Almost a million young people welcome Pope Leo at event near Rome

More than 800,000 young pilgrims filled a vast field in Tor Vergata on the outskirts of Rome for a chance to see Pope Leo XIV in the largest gathering yet of the new pontiff’s tenure, as part of a weekend of events aimed at energising Catholic youth. Young people from more than 146 countries pressed against fences as Leo toured the crowd in his popemobile. He waved, offered blessings and caught stuffed animals and national flags thrown by the pilgrims as he passed by. Organisers estimated the crowd may have swelled to about 1 million by the evening

Pope Leo XIV gets rock star welcome from young Catholics at huge vigil