A digital encounter titled 'Pope Leo LIVE!' is planned between Pope Leo XIV and young adults at the 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis. The 45-minute event aims to be an authentic 'dialogue' between young people and the Pope, reflecting their thoughts and questions. The NCYC, held at Lucas Oil Stadium, is an annual three-day conference for high school students, with this year's theme being sacraments. Organizers hope the Pope's address will amplify the conference theme and experience, with Archbishop Nelson Perez calling it a 'historic event'. The event is considered the Pope's first digital visit to the United States.
24 days ago
The 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) is taking place November 20-22 in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center. Organized by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), it draws over 15,000 high school students, leaders, and chaperones for prayer, catechesis, evangelization, and service.1 2 The theme "I Am" emphasizes encountering Christ and empowering discipleship through the sacraments.2 5
A highlight is the 45-minute live digital dialogue titled "Pope Leo LIVE!" scheduled for November 21 at 10:15 a.m. ET, marking Pope Leo XIV's first virtual U.S. visit. Organizers selected five diverse youth—Mia Smothers, Elise Wing, Christopher Pantelakis, Micah Alcisto, and Ezequiel Ponce—to ask questions developed from teens' lived experiences, focusing on spiritual life and sacraments like confirmation.1 The pope requested this interactive format over a pre-recorded video, aiming for authentic exchange; EWTN is broadcasting it live and coordinating tech.1 2
Archbishop Nelson Perez calls it a "historic event" in the digital age, while executive director Christina Lamas sees it amplifying the sacraments theme without "fitting the pope into a box."1 Post-event, bishops will join youth for lunch to continue dialogue, fostering ongoing "exchange of hearts."1
The event kicks off November 20 with Mass, exhibit exploration, and interactive setups themed around sacraments, including games, crafts, and service projects like aiding the homeless via Catalyst Catholic.2 5 Friday features breakout workshops on family life, social media, discernment, and mental health for adults; emcees Gian Gamboa and Sister Elfie Del Rosario ("The Happy Nun") lead sessions.2 3
Keynote speakers include Bishop Joseph Espaillat, Meg Hunter-Kilmer, and Sister Miriam James Heidland; Cardinal Christophe Pierre is attending.2 Saturday offers more workshops, worship, and a closing Mass; exhibits feature youth-oriented vendors like Motherboards for Catholic skateboarding.2 5 Daily adoration and confession opportunities emphasize sacraments and community.4
Organizers stress diversity in participant selection, drawing from registered groups nationwide to ensure representation and non-Googleable questions rooted in teens' curiosities and struggles.1 Leaders like Katie Tipker view NCYC as a faith reigniter, noting lasting impacts on youth journeys despite challenges like chaperoning with infants.4
Youth ministers such as Cara Lipinski (leading 27 from Ohio) highlight adoration and Mass as transformative, boosting their own faith while witnessing teen conversions.4 Gregory Gust (first-time leader with 98 from West Virginia) hopes it shows the Church's relevance; Cuquis Romero and Beth Pifer emphasize God's presence in communal prayer and youth light.4 Overall, leaders see NCYC affirming youth as the Church's present, not just future.1 4
Teens express thrill for faith-deepening amid fun, with many eager for the pope's English dialogue as the first American pontiff.5 Groups from Georgia and Ohio anticipate sacraments exhibits, concerts, and meeting peers; returnees like Lucy Snipes praise adoration's shared energy.5 First-timers like Miriam Stebel seek Church understanding, while locals Amelia Horner and Maeve Wendiger celebrate Indianapolis hosting, feeling "seen" in the "I Am" theme.5
Early exhibits on November 20 sparked interactions via themed hats and games, helping teens connect and explore vocations.5 Attendees value belonging, with one noting shock at the event's local scale, underscoring Indiana's special role.5
Evaluate Catholic youth engagement through digital papal dialogue
Catholic youth engagement through digital papal dialogue represents a dynamic intersection of tradition and modernity, where popes leverage online platforms to foster spiritual connection, dialogue, and evangelization among young people. This approach has evolved significantly, particularly in the wake of global events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of social media, allowing the Church to meet youth "where they are" in the digital realm. Drawing from pastoral reflections and recent papal communications, this evaluation highlights the strengths of such engagement—such as building unity and accessibility—while addressing challenges like superficial relationships and the risk of isolation. Ultimately, it underscores the Church's call to infuse digital spaces with authentic human encounter, transforming them into arenas for genuine witness and communion.
The Church's embrace of digital tools for youth outreach is not new but has intensified under recent pontificates. The Dicastery for Communication's 2023 document Towards Full Presence illustrates this through the example of Pope Francis' 2020 Urbi et Orbi prayer in an empty St. Peter's Square, live-streamed globally during lockdown. This event united isolated youth in a profound moment of communion, demonstrating how digital media can extend the Church's embrace to millions, even amid physical distance. The reflection emphasizes that such transmissions allow the Pope's message to "reach the homes and touched the lives of people all over the world," fostering a sense of shared presence that counters isolation.
