises the event for revealing Pope Leo's fatherly warmth, wisdom, and wit as the first American-born Pope.1
It ties into his recent Thanksgiving message, encouraging global gratitude, and underscores shared responsibilities across generations in the Church.1
Examine Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral approach to youth in Catholic teaching
Pope Leo XIV, elected in May 2025 as the 267th successor of St. Peter, has quickly demonstrated a pastoral approach to youth that builds upon the rich tradition of the Catholic Church while addressing the unique spiritual and cultural realities of the contemporary world. His messages, dialogues, and homilies emphasize a personal friendship with Jesus Christ as the foundation for young people's lives, encouraging them to navigate modern challenges like digital isolation and social fragmentation through faith, witness, and service. Drawing from Jubilee events and World Youth Day preparations, Leo XIV portrays youth as active protagonists in the Church's mission, echoing prior papal teachings such as those in Christus Vivit while infusing a fresh emphasis on hope, fraternity, and evangelization in a post-Jubilee era. This approach fosters interior transformation and social commitment, urging young people to be "witnesses of communion" in a divided world .
At the heart of Pope Leo XIV's pastoral vision for youth is the invitation to a deep, personal relationship with Jesus, presented not as a distant figure but as a "friend" who accompanies and transforms. In his Message for the 40th World Youth Day, celebrated on November 23, 2025, Leo XIV reflects on John 15:27—"You also are my witnesses, because you have been with me"—to underscore that Christian witness emerges spontaneously from this friendship. He assures young people that Jesus "knows your heart, your indignation in the face of discrimination and injustice, your desire for truth and beauty, for joy and peace," and calls them to "sit beside him, to listen to his heart and share closely in his life". This relational dynamic is portrayed as a gift from God, distinct from ideological activism, fostering interior renewal and eternal communion.
This theme resonates in his homily during the Holy Mass for the Jubilee of Youth on August 3, 2025, at Tor Vergata, where Leo XIV draws parallels to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. He invites youth to recognize Christ in the Eucharist and Scripture, transforming their sense of limitation and "thirst" for more into an adventure toward eternity. "We are not made for a life where everything is taken for granted and static, but for an existence that is constantly renewed through gift of self in love," he explains, urging them to "open wide your hearts" to God. Similarly, in a video message to young people gathered in Košice on November 8, 2025, he reminds them: "In every situation of our life, we will experience that we are never alone, for as children we are always loved, forgiven and encouraged by God," positioning Christ as the source of freedom from indifference.
Leo XIV's approach aligns with the Church's longstanding emphasis on Christ as "eternally young," as articulated in Vatican II's Message to Youth and echoed by Pope John Paul II, but he personalizes it for a generation seeking authentic bonds amid fleeting digital connections.
Pope Leo XIV astutely addresses the digital age's impact on youth, viewing social media as both an opportunity for encounter and a risk for fragmentation. During the Jubilee Vigil dialogue on August 2, 2025, responding to a young Mexican woman's question about loneliness despite online "friends," he acknowledges the culture's dual nature: "Internet and social media have become 'an extraordinary opportunity for dialogue, encounter and exchange'... However, these tools are misleading when they are controlled by commercialism and interests that fragment our relationships." He warns against algorithms dictating thoughts and friendships, which turn people into "commodities," and advocates for "genuine relationships and stable connections" rooted in truth.
This concern extends to education in his address to students at the Jubilee of the World of Education on October 30, 2025. He praises digital tools for study and communication but cautions: "Do not let the algorithm write your story! Be the authors yourselves; use technology wisely, but do not let technology use you." Highlighting artificial intelligence as a "new thing," he calls for "humanizing the digital," drawing on St. Carlo Acutis as a model who used the internet for evangelization rather than enslavement. Leo XIV envisions youth as "prophets in the digital world," building spaces of fraternity.
His guidance complements the Dicastery for Communication's Towards Full Presence (2023), which stresses living as "loving neighbours" online, and Pope Francis's Christus Vivit, but Leo XIV applies it pastorally by integrating it into Jubilee reflections, urging youth to transform culture through faithful choices .
Leo XIV's pastoral care empowers youth as witnesses and builders of peace, reflecting the Church's missionary call. In the Košice message, he exhorts: "Jesus calls you to be witnesses of communion, builders of bridges and sowers of trust in a world often marked by division and suspicion. Do not be afraid... to live the Gospel with enthusiasm". The World Youth Day message expands this, linking friendship with Christ to social commitment: youth are to be "builders of peace in society," countering injustice with the "joyful newness" of faith.
During the canonization Mass on September 7, 2025, he highlights youth saints like Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis as exemplars, greeting young attendees and noting their role in sharing "this love for Jesus Christ, especially in the Eucharist... and in the poor." He challenges them: "All of you... are called to be Saints," tying personal holiness to societal renewal. In greeting artists for the Tor Vergata youth encounter, he encourages using talents like music and dance to share "the desire to find happiness, joy, love" in Christ.
This echoes John Paul II's vision of youth as "leading characters in evangelization" and Francis's synodal youth ministry, but Leo XIV emphasizes post-Jubilee hope, preparing for the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day as "pilgrims of hope".
Leo XIV integrates education into his approach, viewing it as key to vocational discernment and peace. In the education Jubilee address, he outlines challenges like digital formation and "education for peace," calling youth to "disarm hearts" against violence and inequality, ensuring access for all. His Jubilee events—vigils, masses, and dialogues—serve as immersive formation, fostering encounters that "renew our enthusiasm for the faith".
He promotes inclusive ministry, listening to youth concerns as in the 2018 pre-synodal meeting, and encourages popular, flexible approaches per Christus Vivit . By canonizing youth-friendly saints, he provides relatable models.
Pope Leo XIV's approach faithfully extends the Church's teachings, from Pius XI's emphasis on Christian education to John Paul II's youth ministry priorities and Francis's hope amid crises. He addresses modern unease—loneliness, war, environmental threats—as in the USCCB's Laudato Si' letter—while rooting solutions in Christocentric hope. Unlike more structured models, his is relational and event-driven, yet nuanced for ethics like digital use, avoiding overreach.
Pope Leo XIV's pastoral approach to youth is a vibrant call to friendship with Christ, digital wisdom, and peaceful witness, equipping young people for evangelization in a fragmented world. Through Jubilee graces and World Youth Day themes, he inspires them as "beloved disciples," ensuring the Church's youthful face shines with hope. This vision not only sustains Catholic tradition but invigorates it for the third millennium.