Pope Leo XIV urges France’s young Catholics to turn faith into public witness

Pope Leo XIV urges France’s young Catholics to turn faith into public witness
About 80,000 young Catholics filled the Stade de France north of Paris for a prayer vigil with Pope Leo XIV, blending worship, artistic performances and testimony from people who described faith as both personal renewal and a public commitment.

The gathering brought together attendees from working-class suburbs and families linked to more traditional Catholic communities, alongside groups with differing regional and devotional traditions. A 90-minute programme included hymns, silent prayer, veneration of relics, a staging of French Christian history and fireworks.

For many participants, the scale and atmosphere were central to the message. Romance Bono, 29, said the Pope’s arrival moved her to tears, calling the sight of young people cheering him “the strength of the Church” and “the future of the Church.” Jacques-Henri de Livron, a 28-year-old volunteer, said he used his full name despite what he described as concern among religious people about workplace consequences. “I want to be part of a generation that stops being afraid to witness,” he said.

Leo’s address placed that desire for witness in a broader spiritual argument. He urged young people to reject evil and pursue good, saying: “God is the Lord of history, and no matter what happens, he guides its course toward salvation.” He also told Chloé, who had said society often seemed unconcerned with God, that “the Lord is not indifferent to us,” presenting that conviction as grounds for hope.

The participants’ accounts stressed the difficulty of expressing belief in a secular environment; the Pope’s response emphasized perseverance, service to others and examples set by saints. He said such figures changed history because they first allowed faith to transform their own hearts. The vigil opened a four-day French visit scheduled to continue in Lourdes and Metz.

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