Pope Leo XIV held a dialogue this Thursday with more than 2,000 young people from various European countries gathered in Assisi for the GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting 2026, held as part of the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis. During the meeting, the Pontiff encouraged participants to face definitive commitments without fear, warning that in a society marked by provisionality, «the most revolutionary act today is to decide forever.»
This is the second visit of Leo XIV to the city of Saint Francis since the beginning of his pontificate. After being received by civil and ecclesiastical authorities and by the general ministers of the three branches of the Franciscan family, the Pope went to the square of Santa Maria degli Angeli. There, in a format already common in this type of youth meetings, he answered questions from three young people about peace, vocation, and love for the Church.
«Deciding forever» in a culture of the provisional
The Pontiff’s most extensive reflection was dedicated to the Christian vocation. Responding to a young man from Bologna who asked how to respond generously to God’s call in a context marked by uncertainty and fear of definitive decisions, Leo XIV stated that assuming a permanent commitment constitutes today «perhaps the most revolutionary act.»
The Pope observed that while in the past the Church constantly reminded people of the passing nature of earthly realities, today many people live with the impression that no decision should be definitive. In his view, this mentality fosters fear and the possibility of losing one’s way.
«Deciding forever does not lock us in a cage, but opens us to a greater dynamism,» he affirmed. In this sense, he explained that every vocation is a path walked together with God and that fidelity does not consist of a single response, but in renewing that «yes» every day.
Leo XIV illustrated this reflection with his own experience, recalling that he has never walked his vocational path alone. He pointed out that the Lord has accompanied him through concrete people and that this journey led him to respond successively to the priestly vocation, to Augustinian life, to mission, and finally to the Petrine ministry.
A call to be «artisans of peace»
Another question was asked by a young Croatian woman, who asked the Pope for advice on living Franciscan spirituality today in a society marked by divisions.
Leo XIV recalled that the region from which the young woman came had experienced a war just three decades ago in which religion became mixed with nationalism. In that context, he highlighted the role played for centuries by Franciscans in fostering coexistence among Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims.
The Pontiff stated that Christians are called to become «artisans of peace» in societies where there is a temptation to instrumentalize religion to pit identities against each other. He also noted that the evangelical radicality of Saint Francis «is the opposite of fundamentalism,» because it leads to following Christ from humility, welcome, and closeness.
He also encouraged young people to cultivate personal encounters in an era in which, he indicated, technology can hinder direct relationships between people.
Love for the Church despite its wounds
The third intervention was dedicated to young people’s relationship with the Church. A Sicilian participant asked how to remain united to it when many claim to believe in God but not in the Church, due to its contradictions and internal crises.
Leo XIV acknowledged that there are people who «have not been able to experience the Church as Jesus Christ wants it to be» and admitted that this reality can leave wounds, cause disillusionment, and even become an obstacle to faith.
At the same time, he recalled that Christ’s desire was to gather a people in which divisions among men would be overcome, and stated that the renewal of the Church comes through listening to the Word of God, celebrating the sacraments, and practicing charity.
Evoking the mandate given to Saint Francis—»Go and repair my Church»—the Pope affirmed that this task remains open and that it is up to all the baptized to participate in it from their own vocation. In this context, he invited young people to speak of the Church «with the affection with which one speaks of a mother,» recognizing that it is in her that Christ continues to make himself present and accompany the faithful.
The meeting concluded with the Pope’s blessing to the participants of the GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting 2026, organized by the Franciscan family on the occasion of the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi.