Over one million young Catholics from around the globe are expected in Rome on Saturday for a massive prayer vigil with Pope Leo XIV, marking a highlight of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee “Holy Year.”
Pilgrims aged 18 to 35, hailing from 146 countries, will gather throughout the day at Tor Vergata, a large area on the eastern outskirts of the Italian capital, ahead of the vigil’s commencement at 20:30.
They will spend the night on this expansive 100-hectare esplanade, equipped with giant screens, until the closing Mass presided over by the American pope on Sunday morning.
The leader of 1.4 billion Catholics, who was welcomed like a rock star on Monday evening amid cheers and smartphone flashes at St. Peter’s Square, is scheduled to arrive by helicopter at Tor Vergata and is expected to engage with the crowd in the “Popemobile.” He will deliver his address from a large 1,400-square-metre wooden altar specifically erected for the occasion, flanked by thousands of priests, bishops, and religious figures.
The event’s organisation has posed a significant logistical challenge for authorities, with approximately 10,000 personnel, including police and civil protection agents, deployed.
In a historic first for the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, this Jubilee has featured events dedicated to influencers, highlighting the Vatican’s growing emphasis on evangelisation via social media.
It also marks the first major gathering of Catholic youth with Robert Francis Prevost, 69, who succeeded the widely beloved Pope Francis on 8 May. Pope Francis passed away at 88 after a 12-year pontificate.
