Pope Leo celebrated the biggest event of his papacy on Sunday, addressing over a million young Catholics gathered in Rome with a call to embrace faith, reject materialism, and serve others.
On the outskirts of Rome, Pope Leo led a historic Mass for more than a million young Catholics, marking the largest gathering of his nearly three-month papacy. Shouts of 'Viva il Papa' echoed across Tor Vergata as colorful flags and shirts filled the crowd.
The event concluded a special week of Holy Year activities aimed at inspiring Catholic youth.
In his sermon, Leo urged the youth to focus on spiritual values rather than materialism. “Buying, hoarding, and consuming are not enough,” he said. “We must seek what connects us to God and to one another.”
Many attendees had spent the night outdoors to secure a spot, despite rising summer temperatures.
“It’s incredible to witness the global church united here,” said Rita Piendl, 19, from Germany. “We’re inspired to bring hope and love to the world.”
While the Catholic Church continues to grow worldwide, participation has declined in Europe. This event, part of the ongoing Catholic Holy Year, was a major step in Pope Leo’s effort to engage young believers. Leo, elected on 8 May to succeed Pope Francis, is the first U.S.-born pontiff in history.
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Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
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