PARIS (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV urged 80,000 young people gathered at the Stade de France Sept. 25 to pursue holiness, peace and a “living relationship with Jesus” during an evening prayer vigil that showcased the diversity of France’s Catholic youth.
“The first thing I want to tell you is: Thank You!” the pope said, speaking off-the-cuff. “Thank you for your courage, thank you for your presence, thank you for your faith!”
“Young people of France, you carry in your hearts an immense desire for freedom, a word that resonates loudly in your culture,” the pope told the youth, among them non-Christian students enrolled in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Saint-Denis, who attended at the invitation of local schools.
Jesus is the source of ‘true freedom’
The pope said the source of “true freedom” is “a living relationship with Jesus.”
“The Lord’s presence brings wisdom to our plans and beauty to the desires we hold in our hearts,” he continued.
“God shines through our souls like a light, inviting us to a constant renewal,” the pope said, adding that Christ is “calling us to a conversion that gives full meaning to our lives, making us protagonists of a story that moves from confusion to the pursuit of truth, and from indifference to a commitment to justice.”
The event took place in one of France’s poorest and most diverse areas. The Diocese of Saint-Denis includes about 2 million people from more than 130 countries. Many of its estimated 22,000 practicing Catholics come from immigrant families.
The new mayor of Saint-Denis, Bally Bagayoko, a Muslim of Malian origin known for his widely publicized affiliation with radical far-left parties, warmly welcomed the pope upon his arrival and participated in the vigil himself.
Music and testimonies
After a popemobile tour of the stadium, Pope Leo was welcomed by Bishop Étienne Guillet of Saint-Denis, France’s youngest bishop. The Ecclesia Cantic choir of nearly 2,500 young people from around France, accompanied by an orchestra, sang throughout the evening.
“Many of the songs were chosen so that everyone could sing along,” said Christel, 30, a Paris-based member of the choir involved in youth ministry. “It was not a concert, but a way to invite everyone to sing with us.”
The festive performances prior to the vigil included 17-year-old Franco-American soprano Monroe, who grew up in Salt Lake City and sang Giulio Caccini’s “Ave Maria” as the statue of Our Lady of France was carried into the stadium. Canadian singer Natasha St-Pier, known for her songs dedicated to St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, also performed.
Several young people shared testimonies about their encounter with Christ, including Orvedi, a young Angolan man with a cleft lip and palate, who spoke of the power of the Holy Spirit that sustains him spiritually and enables him to believe in himself — through the grace of Christ — despite the severity of his disability.
Highlighting France’s saints
The evening also included a theatrical presentation on saints from France’s history, including St. Denis, the first bishop of Paris, who was martyred in the third century. The pope was clearly entertained himself as hundreds of young performers dressed in historical costumes looked up to heaven as fireworks lit up the sky over the stadium.
Some young people from a variety of backgrounds spoke with Pope Leo, including a young girl named Chloé, who shared what she does in her parish to help young people in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
“There are a lot of Boy Scouts here!” the pope exclaimed after hearing the testimony of another young person. Pope Leo thanked the young people, spontaneously addressing them in French. “You are the saints of France!” he told them with a big smile.
Blessed Marcel Callo’s witness
In his address, Pope Leo reflected on St. Paul’s First Letter to Timothy and described the life of faith as a “struggle” in which “the only weapon is that of self-giving love.”
Recalling Blessed Marcel Callo — a French member of the Young Christian Workers who died at age 24 after being sent to a German Nazi concentration camp because of his Christian activities while forced to work in Germany during World War II — the pope said that in the “darkness of the concentration camp” the young man “never ceased to strive toward the good, maintaining his interior freedom.”
“To make the right choices, remember this principle: The good gives life; it never takes it away,” Pope Leo said. “The good cares for others; it does not take for itself. The good is not simply a nice idea, but the radiant face of love: It is God himself.”
The pope also encouraged young people to know they are never alone in their vocation.
“We are not alone on this path to holiness, for we walk it united with all our brothers and sisters around us. You are experiencing this yourselves tonight, as happens at great gatherings like World Youth Day. We also have the saints as our allies, supporting us in times of trial,” Pope Leo stressed.
‘Important moments of communion’
“These moments of gathering are truly important moments of communion,” Christel confirmed. “It is important for us to feel that we are part of a community, despite our different journeys. The pope is precisely the figure of unity who can bring together Catholics of different sensibilities. In this regard, Pope Leo XIV inspires me particularly.”
Christel told OSV News that the event was not the first time she performed for a pope.
“Eighteen years ago, I was part of one of the choirs selected to participate in Benedict XVI’s Mass in September 2008 in Lourdes. Coming back to sing for (Pope) Leo XIV meant a lot to me,” she said. “We really need people who speak of peace in our world, given the international context, and who say that we can move beyond our differences — cultural differences and others — without forgetting that we share a common earth!”
The vigil was broadcast live on France 2, France’s public-service general-interest television channel.
Vigil showed ‘fabric’ of young Catholics
“For the Catholic Church, it was a unique moment, a window of opportunity to get its message across to the general public,” said Charles Mercier, a historian, researcher, and recognized specialist on youth and Catholicism at the French National Center for Scientific Research, or CNRS.
For Mercier, the vigil was “highly representative of the fabric of today’s young practicing Catholics in France.”
“According to polls, they currently account for only 18% of their age group, but they demonstrate a very strong personal commitment to their Christian faith,” he explained. “At the same time, they are very much of their time and well integrated into society. They are concerned about certain aspects of modern life, particularly the fact that many social connections are now virtual. From this perspective, they often find in Catholicism a sense of community that broader society does not offer them.”
‘Catholicism is still very much alive in our country’
“There’s a wave of enthusiasm that brings joy and hope right now among young Catholics,” Christel confirmed. “Around us, society is more diverse than it used to be, and the Church as an institution no longer holds the same importance it once did. But people aren’t hostile to Christianity either.”
“Rather, they view the subject with curiosity,” she continued. “This encourages us to joyfully show that there are still Catholics in France who are deeply committed to their faith, and that Catholicism is still very much alive in our country!”
Caroline de Sury writes for OSV News from Paris.
