Joy and laughter echoed through the Paul VI Hall as more than 600 children gathered for a special encounter with Pope Leo XIV during the Vatican’s “Estate Ragazzi” Summer Camp. Among the participants were over 300 children from Ukraine, invited to Rome by Caritas Italiana for a time of peace and healing.
In his remarks, Pope Leo emphasized the power of encounter and mutual respect:
“Experiences like this — meeting people from different countries, different lands, different languages, with so many differences that may be among us — it is so important to live an experience of an encounter, to meet one another, to respect one another and to learn to respect one another.”
The Pope shared warm memories from his own youth, telling the children about attending morning Mass and serving as an altar boy starting at age six. These moments, he said, shaped his earliest friendships and his faith:
“Jesus is the best friend of all.”
When asked about the ongoing war in Ukraine, Pope Leo addressed the Ukrainian children directly in English. He urged them to build bridges of understanding and empathy from a young age:
“Learn from childhood to respect one another, see in the other someone like yourself,” he said, encouraging them to become “builders of peace and friendship.”
The children presented the Pope with handmade gifts and colorful artwork, symbols of friendship that transcended language and culture. The gathering concluded with the Holy Father praying the Hail Mary together with the group, blessing the children, and taking time for joyful photos.
It was a moment of grace, simplicity, and encouragement — one that will remain etched in the hearts of all who were present.
