At 8:10 p.m. this evening, the Holy Father Leo XIV left the Apostolic Nunciature and drove to  Lima Square  for the prayer vigil with young people.

Upon his arrival, after touring the popemobile among the approximately 600,000 people present, the Pope, accompanied by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Madrid, His Eminence Cardinal José Cobo Cano, went up to the stage.

After the welcome song, the greeting to Cardinal José Cobo Cano and a performance in  Godspell , Pope Leo XIV began his dialogue with some young people.

Finally, the Pope signed the back of the youth cross and briefly withdrew to the sacristy while a song was performed on stage. He then returned to the altar for Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction.

The Pope then returned by car to the Apostolic Nunciature in Madrid.

The following is the text of the dialogue between the Holy Father and young people during the Prayer Vigil in  Lima Square :

(1) We know that Saint Augustine is very important to you, but which other saints and role models have helped you to grow as a Christian?

(2) I would now like to ask you about your years as a missionary in Peru. What memories or experiences do you treasure from those years?

First of all, greetings to all of you! Thank you for being here, and thank you for sharing your faith with all of Madrid and all of Spain. Regarding the first question about some saints who have been role models for me during my upbringing and youth, but also as a bishop and as Pope. Saint Augustine has already been mentioned—and we all know that Saint Augustine is a very important figure for the whole Church—but the question also brings to mind one of the Fathers of the Eastern Church called Saint John Chrysostom, whose name means “golden-mouthed,” a title this Church Father earned thanks to his truly beautiful eloquence.  Prior to his baptism, which took place in 368 AD, he studied philosophy. He later dedicated himself to interpreting Sacred Scripture with other young men from Antioch, where he was born. After living as a hermit, he devoted himself to serving the Church as a priest and later as a bishop. I would like to take this opportunity to say to all of you: never be afraid to consider a vocation to the priesthood, religious life, or any other form of service in the Church! For John Chrysostom, who carried in his heart this love for the Word of God, after becoming a priest and bishop, bore great witness, above all through the consistency of his life. He was able to preach because he first lived that message. I was particularly impressed by his catechesis, sermons, homilies and other writings, which unite a love for the truth with the integrity of his life.  He was also very brave and was not afraid to speak before the Emperor, to say things that promoted justice and not simply to please others. He was a man of his word.

Another Saint that comes to mind is Thomas of Villanueva, an Augustinian who was also called upon to be a shepherd in the Church. He was Spanish. He studied at the University of Alcalá and his wisdom earned him the esteem of Emperor Charles V. He was later appointed Bishop of Valencia and undertook an intense process of reform within the Church, particularly amongst the clergy, exhorting his brother priests to persevere in prayer, chastity and obedience. Because of his ardent charity, he is known to this day as “the Bishop of the Poor.” His example of charity has encouraged me in times of trial and service

The third companion on my journey is Saint Toribius de Mogrovejo, also a Spaniard. He was a missionary in Peru in the 16th century, where he devoted himself with great zeal to evangelize, studying the local languages. Saint Toribius combined an intense life of prayer with a commitment to justice, especially with regard to the abuses and corruption of his time. For this reason, he is for me a model of dedication to the people, especially the poorest, in the name of Christ.

Reflecting on the lives of these saints, I said to myself, as did Saint Augustine: if they were able to do it, why not me? (cf. Confessions, VIII, 27). It is a question I am pleased to share with you too, as I invite you to choose examples of a good life that are inspiring both to you and to others.

As for the years I spent in Peru as a missionary and later as a bishop, I remember above all the people’s witness of faith — a faith marked by many difficulties yet full of hope. It was precisely my encounter with the people’s hardships and also their joys that helped me grow in my own journey following Jesus. As I proclaimed the Gospel, I too was transformed by it, as well as by the lives and faith of these people, often materially very poor, yet rich in faith. By experiencing this faith in the word of the Lord, I have seen how the Word of God can turn conflict into peace. He can be a source of reconciliation, peace and justice.
(3) What do you think would help us to recognize God’s voice among all the other voices?

(4) How can we, as seekers ourselves, accompany others in their journey to discover the beauty of faith?

First of all, we can discuss how to listen to this voice of God, how to discern whether it is truly God speaking or something else—another temptation, another challenge. When seeking to recognize God’s voice, silence is what can help us the most. I believe it is very important for each of us to cultivate the ability to be silent. Often we wear headphones, listen to music or seek distractions, and we don’t know how to be silent. I believe that it is often precisely in this experience of silence that God can speak to us or that we can discern God’s voice. When we seek silence, we choose what not to listen to and which noises not to let distract us. By freeing ourselves from the clamor of a thousand different voices, we recognize that some mislead our desires, others exploit us without providing for us, and still others speak out of self-interest. It is in silence that we come to understand that ideologies pass away, while the truth always remains. Here, too, I would like to emphasize the importance of seeking the truth, because many voices, many things on social media deceive us and tell us lies. Always seek the truth! God is truth! If it leads you away from God, it is not the truth! Do not forget this!

