Approximately 60 tk. young people gathered at the José Díaz National Stadium in Lima on November 12 to participate in a prayer vigil with Pope Leo XIV, according to Vatican News.
An additional 300 tk. youth gathered in the surrounding area to witness the event. The Pope arrived at the stadium in his Popemobile, greeted by chants of “This is the Pope’s youth! Welcome home, Holy Father!”
The visit to Peru is part of a wider Latin American tour that also includes Uruguay and Argentina.
Three individuals shared personal stories during the vigil, highlighting themes of doubt, loss, and the role of community. Juan Meza, an 18-year-old dancer, told Vatican News that faith does not shield individuals from life’s difficulties but provides the strength to face them through friendship. Emília Milagrosa, a pastoral coordinator, and Sister Luzbinda Ramos also shared their experiences of overcoming grief and depression.
Sister Ramos, who once considered marriage before joining the Ursuline congregation, described a period of internal emptiness following the death of her mother. She credited her brother with helping her regain hope. “Faith does not protect us from crises, but it gives us the certainty that God always supports us and provides us with help through our brothers and sisters,” she said.
Pope Leo XIV framed his address around three key concepts: passion, vocation, and friendship. He encouraged the youth to ask themselves, “What are you looking for?” while cautioning them not to rush their answers. The Pope said that the Italian word for passion, passione, carries a dual meaning of intense love and suffering.
“Dear young people, when you suffer, hurry to Jesus,” the Pope told the crowd. He urged them to be honest in their prayers, even when words are hard to find. Regarding vocation, he addressed concerns about whether following God’s will means abandoning personal dreams. He emphasized that God knows the deepest desires of the human heart better than individuals do themselves.
The Pope concluded his address by emphasizing friendship, pointing to the scriptural account of the disciples who stayed with Jesus. He encouraged the youth to cultivate friendships through prayer, the Eucharist, and listening to the Word of God.
“How beautiful it is to find friends who allow us to grow and bring us closer to God!” the Pope said. Following his remarks, a young participant presented the Pope with a lit candle while the crowd illuminated the stadium with their smartphone lights. The vigil ended with the recitation of the “Our Father” and a final blessing from the Pope.
The Pope is visiting Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru as part of his current apostolic journey to Latin America.
Approximately 60 tk. youth were inside the National Stadium, while an estimated 300 tk. additional young people gathered in the surrounding area.
Pope Leo XIV spent time in Peru during the 1980s as a missionary and later as a bishop, during which time he was granted Peruvian citizenship.
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