Young Jubilee: We can expect some wonderful surprises

The streets of Rome are about to vibrate to the rhythm of the backpacks, shoes, caps, music and the overflowing faith of joy of the thousands of young people from all corners of the planet who are already making their bags to participate in the jubilee of young people.

The great jubilee megafiesta will start next Monday. “Without a doubt, we can expect some wonderful surprises,” said the Undersecretary of the Dicas supplies for evangelization, Mons. Graziano Borgonovo.

This Italian priest has been – from the Dicasteria for evangelization – the organizational brain of the 35 mega events linked to the Holy Year. That of young people will be “the most impressive” and “the most numerically consistent.”

Mons. Borgonovo does not want to subtract the appointment, but he says that there have been other moments throughout the year in which young people have also been protagonists.

“Some of those who come already participated in other jubilee events, such as the jubilee of families or that of ecclesial movements,” says El Prelate.

In any case, it will be the first great mass bath of Pope Leo XIV with the Church’s youth. “It will certainly be an important encounter from the numerical point of view,” he emphasizes.

The Dicasterio for Evangelization has not yet formally published the data of the number of pilgrims that are expected to participate in total in the encounter, but Mons. Borgonovo advances that for the Mass with Pope Leo XIV on August 3 in Tor Vergata “about one million pilgrims will arrive.”

The great esplanade of more than 800,000 square meters is famous for having hosted the World Youth Day of the year 2000, with San Juan Pablo II, which brought together more than two million young people around the world.

From the logistics point of view, a structure designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava has been rehabilitated, originally aimed at being a “sport city”.

“The old sports city has been recently opened, which had been built years ago and then ran the risk of disused. On the other hand, it will now be the operating center,” he explains.

The preparative machinery to organize this great feast of faith was launched almost a year ago and a meticulous work has been done. “Several people have worked thoroughly for a long time for everything to work on several fronts,” explains the Undersecretary of Dicastery.

500,000 accommodation applications

Among the key logistics aspects, he stressed that months ago “about 500,000 accommodation applications” had been counted. Young people will spend mainly in structures organized by the dioceses and parishes of the Lace Region: schools, parish centers, sports center, religious schools and even military facilities adapted for the occasion.

Thanks to a close collaboration between the Dicasterio for Evangelization, the Italian Episcopal Conference and the local authorities, a hospitality network has been created that will cover not only Rome, but also its surroundings, to guarantee roof, safety and welcome to all pilgrims.

Significant participation of Latin America

Mons. Borgonovo emphasized that Latin America’s participation will be significant. “For Peru, more than a thousand people will come … From Brazil there are more than five thousand registered, as well as Colombia, Argentina and Chile,” the Prelate confirmed although it made it clear that due to geographical proximity, most of the young people will come from European countries such as France, Poland or Spain.

“We are delighted to come, we are ready to welcome them. We want to welcome this young expression of the Church that, thank God, lives in all parts of the world,” he says.

But beyond the numbers, the jubilee summons the young people of the world to renew faith because “they are not only the future of the Church, they are the present,” explains Mons. Borgonovo while echoing the words that Pope Francis used to repeat.

“Young people have a big heart … and this great human resource must be educated so that it is not reduced to pure superficiality,” says the Undersecretary, highlighting that the jubilee will also be an occasion to form youth faith in depth, connecting enthusiasm with a mature spirituality.

Despite being a Catholic event, the jubilee will also host young people from other confessions. As Mons. Borgonovo advances “the presence of young people from other Christian confessions that will be accompanied by some ministers of other cults” is expected.

In addition, the Undersecretary of Dicastery for Evangelization does not rule out that the jubilee can touch the non -believers or those who have lost faith. “It will be the occasion for young Catholics to show the beauty of faith to the world. And it may be a special occasion to find those who may want to resume their own path of interrupted faith,” he concludes.