Secondly, you can be sure that God knows your voice well: he hears you and will answer you. Do not be afraid to express what is in your heart. There is a Psalm that says: “He who planted the ear, does he not hear?” (Ps 94:9).  Our inner conversation becomes prayer, praise and supplication when we direct it to the one who alone can hear it. Prayer is a free voice precisely because it does not speak in order to prove ourselves, to demonstrate that we are prepared or to make us feel important. When we become prayer ourselves, the Lord responds to us with his Word, who became man for us, demonstrating that he loves us with his whole being.

Thirdly, in order to recognize God’s voice, we must listen to the Word. The Word of God is alive because it is Jesus Christ, whose voice continues to resound in the Church, his Body. In him, all Scripture is fulfilled — the Old and New Testaments given to humanity as a promise of salvation. Eucharistic adoration, which we share this evening, is the perfect place to be silent, to open our hearts, and to “be” ourselves in the presence of the Lord, conversing with him and allowing his love, which has been transformed into nourishment for humanity, to speak eloquently.

Furthermore, dear young people, as you help others discover the beauty of our faith, remember that none of us was born a teacher, and that before the Lord we are all disciples. So share your spiritual journey, bearing witness to it through the authenticity of your lives: the decision to follow Jesus will constantly renew you, especially in times of weariness. In this, it is important to realize that no one is alone in believing in Jesus. Look how many of you are here! And so, in community, in youth groups and in the family, we can all learn about the beauty of our faith. For by sharing your spiritual journey with others, the desire to follow Jesus will constantly renew you. He walks alongside us and enlightens our path. Follow the example of the Master: this is how I invite you to act, as shepherds, educators and friends. If you pray with love, young people will recognize the importance of prayer. If your faith burns within you, you will pass on its living fire. Let us all seek this fire of God’s love in our hearts! For there is the presence of Jesus, and the close presence of Jesus is felt even in the moments of our falls, because Jesus does not abandon us. When we stretch out our hand, offer a fraternal embrace or seek opportunities to serve others, we find ways to touch the lives of others in their wounds, sadness and difficulties. There, faith in Jesus Christ comes alive, and that is where Jesus will help us to support one another on the journey.
(5) How can we live, as committed young Christians, in today’s society?

(6) What specific mission are you asking us to undertake as young people in the Church?

Congratulations on your marriage, Fernando! I have seen other couples here who are getting married as well: congratulations and best wishes! As I said before, do not be afraid to consider a vocation—marriage is also a vocation. Do not be afraid of marriage and starting a family!

Throughout the centuries of Church history, we Christians have lived in all types of societies, navigating the changes in the cultures we have shared and helped to shape. There is an ancient text called the Letter to Diognetus, which offers us a beautiful insight on this point: “Christians are to the world what the soul is to the body” (VI). This is our way of life: Jesus’ disciples are always people of their time, but never prisoners of a passing era. We are free in Christ! His love has set us free. Thanks to this love, we are always free from all coercion and deception. We are free from passing fads, because we are disciples of the truth; we are open to the future, because we know that it is not death that awaits us. On the contrary, the meaning of history comes to its fulfilment in the eternal communion of life that God prepares for us all. From this perspective, you young people are especially called to lead society in a new direction, playing a key role in bringing about change through your daily relationships — what you live at home, at university, and at work. Seeing you, dear young people, filled with this enthusiasm that comes from faith, I have high hopes for your ability to bear witness to Christ in the world — including the realm of digital media — and to communicate the values and beauty of the Gospel (cf. Christus Vivit, 105; Address to Catholic Digital Missionaries and Influencers, 29 July 2025).

I therefore invite all of you to be, together, the salt of the earth and the light of the world (cf. Mt 5:13). For this to happen, you must first understand today’s society and live with wisdom, so as to transform it as witnesses of the Gospel. A young Christian, in fact, is a source of light both in joy and in trial, giving flavor to reality as a person who enjoys life from within, without looking to wealth, pleasure or power as a source of flavor.  Such is our freedom, which has its source in faith. It is capable of bringing light and flavor to every society, to every human experience. On the other hand, when life loses its flavor, it is as if it were stolen from us: we no longer feel it as our own. In the face of the emptiness of indifference and compliance, before the violence of war and lies, you must be the sparks of a new humanity.

I want to entrust all of you the mission to be truly human. Yes, be human: men and women of flesh and blood! Not mere appearances, but trustworthy faces.  People who seek justice because they hunger for it, as for their daily bread.  People who desire an honest and upright life, because they gladly do to others what they would like others to do to them. Be human as Christ is human, the perfect man, the risen One who shares history with us in every age. In cultivating this mission, look to the Apostles, to the first Christians, who lived in a pagan world. Following their example, be missionaries of the Gospel amid the material and spiritual poverty of our time, knowing full well that our faith is a way of life that is lived out in charity (cf. Gal 5:6). This, dear young people, is the virtue that will change history the most. You can change history!  Do it with love! Thank you very much.