It is estimated that some two million Catholics gathered on Saturday in Madrid’s Plaza de Lima to welcome Pope Leo XIV, in one of the largest youth gatherings in Spain in recent decades. The event was marked by moments of prayer, music and reflection, highlighting a renewed search for faith among young people.
I feel truly blessed to have met the Pope in Madrid amidst a crowd of millions of people, including more than 600 young people from our congregation (SSCC) and thousands of young people from different parishes and schools run by religious orders and dioceses. What moved me most was witnessing the deep faith of the young people and the general public from across Europe. Throughout the vigil and Eucharistic adoration, a profound silence reigned. Everyone knelt in prayer, even on the uneven ground, creating an atmosphere of reverence and devotion. Some young people were visibly moved to tears, offering a powerful testimony of faith and of their longing for God.
06/08/2026