Pope Leo XIV Urges Young People to Become the "New Saints" the World Needs Today

Pope Leo XIV travelled to Assisi Aug. 5 to celebrate the Jubilee Year of St. Francis with 2,500 young people, urging them to become the “new saints” the world needs today.

The pope celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord for participants in the “Go! Franciscan Youth Meeting,” a four-day gathering of young people ages 18 to 33 from across Europe. The basilica was built on the site where St. Francis founded the Franciscan order.

“Dear young people, today Europe and the whole world are looking to you to be new saints. Dare to believe in the word of the Gospel; become fully human with the freedom of Jesus Christ,” Pope Leo said in his homily in the basilica that encompasses the small chapel where St. Francis founded the Franciscan order.

“Unite the best energies of your magnificent humanity: your studies, skills, work, friendships, love and prayer, so that you can bring Saint Francis’ vision to life in many different ways,” he added.

Pope Leo offers advice on vocation and discernment
Before Mass, he met young people, offering advice about vocations and discernment. He told them that “the deepest vocation, written in every human heart, is a call to communion,” a truth he said sin can obscure. Thankfully, he added, every vocation is also a journey toward redemption and healing. “Jesus’ invitation to follow him reveals our own dignity and teaches us to honour the dignity of others by placing our trust in them and proving ourselves worthy of their trust,” Pope Leo said.

Pope Leo also reflected on the instability of modern life, saying “the stability that once characterized traditional societies is disappearing” and that a confused sense of freedom can leave people feeling nothing is ever truly settled. In that environment, the pope said, “the courage to make a definitive choice may well be the most revolutionary act of all.”

‘Faith unmasks illusion’ problems can be solved by running away
“Faith unmasks the illusion that our problems can be solved by running away, or abandoning our commitments, or taking a few steps along ever-changing roads without ever truly arriving anywhere,” he said. “We may multiply our experiences, our acquaintances and our possessions, yet remain in exactly the same place. The human cost is immense, and the inner emptiness that follows is profound.” Saying “yes” to forever, the pope added, “is a grace which God himself enables us to respond to through our own fidelity, so that we may attain the fullness of life.”
Reflecting on his own personal vocation, Pope Leo said, “Looking back on my own life, I can say that the Lord has never left me alone. He has always accompanied me, often by placing people beside me with whom I could share the journey.”

During his homily, Pope Leo recited the well-known prayer “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,” noting that although it is often attributed to St. Francis, it actually dates only to the last century.

Courage Francis showed in leaving familiar ways behind
He said St. Francis continues to draw people to him eight centuries after his death because of the courage he showed in leaving familiar ways behind to follow a path more consistent with that of Jesus, a choice that seemed “revolutionary” even in a city that had been Christian for centuries.
(Source: OSV News)

The full text of Pope Leo XIV's homily is available on https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/homilies/2026/documents/20260806-visita-assisi-messa.html