During Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral visit to the parish of Ostia, three young scouts approached the Holy Father with a simple but meaningful gift: a scout neckerchief, the symbol they treasure most as part of their uniform.

Pope Leo responded by pointing to the spiritual heart of what scouting can represent—young people gathered together in faith. Quoting the Gospel of Matthew, he told them: “For where two or three are gathered in His name, Jesus is present; Jesus is alive with us.”

An 80-Year Story Rooted in 1944

Not far from the Vatican, in the heart of Rome, one of Italy’s oldest Catholic scout groups continues to flourish. The Opera Regina Apostolorum scout group—known as “Rome 32”—has carried forward a tradition that began more than 80 years ago.

Scout leader Tommaso Trulli explained that the group’s modern foundation coincided with a major turning point in Rome’s history. “The scout group was born right at the same time as the liberation of Rome in June 1944,” he said. While the community had already existed since 1933, it was forced to operate quietly during the Fascist period.

After the war, scouting life began openly again. Trulli recalled that “in 1944 there were the first promises and at the end of the year the first census was taken within ASCI, with 31 initial members.” Today, he said, the group has grown to “more than a hundred, 115 to be exact,” and continues to meet in its historic headquarters.

Faith, Service, and Brotherhood for Young People Today

The Rome 32 group also played a role in the broader history of Catholic scouting in Europe. After years of division and conflict, the Scouts of Europe were founded in 1956 with a clear aim: unity. Former President of the Federal Council of the UIGSE, Giovanni Franchi de’Cavalieri, explained that the movement has always prioritized international gatherings for young people to build fraternity.

“We often hold international gatherings for the young people—indeed, especially for them—precisely to foster a spirit of brotherhood,” he said. And the reason, he added, was born from the wounds of the twentieth century: “After the end of the Second World War, to create something that would encourage young people to be together, to live together, to be united rather than to shoot at one another.”

Inside the Rome 32 community, scouting continues as a formative experience rooted in responsibility and service. Leaders describe the work as both practical and deeply personal. Scout troop leader Giovanni Milardi said that “the responsibility is certainly great,” not only for a young person’s growth, but also for daily realities like safety and logistics. Still, he emphasized that younger leaders are not alone. “We handle this responsibility quite well,” he said, “also because we are supported by older individuals who stand behind us.”

That same continuity is part of what keeps scouting alive over decades. Massimiliano Urbani, who joined the group in 1969, still supports it today. “The Scout movement is a movement for young people,” he explained, saying leadership should remain in the hands of younger adults. Older members, he said, step in mainly “behind the scenes.”

For the scouts themselves, service and faith go hand in hand. Girl guide troop leader Sara Milardi described how the group builds spiritual life into its activities. “We organize reflections, we organize vigils,” she said, calling it “a way of living our faith together.” She also highlighted the importance of moments of silence and personal discernment, especially for young people trying to understand their path.

For her, the most striking part of scouting is what it creates between people. “Seeing the faces of the guides, the laughter, even the tears,” she said, “for me, that is a great treasure.” And she added that in the openness and intensity of those moments, “I see the face of God there.”

Milardi believes that experience has become even more important today, in a culture where relationships can remain shallow. “You experience human relationships that I would struggle to see outside,” she said. “In a time when everything moves fast and relationships often stay on the surface, being able to go deeper in this context is, in my opinion, the real value and the reason for being a scout.”

Adapted by Jacob Stein. Produced by Andrea Manna; Camera by Fabio Gonnella, Ilaria Chimenti; Video Edited Ilaria Chimenti.