ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV
Area in front of the Church of Sainte-Dévote
Saturday, 28 March 2026
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Dear brothers and sisters,
Dear young people, dear friends, hello!
I am happy to be here with you and cordially greet you all. I would like to thank the Archbishop for the words he addressed to me.
As he emphasized, the Church we are currently in is dedicated to Saint Devota, patron saint of the Principality of Monaco. She was a courageous young woman who knew how to bear witness to her faith in the face of violent persecution, even unto martyrdom. Providentially, her body was brought here from Corsica to what is now the Monegasque coast. They had sought to destroy her body and wipe away every memory of her, yet her sacrifice has carried the Gospel message of peace and of love even further. This helps us to reflect on the fact that good is stronger than evil, even though at times it seems to be losing in the short-term. Furthermore, it reminds us that bearing witness to the faith is a seed that can spread and bear fruit in faraway hearts and places, well beyond our own expectations and capabilities.
In this church, the memory of the Holy Martyr Devota has recently been joined by that of Saint Charles Acutis, another young person in love with Jesus and loyal to his friendship with Christ to the very end, albeit in completely different times and ways: through charity, through his apostolate on the web — of which we venerate him as patron — and finally through his illness.
Dear young people, these two saints encourage us and spur us on to imitate them. Indeed, as has already been mentioned, even today the faith faces challenges and obstacles, yet nothing can dim its beauty and truth. We can see this in the growing number of men and women of all ages who desire to know the Lord and ask to be baptized.
You have mentioned all of this in your testimonies. Benjamin, whom I would like to thank for what he shared, asked how to avoid being carried away from himself, from others, and from God by the distractions of our constantly changing world. This is an important question that touches on a fundamental aspect of the Christian life: the vitality of our relationship with Christ and, through it, the sense of unity that it establishes within ourselves and with others. In this regard, a great formator of young people once said that “the root of unity of life is in the heart, […] it is a matter of the heart, it is a gift from God, to be asked for with humility” (C.M. Martini, Da Betlemme al cuore dell’uomo, Edizioni Terra Santa, 2013).
The modern and postmodern eras have enriched our lives in many ways, offering us unprecedented opportunities and possibilities in areas such as culture, medicine, healthcare, technology and communication. However, they also present us with significant challenges that we cannot ignore and that we must face with clarity of mind and understanding. As Benjamin said, we live in a world that always seems to be in a hurry, eager for novelty, obsessed with unfettered fluidity. It is marked by an almost compulsive need for constant change, be it in fashions, appearances, relationships, ideas, or even the dimensions of the person that are essential to their very identity.
However, it is love that gives stability to life. It is, first and foremost the fundamental experience of God’s love, and then, by extension, the sacred and enlightening experience of mutual love. While loving one another requires, on the one hand, an openness to growth and thus to change, on the other hand it demands fidelity, constancy and a willingness to make sacrifices in daily life. Only in this way does restlessness find peace – we long for peace! – and the inner emptiness that Andreia spoke of get filled — not with material and fleeting things, the virtual approval of thousands of likes or temporary, artificial and sometimes even violent relationships. We must clear the doorway of the heart of these things, so that the healthy, life-giving air of grace can return to refresh and revitalize its chambers, and so that the strong wind of the Holy Spirit can once again fill the “sails” of our existence, propelling us towards true happiness.
All of this, my dear friends, requires prayer, moments of silence and reflection to quiet the frenzy of doing and saying, of messages, reels and chats, and to delve deeper into and savor the beauty of truly and genuinely being together. In this regard, Saint Carlo Acutis spoke of the Eucharist as the “highway to Heaven” and of Eucharistic Adoration as a sunbath, capable of tanning the soul.
There may even be an answer here to Ethan’s question about preparing to receive Baptism on Easter. To live Holy Week contemplating the mysteries of the Passion, in a spirit of listening to the voice of the Spirit and to what is happening in one’s own heart, making it an opportunity for a serene and profound examination of one’s life, both past and present.
If this is true of the spiritual life and prayer, it is equally true of practicing charity. Ethan asked how we can bear witness to the gift of life we receive in Christ; and Sophie asked how to be witnesses of hope for those scarred by suffering who risk losing the light and comfort of faith. In the face of challenges, Jesus advised us: “Do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say […] for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mt 10:19–20). He was referring to persecutions suffered for the sake of the Gospel, but we can apply his words to every circumstance in which charity requires us to face a significant trial for ourselves and for others. Words and deeds of witness and hope cannot be improvised. They are not the fruit of our own efforts, but come from a profound relationship with God, in which we first find the fundamental answers to life. If we are open and ready to respond to God’s grace, thus making this relationship of love a shared gift, we can trust that the precise words as well as the strength needed to act will come at the right time.
In this light, we can also interpret Saint Augustine’s beautiful — though sometimes misunderstood — phrase, “Love and do what you will” (Homily Seven on the First Epistle of John, 8). In other words, love is a free gift to God and to others; stay close and do not walk away, even when we cannot solve every problem or resolve every difficulty. Stay nearby, with love and faith. Monaco is a beautiful country, but its true beauty comes from you, when you are able to look into the eyes of those who suffer or who feel invisible amid the city lights.
This is how Saint Devota found the strength to give up her life completely, and this is how Saint Carlo Acutis walked his path of holiness, leaving a trail of light even in the world of the web.
Dear young people, do not be afraid to give everything — your time, your energy — to God and to your brothers and sisters, to pour yourselves out completely for the Lord and for others. Only in this way will you find an everlasting joy and an ever-deeper meaning in life. The world needs your witness to overcome the errors of our time, face its challenges and, above all, to rediscover the sweet taste of loving God and neighbor.
To you, young catechumens preparing for Baptism, and to you who have already received this gift of grace, I extend my warmest wishes. May you live a full and authentic life in Christ, and may you be builders of peace in faith, hope, justice and charity for the good of all. You are the young face of this Church and of this Nation. Monaco is a small country, but it can be a great place of solidarity and a beacon of hope. Incorporate the Gospel into the choices you make at work and in your social and political commitments in order to give a voice to the voiceless, thereby spreading a culture of care. Make everything a gift to God and live everything as a mission that calls you to be friends in Christ and faithful companions for one another on the journey.
Entrusting you to the intercession of Mary our Mother, Saint Devota and Saint Carlo Acutis, I cordially impart my blessing.