Young Catholics flock to Rome for Youth Jubilee

St. Peter’s Square in Rome is expected to host roughly 100,000 young Catholics on Tuesday evening to kick off a week of festivities, dubbed the Youth Jubilee. The square will welcome pilgrims from around the world for a welcome Mass at 7 p.m., according to the Youth Jubilee’s website. Vatican organizers also set up large screens along a nearby road, ready to broadcast the service to those who can’t fit into the square.

The Youth Jubilee is one of the first major events in the Roman Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, marking the 2025th anniversary of Jesus’ incarnation. Hundreds of thousands of young people are expected to gradually arrive for other ceremonies and events throughout the week, according to the Youth Jubilee’s website. On Saturday and Sunday, Pope Leo XIV will lead an outdoor vigil and Mass—some of the biggest church events since his election in May.

What is the Jubilee Year? Roman Catholic Popes proclaim a year filled with church events and services, often focusing on repentance or the celebration of an important Biblical event. Jubilee years have been observed often, but not always, every 50 or 25 years, according to the Youth Jubilee’s website. The pope can also decide to call a Jubilee year. The most recent holy year, proclaimed by the late Pope Francis, occurred in 2015. Francis dedicated the year to mercy and established a group of priests, the Missionaries of Mercy, whom Catholics believe have the power to forgive sins that is typically reserved for the pope.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report on Army chaplains celebrating 250 years of ministry.