Pope Leo XIV on Saturday called on hundreds of thousands of young Catholics to have the courage to make radical choices for good as he presided over the 2025 Holy Year’s Jubilee of Youth, his first major encounter with the next generation of the faithful.

Arriving by helicopter at the Tor Vergata field on the outskirts of Rome, Leo was met by a sea of pilgrims from more than 150 countries who had camped overnight for the vigil. Misting trucks and water cannons cooled the crowds under the 30-degree Celsius heat as they prayed, sang hymns, and waved national flags.

Speaking in Spanish, Italian, and English, the pope urged the young audience to value true friendship, approach social media with caution, and consider life-defining commitments such as marriage or religious vows.

“Friendship can really change the world. Friendship is a path to peace,” Leo said. “How much the world needs missionaries of the Gospel who are witnesses of justice and peace.”

Leo also shared somber news: two young pilgrims died during the journey to Rome, one reportedly of cardiac arrest, while a third was hospitalized.

The Pope in his closing blessing paid tribute to the young people of Gaza, Ukraine, and other nations “bloodied by war” who were unable to participate in the Jubilee of Youth celebrations.

For the past week, Rome has been filled with young Catholics walking cobblestone streets, praying the Rosary, and gathering for concerts and confessions in a Holy Year expected to draw 32 million people to the Vatican.

“It is something spiritual that you can experience only every 25 years,” said Francisco Michel, a pilgrim from Mexico. “As a young person, having the chance to meet the pope is a moment of spiritual growth.”

Officials had anticipated 500,000 participants, but Pope Leo and organizers said the number could reach 1 million, recalling the energy of St. John Paul II’s 2000 World Youth Day held at the same site.

Despite the strain on Rome’s transport system, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised the gathering as an “extraordinary festival of faith, joy and hope.”

Leo is expected to return to Tor Vergata on Sunday for an early morning Mass to close the celebration.