Pope Leo XIV addressed roughly one million young people at a prayer vigil in Buenos Aires on Tuesday urging them to reject modern idols and return to Christ in prayer.
The Pope spoke in Argentina’s capital during an evening gathering that drew vast crowds to the city. Vatican News reported that the Pope invited the young faithful to display the fire of Christ’s love, which cleanses hearts and enables full affection.
Drawing from the Book of the Prophet Daniel, Pope Leo recalled three young men thrown into a Babylonian furnace for refusing to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s idol.
He contrasted their defiance with the crowd that bowed down, emphasizing the freedom found in choosing God over punishment.
“What freedom there is in that response!” he said, as quoted by Vatican News. “They knew the punishment that awaited them, but they also knew that they would find happiness only in God.”
Moving from biblical history to contemporary society, Pope Leo warned the gathering against modern temptations that demand human worship. He pointed directly to pornography, addictive substances, money, and an obsession with popularity.
“Today too, idols arise and demand our worship: success at any cost, money, an obsession with appearance, popularity or the unrestrained pursuit of pleasure,” he said. He urged attendees not to bow before anything incapable of giving life, adding that anyone who falls should stand back up.
Vatican News said that the Pope specifically encouraged those who had drifted away from the Church or stopped praying. He assured them that Jesus Christ knows and loves them regardless of past actions.
“Whoever you are and whatever you may have done, Jesus Christ knows you, Jesus Christ loves you, and wants you to be close to Him,” Pope Leo said.
Addressing questions about personal limitations and daily responsibilities, the Pope offered practical spiritual guidance. He invoked St. Ignatius of Loyola when advising how to handle frustrations, telling the crowd to act as though everything depended on them while knowing it truly depended on God.
When discussing the value of work, Pope Leo pointed to the hidden years of Jesus as a carpenter.
He instructed the youths to approach studying, working, and socializing with love.
“When you work, study, or spend time with your friends, do so with love and offer it to the Lord,” Pope Leo said. “In this way, your work too becomes prayer and a path to holiness.”
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