The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy. (OSV News photo/courtesy Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi)ASSISI, Italy — Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral visit to the Italian town of Assisi on Thursday will cap four days of encounters, workshops and opportunities for sharing at the “GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting.”
The four-day event will bring thousands of Europeans aged 18 and 33 to the city of Saint Francis during his Jubilee Year.
The Pope will answer young people’s questions and preside over Mass, inviting them, as he did a year ago during the Jubilee of Youth at Tor Vergata, not to settle for a mediocre life.
Those involved in the pastoral care of young people - such as Friar Luca de Pasquale, one of the organizers of the event - note that many young people lack strong desires and have already stopped dreaming of their future.
The 38-year-old Friar Minor told Vatican News how important it is for youth to hear from someone like the Pope, who is able to speak to them about the fullness of life. He also spoke of the value of looking to a model of “holy restlessness” such as Saint Francis, who can speak to today’s young people as though he were their contemporary.
Vatican News: What will the Pope’s visit to Assisi look?
Friar Luca: The Holy Father will arrive quite early on the morning of Aug. 6, at 8:30 a.m., and everything will take place at Saint Mary of the Angels, in the Basilica that houses the little Porziuncola chapel, which Francis of Assisi restored, where he lived, founded the Order of Friars Minor and died. It is a key place for our family and also for the 800th anniversary of Francis’ “Transitus”, which we are celebrating this year.
The Pope will spend a brief moment in personal prayer inside the Porziuncola. He will then go out into the square, where, before the crowd, which is unable to enter the Basilica because of capacity restrictions, he will listen to three young people from different parts of Europe, who will put three questions to him on three different subjects.
The Pope will then meet privately with the Franciscan families. Afterwards, at around 10 or 10:30 a.m., he will preside over Mass. It will also be the Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Vatican News: A great many young people will be in Assisi: those participating in the “GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting”; those who will have just completed the 44th Franciscan March and arrived for the Pardon of Assisi; and those coming especially for Mass with Pope Leo XIV. It will be like a Franciscan World Youth Day…
Friar Luca: We are certain that, during his homily, the Holy Father will be able to offer a word that captures the meaning of everything the young people have experienced over the preceding days. On Thursday, Aug. 6, after Mass and once the Pope has departed, we will present the young people with a kind of “missionary charter”.
Vatican News: What will that involve?
Friar Luca: During the days preceding their encounter with the Pope, they will take part in workshops on various subjects. On the one hand, they will be called to listen; on the other, they themselves will take center stage and have the opportunity to express their views.
At the end, we will prepare a kind of synthesis of what emerges from the young people’s discussions and use it to draw up a missionary charter, which they will then be able to put into practice within their local communities across Europe and beyond.
— Daniele Piccini, Vatican News