Pope Leo XIV Electrifies Youth Pilgrims with Surprise Appearance

Pope Leo XIV surprised a large gathering of young Catholics on Tuesday as he made an unexpected appearance at a Holy Year welcome ceremony, eliciting cheers reminiscent of a rock star's reception. This marked the first major youth event of his papacy.

Leo arrived at St. Peter's Square in his popemobile just as an evening Mass concluded, catalyzing jubilant cheers from the crowd of around 120,000 pilgrims. The event was part of the Jubilee of Youth, a week-long celebration for young Catholics.

Addressing the crowd, Leo emphasized the youth's role as beacons of hope and peace. Meanwhile, downtown Rome was bustling with approximately 500,000 Catholic youths, participating in what felt like a mini-version of World Youth Day.

(With inputs from agencies.)