ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XI
National Stadium of Peru (Lima)
Thursday, 12 November 2026
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Good evening, Lima! Callao! Carabayllo! Those from Lurín and Chosica are here too! Good evening, everyone. Someone told me that Peru needs a sign of hope; well, here today at the National Stadium, you are that sign of hope.
It is a joy for me to be here with you. Thank you for such a warm welcome. I am grateful for the words of Cardinal Castillo and for the questions which the young people put to me, as well as for the sincerity with which Joao, Emily and Sister Luzbinda have opened their hearts to us. What they have shared gives me an opportunity to reflect with you on a scene from the Gospel of Saint John.
One day, John the Baptist was with two of his disciples when he saw Jesus passing by. Pointing him out, he said: “Behold the Lamb of God!” (Jn 1:36). When they heard this, the two began to follow him. The Lord, realizing that they were following him, looked at them and asked: “What are you looking for?” (v. 38). What a beautiful question! These are the first words spoken by Jesus in this Gospel. I would like each of you to hear that question as though Jesus were asking you today: What are you looking for? What do you hope to find? What do you hope for in life?
Do not be in a hurry to answer. Some questions accompany us for a long time. Think about what fills you with enthusiasm, about the people you love and the dreams you would be willing to fight to achieve. Think, also, about the concerns that sometimes keep you awake at night and the things you would like to change. Jesus is interested in all these matters because he is interested in you.
There is a word that can help us understand this search: passion. We use it to speak of what we love deeply, what awakens our enthusiasm and moves us to give the best of ourselves. But the word also reminds us of suffering, of experiences that seem to extinguish our desire to keep going. Some young people feel lonely, even when they are surrounded by others. Others carry the pain of a loss or uncertainty about their future. At times, we ask ourselves why God allows certain things to happen, or why he seems silent when we need him most.
Let us remember, then, how John the Baptist introduced Jesus: “Behold the Lamb of God!” At the time, those disciples could not yet understand what that name meant. Later, in the light of the Lord’s Passion, they would discover its meaning: he gave his life on the cross. Jesus, too, knew the anguish and darkness of suffering. From the cross he cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mk 15:34). In the midst of that suffering, Christ continued to love. He did not desire the cross; he desired our salvation. Out of love for us, he accepted it and bore it to the end. Thus, through his self-giving, that instrument of death became the place where his passionate love was revealed, a love capable of conquering death.
Dear young people, when you suffer, turn to Jesus. Do not be afraid to speak to him honestly, even when you struggle to find words for prayer. He knows our tears and the questions to which we do not yet know the answers. Seek, too, the company of those who love you: some sorrows need time and a helping hand. Faith sustains us along this path and reminds us that suffering never has the final word. Be passionate about everything that is worthwhile, about what is true, good and beautiful! Develop your talents, discover the richness of your culture and dare to undertake magnanimous projects. Pope Francis used to remind us that this “restlessness” can spur us to take our lives into our own hands and assume responsibility for a mission (cf. Christus Vivit, 138). Do not settle for living according to what others expect of you. God has created you for the purpose of accomplishing something that no one else can do in quite the same way.
Let us return now to the two disciples. In response to Jesus’ question, they said: “Rabbi, where are you staying?” And he replied: “Come and see” (Jn 1:38-39). What a simple answer! Those men wanted to meet Jesus and share something of his life. The Lord did not explain in advance everything that lay ahead of them. To begin with, it was enough to accept his invitation. This is how a vocation begins, the second word I would like to share with you. We all ask ourselves what to do with our lives and to whom we should give the best of ourselves. There are answers we discover only when we dare to walk with Jesus. Saint Paul reminds us that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (cf. Eph 1:4). Before we even existed, we were already loved by him!
At times, we wonder whether following God’s will means giving up our dreams. This fear can give rise to an even more dangerous suspicion: thinking that God is depriving us of something and that, in order to enjoy life fully, we also need to experience sin (cf. Gen 3:5). Dear friends, I would like you to engrave in your hearts the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “evil is always poisonous” (Homily, 8 December 2005). Do not be deceived. How could something that harms us make us happy? God knows our deepest desires, even better than we know them ourselves. He has placed within us the desire to love and to be happy, and he wants to bring that desire to fulfillment.
As happened with the first disciples, it all begins with a simple invitation: from a friend, an experience of service or an encounter with someone whose life makes us ask what truly matters. The stories we have heard this evening began with an invitation, too. Learning to recognize the Lord’s voice is essential. So, dear young people, set aside moments of silence before the Blessed Sacrament to encounter him. Speak to him about your plans and allow his word to question you. Do not be afraid to ask him what he expects of you. He will call some to the priesthood or the consecrated life, others to marriage and to forming a family. All are called to put their abilities at the service of others.
Perhaps some of you think that you have made too many mistakes or that it is too late to begin anew. I would like to say to you: Look to Jesus. He knows your story and continues to invite you to walk with him. You do not need to have your entire future worked out before you answer him. Take the step you can take today. Trust in his love and allow him to accompany you. Often, the Lord shows us the way as we travel along it.
The Gospel continues with a beautiful detail: those disciples “remained with him that day” (Jn 1:39). Saint John even remembers the time: it was about four o’clock in the afternoon. The passing years could not erase the mark left by that encounter. They stayed with Jesus. This was how a relationship began, one that would grow as they journeyed together. So now we come to the third word I would like to entrust to you: friendship. Our vocation, too, grows when we learn to remain close to the Lord, to listen to him and to share our joys and worries with him. In time, those disciples would discover the full extent of his love. During the Last Supper, Jesus would say to them: “I have called you friends” (Jn 15:15). That same night he would speak words that would be fulfilled on the afternoon of Good Friday: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (v. 13).
This is the Friend who calls you! Cultivate that friendship through prayer, the Eucharist and listening to his word. The more we learn to love Jesus, the more capable we become of loving as he does. Our friendship with Christ also gives rise to a more authentic friendship with others, one that sincerely seeks their good, knows how to forgive and remains faithful, especially in times of difficulty. How beautiful it is to find friends who help us grow and draw us closer to God.
The Church is born and lives from this friendship with Christ. In her we find brothers and sisters who help us keep going. We all need someone who will listen to us, encourage us when our strength fails or simply remain at our side. So do not think that you must always appear strong, especially if you lead groups or accompany others. Allow yourselves to be cared for. Remember that Jesus, too, in Gethsemane, wanted his friends close to him in the hour of anguish (cf. Mt 26:38). Do not be afraid to share your sorrows with your friends and seek the support you need.
There is one final detail from the Gospel that I would like to mention. After that encounter, Andrew went to find his brother Simon and told him: “We have found the Messiah” (Jn 1:41), and he brought him to meet Jesus. Do the same! Think especially of those who are going through difficult times. A gesture of friendship can change the course of a life. Do not be afraid to speak about Jesus and to show through your lives how good this friendship between you and him is for you.
Dear young people, listen to Jesus’ invitation and dare to follow him. Today I would like to repeat to you that the Lord “takes nothing away, and he gives you everything” (Benedict XVI, Homily, 24 April 2005). Trust in Christ! Trust him as you would a true friend, one who knows you, loves you and never abandons you. That trust will deepen your friendship with him each day. Therefore, let us ask the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and the Saints of Peru, to increase our trust in him day by day, to help us live our vocation with passion and to remain always in his friendship. Let us say together a simple prayer that will help us trust Jesus more and more each day. I invite you to repeat after me:
Jesus, I trust in you.
Jesus, I trust in you.
Jesus, I trust in you.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Come into my heart,
come into my family,
come into my community.
Come into my life soon.
Come quickly, Lord!