Pope Leo brings youth jubilee to a close with mass for more than a million | Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV presided over a mass in Rome for more than a million young people on Sunday, the culmination of a pilgrimage that has drawn Catholics from across the world.

“Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less,” the pope told the crowd.

The week-long Jubilee of Youth, a highlight of the jubilee holy year, was an enormous undertaking for the Vatican, with a half a million young pilgrims in Rome for most of the week.

Before a twilight vigil led by the pope on Saturday night, organisers said there had been 800,000 people in the vast open-air space on Rome’s eastern outskirts. The Vatican said on Sunday that number had grown to a million.

Most of them spent the night in tents, in sleeping bags or on mats in anticipation of Sunday’s mass.

Among them was New Yorker Christofer Delano, who said he had been “so happy to see Pope Leo” but was stunned by the crowds.

“I didn’t expect to see all these people. I knew there was going to be a lot of people, I didn’t know it was going to be this many,” he said.

In his homily, the former missionary and first US pope encouraged the gathered youth to “spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith to everyone you meet”.

The Vatican has sought to highlight the fact that pilgrims travelled to Rome from war-torn regions, and Leo said in his Angelus prayer: “We are closer than ever to young people who suffer the most serious evils which are caused by other human beings.”

“We are with the young people of Gaza. We are with the young people of Ukraine, with those of every land bloodied by war,” the pontiff said.

“My young brothers and sisters, you are the sign that a different world is possible, a world of fraternity and friendship where conflicts are not resolved with weapons but with dialogue.”

The colourful event was accompanied by music from a choir and about 450 bishops and 700 priests all dressed in green robes. A towering cross dominated the golden arch covering the stage where the pope led mass.

Tommaso Benedetti, an Italian pilgrim, said the pope had passed his first test in the eyes of young people during the youth jubilee.

“We feel quite satisfied. There were many references to peace, which is a theme that is very close to our hearts as young people,” he said.

The young pilgrims – from 146 different countries, according to the Vatican – have filled Rome’s streets since Monday, chanting, singing and waving their countries’ flags.

The festive atmosphere reached a peak on Saturday before the vigil presided over by Leo. The Italian broadcaster Rai called it a Catholic Woodstock.

Hundreds of thousands camped out at the dusty venue, strumming guitars or singing, as music blasted from the stage where a series of religious bands entertained the crowds.

Leo was greeted with deafening screams and applause after his arrival by helicopter and as he toured the grounds in his popemobile, with many people running to catch a better glimpse of the new pope.

Roads leading to the Tor Vergata venue, a 40-minute drive from the centre of Rome, were packed, making Leo’s choice of helicopter transport more efficient.

At more than 500,000 sq metres (125 acres), the grounds were the size of about 70 football pitches.

Andy Hewellyn, a British student, sat in front of a huge video screen – a prime spot because he was unable to see the stage in the distance.

“I’m so happy to be here, even if I’m a bit far from the pope. I knew what to expect,” he said. “The main thing is that we’re all together.”

The youth pilgrimage came about three months after the start of Leo’s papacy and 25 years after John Paul II organised the last such gathering in Rome.

It was announced by Pope Francis on World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023.

The church planned a series of events for the young pilgrims over the course of the week, including turning the Circus Maximus – where chariot races were held in ancient Rome – into an open-air confessional.