MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV
FOR THE 40th WORLD YOUTH DAY
23 November 2025
“You also are my witnesses, because you have been with me” (Jn 15:27).
Dear young people,
As I begin my first message to you, I would like to say thank you! Thank you for the joy you brought when you came to Rome for your Jubilee, and thank you to all the young people who were united to us through their prayer from every part of the world. It was a precious moment for renewing our enthusiasm for the faith and sharing the hope that burns in our hearts! Rather than being an isolated event, I hope the Jubilee encounter marks for each of you a step forward in Christian life and a strong encouragement to persevere in witnessing to your faith.
That same dynamic is at the heart of the next World Youth Day, which we will celebrate on 23 November, Solemnity of Christ the King, with the theme: “You also are my witnesses, because you have been with me” (Jn 15:27). As pilgrims of hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we prepare ourselves to become courageous witnesses of Christ. Let us begin a journey that will lead us to the international World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027.
https://www.vatican.va/content..../leo-xiv/en/messages