Under Pope Leo XIV, elected in 2025, digital papal dialogue has become more interactive and youth-focused. His Video Message to young people gathered in Košice on November 8, 2025, exemplifies this, delivered remotely yet intimately, urging youth to witness faith in daily life and invoking the certainty of God's love as a source of freedom. This digital format enabled real-time connection across nations, aligning with the Synod of Bishops' 2024 Final Document, which notes how the internet reshapes youth experiences of faith and relationships. Similarly, during the 2025 Jubilee of Youth, Pope Leo XIV engaged in dialogues at Tor Vergata, addressing social media's dual role in friendships—offering opportunities for encounter while risking illusory bonds driven by algorithms and consumerism. He referenced Christus Vivit to affirm the web as "a public square" for dialogue and exchange, yet warned against its manipulative potential.
These instances build on earlier efforts, such as Pope Francis' pre-synodal meetings in 2018, where he encouraged youth to "speak courageously" via linked-up sessions, blending in-person and digital participation to include global voices. Pope Benedict XVI's 2005 message also laid groundwork, calling for social media to cultivate "dialogue and debate" that enriches cultural diversity and shares the Gospel digitally. Collectively, these dialogues—often disseminated via live streams, videos, and messages—position the Pope as a virtual companion, echoing the Synod's vision of digital spaces as "prophetic" for mission.
Digital papal dialogue excels in making the Church's magisterium accessible to youth, who increasingly identify the digital world as integral to their lives. Christus Vivit (2019) describes social networks as an "extraordinary opportunity for dialogue, encounter and exchange," particularly for pastoral initiatives targeting young people. This is evident in Pope Leo XIV's Message for the 40th World Youth Day (2025), which uses digital platforms to invite youth into friendship with Christ, preparing them for events like the 2027 Seoul WYD. By framing witness as arising from personal relationship—"You also are my witnesses, because you have been with me" (Jn 15:27)—the message transforms online dissemination into a call for active participation, renewing enthusiasm post-Jubilee.
A key strength is unity amid diversity. The 2020 papal prayer united quarantined youth globally, creating "a moment of unity and communion" despite physical barriers. Pope Leo XIV's addresses, such as to the International Youth Advisory Body (2025), highlight how digital tools combat isolation by encouraging synodal living—prayer, listening, and mission shared online yet leading to embodied community. He warns against "disembodied" online faith but praises its potential to connect youth beyond algorithms, fostering creativity and courage. This aligns with Towards Full Presence, which celebrates creative ecclesial initiatives on social media, from local witnesses to global events, as more pervasive than institutional efforts.
Evangelization thrives here too. Pope Leo XIV's dialogue at the Jubilee Vigil (2025) uses digital culture as a lens to discuss truth in relationships, urging youth to transform platforms through faith rather than be shaped by them. His address to students (2025) invokes St. Carlo Acutis, who evangelized via websites on Eucharistic miracles, as a model for "humanizing the digital" and building fraternity. The Synod document reinforces this, calling for resources to make digital environments spaces for proclamation and peer formation. Such dialogues not only inform but inspire, as seen in Pope Francis' 2024 address to youth ministers, emphasizing genuine listening to empower youth in Church decisions.
Despite these benefits, digital papal dialogue faces hurdles in ensuring depth. The Synod (2024) observes that while connectivity abounds, youth often experience "loneliness and marginalisation," exacerbated by social media's manipulative polarization. Algorithms, as Pope Leo XIV notes, dictate content and friendships, turning users into "commodities" and fragmenting relationships. This risks reducing papal messages to fleeting interactions, where youth engage superficially without the "full presence" advocated in the Dicastery's reflection.
Another challenge is the disembodiment of faith. Pope Leo XIV warns that online discoveries of faith remain "limited to individual experiences," detached from ecclesial community unless bridged to real-life sharing. Towards Full Presence echoes this, questioning how much digital faith reflects "deep and truthful communication" versus "unquestioned opinions." Papal dialogues, while unifying, may amplify echo chambers if not paired with offline action, as Benedict XVI cautioned about media overwhelming reason with persuasive noise.
Equity issues persist: Not all youth have equal access, as Christus Vivit notes disparities in regions. Moreover, the Church's preparation lags; the Synod admits unreadiness for digital culture's shifts in faith experience. Pope Francis' 2018 meetings urged "brazen" dialogue but highlighted the need for humility in listening across differences. Without addressing these, digital engagement risks alienating rather than including.
Catholic teachings frame digital papal dialogue as an extension of the Church's missionary call, rooted in the Gospel's command to love neighbors on "digital highways." Towards Full Presence (2023) builds on World Communications Day messages since the 2000s, viewing social media as "spaces" for proclaiming the Good News, per Popes Benedict XVI and Francis. This reflects synodality, where youth are protagonists, not spectators—empowered to co-create digital encounters. The Church's universal address to digital reality, from computers in the 1990s to AI today, prioritizes rediscovering human encounter amid technological influence.
To enhance effectiveness, the Church should invest in formation, as the Synod urges: Sustain digital missionaries, promote peer dialogue, and counter polarization with resources for prophetic spaces. Examples like St. Carlo Acutis suggest integrating tech with holiness, while ongoing dialogues—like Leo XIV's—model vulnerability, inviting youth to "be authors" of their digital stories. Future WYD preparations could blend virtual and in-person elements, ensuring embodiment.
In conclusion, digital papal dialogue significantly boosts Catholic youth engagement by bridging distances and igniting faith, yet it demands vigilance against its pitfalls to fulfill the vision of full, loving presence. As Pope Leo XIV affirms, true witness flows from friendship with Christ, turning digital highways into paths of hope and communion. This balanced approach not only sustains youth involvement but renews the Church's youthful face for mission.