Strive for Holiness, Do Not Settle for Less: Pope’s Call Echoes through a Million Youth

“Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less.” That was the bold message Pope Leo XIV delivered to more than a million young people gathered in Rome’s Tor Vergata field for the closing Mass of the Jubilee of Youth.

From Brazil to Hungary, Myanmar to South Korea, young Catholics flooded Rome’s outskirts, turning the city into a vibrant, living mosaic of faith and culture.

Among them, over 2,000 Hungarian pilgrims braved the summer heat and long walks to take part in the historic gathering.

What began as a concert-like celebration on Saturday—filled with singing, dancing, and performances in multiple languages—evolved into a deep night of prayer and reflection as the Pope joined the vigil. Many slept outdoors under the stars, waiting for Sunday’s Mass.

Earlier in the week, the Circus Maximus transformed into a global confessional. Hundreds of white tents dotted the ancient Roman stadium, where priests offered confession in dozens of languages—even Hungarian.

It is not just about forgiveness—it is about finding peace,”

said one young participant.

“The youth are deeply engaged,” said Father Lehel Molnár, a Hungarian Piarist priest from Cluj. “They talk about relationships, struggles with digital addiction, their hopes and fears. Many are asking how to find peace—not just globally, but in their own hearts.”

Some confessed for the first time in years. Others came simply to talk. “The conversations reflect the real questions young people are facing today,” Molnár explained. “Faith, friendship, and the search for meaning.”

Pope Leo urged young people to lift their eyes from a culture of consumption and seek a life that “renews itself daily in love.”

“It is truly beautiful, especially at a young age, to open wide your hearts, to allow Him to enter, and to set out on this adventure with Him towards eternity,” the Pope said, urging the young people to be contagious in their enthusiasm and faith as they return to their homelands.

Quoting Saint Augustine, he challenged them:

… let us not deceive our hearts by trying to satisfy them with cheap imitations! Let us rather listen to them! Let us turn this thirst into a step stool, like children who stand on tiptoe, in order to peer through the window of encounter with God.”

As the crowds begin their journey home, the Pope’s call echoes loudly:

Be bold. Be holy. And never settle for less.

Via MTI; Featured image: Piarista Rend Magyar Tartománya Facebook