Pope Leo XIV made a surprise visit to Ignacio Gonzálvez, a 15-year-old Spanish boy who had been urgently admitted to Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome after collapsing during the Jubilee of Youth.

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Upon learning of Ignacio’s situation, Pope Leo XIV asked the thousands of young people gathered for the Aug. 2 vigil at Tor Vergata to join in prayer for him.

“I would like to ask for your prayers for another friend, a young Spaniard, Ignacio Gonzálvez, who has been admitted to the Bambino Gesù Hospital. Let us pray for him, for his health,” the visibly moved pontiff said.

Ignacio’s parents, Pedro Pablo and Carmen Gloria, along with his siblings Pedro Pablo Jr. and Adela, traveled to Rome immediately upon receiving the news.

On the afternoon of Monday, Aug. 4, according to the Holy See, Pope Leo XIV personally visited Ignacio in his room in the intensive care unit. The young pilgrim has been diagnosed with lymphoma affecting his respiratory tract.

As reported by Vatican News, the Holy Father entered silently as the young man’s family prayed at the foot of his bed and simply joined them in prayer. The family had their eyes closed at the time, and a priest accompanying them had to nudge them when he saw the pontiff cross the threshold unannounced.

The youth’s sister, Adela, 17, described Pope Leo XIV as “a simple man” and said the Holy Father was with them for about half an hour before visiting other patients in the hospital’s oncology ward. “I was crying and praying when he entered Ignacio’s room. I went in crying and came out laughing,” she said.

During the time spent with Ignacio’s family, Pope Leo XIV reminded them that “we are made for heaven.” Pedro Pablo, the young man’s father, said they all found solace after the pontiff’s visit.

“He told us that the important thing is to do God’s will, that our true place is eternal life in heaven. This comforted us, because we are people who try to live our faith and know that’s the truth. And in times of so much suffering, hearing the pope come and give you such a word is … the best thing that could have happened to us,” he told Vatican News.

His mother, Carmen Gloria, shared that Pope Leo told her: “If Ignatius had come to Rome [from Spain], that he could come to the hospital to see him. They were simple words, but full of affection.”

“The pope told us that this is a mystery and that, despite many things we don’t understand, we know that God is there and wants the best for everyone. As a mother, I saw that Jesus Christ drew close to me and said, ‘You’re not alone.’ That’s what the pope’s presence in the hospital meant to me, the confirmation that God has not abandoned us,” she added with emotion.

Ignacio’s family said they find comfort and hope despite their pain and are grateful for the gestures of closeness. “It’s the work of the Holy Spirit. We are nothing, a family like many others… And to see so many people praying, so many people concerned, and that the pope himself should come, is a great consolation. We know that God is with us,” Carmen Gloria said.

Ignacio’s brother, Pedro Pablo Jr., emphasized that the pope had helped them accept God’s will: “He listened to us at all times, he was truly concerned, he gave me the feeling of someone who truly understood the situation and the pain we are experiencing. [He has] great empathy.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.