On October 31, 2025, the Vatican’s ornate halls echoed with the energy of youth and the wisdom of tradition as Pope Leo XIV welcomed members of the International Youth Advisory Body (IYAB) for a meeting that would set the tone for the Church’s engagement with young people in the digital age. The IYAB, a group of 20 young adults from across the globe, serves as a consultative arm to the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, ensuring that the perspectives of younger generations are not just heard but valued at the heart of the Catholic Church.
The gathering took place in Rome, where, since Tuesday, the IYAB had been reflecting on the themes of synodality, mission, and participation—three pillars that Pope Leo would emphasize as essential for countering the risks of isolation and digital detachment that so often accompany modern life. According to Catholic News Service, North American members Sally Yasmine from Montreal and Wyatt Olivas from Cheyenne, Wyoming, joined their peers in this unique advisory role, serving three-year terms and representing the hopes and challenges of youth from every continent.
Pope Leo XIV, departing from the usual protocol, chose not to read his prepared speech aloud. Instead, he handed the text to the group and spoke to them extemporaneously, underscoring the importance of authentic, embodied interaction—a message that would resonate throughout his remarks. As reported by Vatican News, the Pope acknowledged the allure and reach of online faith communities, noting, “You know that in recent years many young people have approached the faith through social media, successful programs and popular online Christian witnesses.”
Yet, he cautioned against the temptation to let faith remain a solitary, digital experience. “The danger is that a faith discovered online is limited to individual experiences, which may be intellectually and emotionally reassuring, but are never ‘embodied,’” Pope Leo wrote. He explained that such experiences risk being “detached from the ‘ecclesial body’” and not “lived alongside others in real-life situations, relationships or sharing.”
The Pope’s warning was clear: social media algorithms, designed to amplify personal preferences, can create echo chambers that leave individuals “prisoners of their own inclinations and projections.” In such digital silos, he said, “everyone remains alone with themselves,” missing the richness of communal faith and the transformative power of shared spiritual journeys.
But Pope Leo’s message was not merely a critique of technology. Instead, he offered a vision for how young people could harness their creativity and courage to revitalize the Church from within. “Authentic synodality leads to mission,” he wrote, highlighting the Church’s ongoing commitment to listening, praying, discerning together, and calling on each member—especially the young—to contribute their unique talents. “Your voice is heard and taken seriously. Your presence and contribution are invaluable.”
For Pope Leo, synodality is more than a buzzword; it’s a call to action. He challenged the IYAB members to “have open hearts, ready to listen both to the ‘inspirations’ of the Spirit and the deep ‘aspirations’ of each person.” He urged them to “look beyond appearances in order to seek the true answers that give meaning to life,” and to be “willing to understand and sympathize before forming judgments.”
One of the core responsibilities the Pope placed on the shoulders of these young leaders was to help the Church “hear the voices of the weak, the poor and the lonely, refugees and those who struggle to integrate into society, or to access educational opportunities.” As he poignantly observed, “All too often, these voices are drowned out by the noise of the powerful, the successful and those who live in ‘exclusive’ realities.”
The Pope’s remarks, as captured by Vatican News, also touched on the need for young people to become “leaders of creativity and courage.” He encouraged them not to be afraid of forging new paths, reminding them that “being missionary entails freedom from fear, because the Lord loves to call us to forge new paths.” In his words, this is not about following rigid rules but about “making room for God’s action by listening to the Spirit,” which always leads to “Jesus, who is the Truth.”
Participation in the Church, Pope Leo stressed, is rooted in spirituality rather than ideology or politics. He thanked the IYAB for their work, noting that their efforts “will provide new energy and momentum to the missionary heart of the Church.” He situated their role within a broader spiritual youth movement—one that includes World Youth Day and vibrant youth ministries around the world—helping to keep the Church “forever young.”
“Where does authentic ecclesial participation come from? I would say that it stems from being close to the Heart of Christ. Its origin, then, is spiritual, not ideological or political,” the Pope wrote. He urged the young advisers to look upon their peers with “Christ’s same compassion and try to envisage how the Church, inspired by faith, can go out to meet them.”
Drawing on the Gospel, Pope Leo explained that Christ’s message was never confined to the small circle of His disciples. Instead, “He desires that His message of salvation, unity of faith, and mutual love should reach all people, including those who are far away and those who will come in the future.” This universal vision, he said, is the true source of participation and mission in the Church.
Pope Leo invited the IYAB members to deepen their friendship with Jesus through prayer, the sacraments, and daily life, so that they might “begin to feel as He feels.” This, he said, would naturally lead them to be “concerned for, and touched by, the suffering of others, their needs and aspirations,” and would “give rise to the desire to participate, to be part of the Church’s universal mission.”
The Pope concluded by reflecting on the difference between childish self-interest and mature compassion. “While children are only concerned with their own needs, mature persons know how to share the problems of others and make them their own,” he wrote, encouraging the young people to “immerse” themselves in Christ and in the life of the Church.
As the meeting drew to a close, the message was unmistakable: in an era where digital connections too often replace genuine community, the Church is looking to its youth not just for energy, but for leadership, empathy, and the courage to build bridges. Pope Leo XIV’s call is both a challenge and an invitation—to step beyond screens, to listen deeply, and to become the creative, compassionate leaders the world so desperately needs.
