Pope Leo XIV Answers 3 Youths' Questions on Suicide and Forgiveness at Barcelona Vigil
Updated
Updated · ewtnnews.com · Jun 10
Pope Leo XIV Answers 3 Youths' Questions on Suicide and Forgiveness at Barcelona Vigil
3 articles · Updated · ewtnnews.com · Jun 10
Summary
At Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium, Pope Leo XIV responded to three young people who described struggles with selfishness, suicidal despair and family violence during a vigil on the fourth day of his Spain trip.
To Ferrán, baptized at Easter, Leo said a vocation can be found by resisting the “idolatry” of profit, performance and image, and by building silence, prayer, Gospel reading and accompaniment into daily life.
To Carmina, who survived a suicide attempt, he said advanced societies are increasingly damaging mental health and warned against reducing suffering to God’s will, insisting that God bears pain with people rather than desiring it.
To Desirée, whose father tried to kill her mother, Leo condemned abuse and violence against women, said evil stems from human responsibility rather than God, and described forgiveness as a gradual process that need not restore a harmful relationship.
Earlier in Barcelona, the pope also urged the faithful at the cathedral to become “witnesses and prophets of unity.”
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Pope Leo XIV’s Barcelona Vigil: 40,000 Youth Gather for Historic Dialogue on Faith, Mental Health, and Social Justice (June 9, 2026)
Overview
On June 9, 2026, Pope Leo XIV arrived at Barcelona’s Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, where he greeted thousands of young people with a warm tour in the popemobile before taking the main stage. The crowd of 40,000 responded with cheers, especially when he paused to bless babies or share his signature gesture, highlighting the event’s focus on personal connection. The vigil blended music, tradition, and Catalan culture, creating a vibrant atmosphere. Pope Leo XIV’s direct engagement and empathetic dialogue set a new tone for papal outreach, emphasizing real-life experiences and fostering a deeper spiritual connection with youth.