CREDIT: CatholicVote (McKenna Snow)
ROME // On Sunday, April 27, 2025, St. Peter’s Square was filled with an extraordinary mix of sorrow and youthful energy as Cardinal Pietro Parolin, former Vatican Secretary of State, presided at a Mass that was originally intended to be the canonization Mass of Blessed Carlo Acutis and the highlight of the first-ever Jubilee of Teenagers.
Instead, the liturgy became the second Mass of the Novemdiales – the nine days of mourning for the late Pope Francis – requiring Cardinal Parolin to address both the grief of the Church and the hopes of tens of thousands of teenagers gathered from around the world.
A Mass transformed by loss
The sudden death of Pope Francis just days before the planned celebrations forced the Vatican to suspend the canonization of Carlo Acutis, as canonizations can only be performed by a reigning pope. Despite this, the Jubilee of Teenagers commenced, drawing over 80,000 young people from every continent but mostly from Europe and the United States.
The presence of so many teenagers, gathered for a Jubilee that had been years in the making, gave the liturgy a unique character – one in which mourning and hope were woven together in the heart of the Catholic world.
Grief and resurrection
In his homily, Cardinal Parolin – whose current title is “former Secretary of State” until confirmed by the next Pontiff – drew a poignant parallel between the apostles’ sense of loss after Jesus’ death and the Church’s mourning for Pope Francis.
“The risen Jesus appears to his disciples while they are in the Upper Room where they have fearfully shut themselves in, with the doors locked,” he began. “Their state of mind is disturbed and their hearts are full of sadness, because the Master and Shepherd they had followed, leaving everything behind, has been nailed to the cross. They experienced terrible things and feel orphaned, alone, lost, threatened, and helpless.”
“The opening image that the Gospel offers us on this Sunday can also well represent the state of mind of all of us, of the Church, and of the entire world. The shepherd whom the Lord gave to his people, Pope Francis, has ended his earthly life and has left us,” the cardinal continued. “The grief at his departure, the sense of sadness that assails us, the turmoil we feel in our hearts, the sense of bewilderment – we are experiencing all of this, like the apostles grieving over the death of Jesus.”
Yet, Cardinal Parolin reminded the faithful that “it is precisely in these moments of darkness that the Lord comes to us with the light of the resurrection, to illuminate our hearts.” He recalled Pope Francis’ own emphasis on the joy of the Gospel, quoting Evangelii Gaudium: “With Christ joy is constantly born anew.”
Addressing the youth
Turning to the teenagers who comprised the vast majority of the congregation, Cardinal Parolin offered a message of encouragement: “The joy of Easter, which sustains us in this time of trial and sadness, is something that can almost be touched in this square today; you can see it etched above all in your faces, dear children and young people who have come from all over the world to celebrate the Jubilee.”
He expressed the late pope’s affection for youth: “I address a special greeting to you, with the desire to make you feel the embrace of the Church and the affection of Pope Francis, who would have liked to meet you, to look into your eyes, and to pass among you to greet you.”
Cardinal Parolin urged the young people to face the challenges of their era – including technology and artificial intelligence – by nourishing their lives with hope in Christ: “Nothing will be too great or too challenging with him! With him you will never be alone or abandoned, not even in the worst of times! He comes to meet you where you are, to give you the courage to live, to share your experiences, your thoughts, your gifts, and your dreams.”
Mercy as Pope Francis’ legacy
The Mass coincided with Divine Mercy Sunday, a feast instituted by Pope Saint John Paul II and celebrated on the Octave Day of Easter, emphasizing God’s boundless mercy.
Cardinal Parolin highlighted how mercy was at the heart of Pope Francis’ papacy: “It is precisely the Father’s mercy, which is greater than our limitations and calculations, that characterised the magisterium of Pope Francis and his intense apostolic activity. Likewise the eagerness to proclaim and share God’s mercy with all… was the principal theme of his pontificate.”
The cardinal called on the faithful to carry forward that legacy: “It is important to welcome as a precious treasure this principle on which Pope Francis insisted so much. And – allow me to say – our affection for him, which is being manifested in this time, must not remain a mere emotion of the moment; we must welcome his legacy and make it part of our lives, opening ourselves to God’s mercy and also being merciful to one another.”
Cardinal Parolin concluded by entrusting the Church and the world to the Virgin Mary, recalling Pope Francis’ devotion to her and his wish to be buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major: “May she protect us, intercede for us, watch over the Church, and support the journey of humanity in peace and fraternity. Amen.”
As the Church continues with the Novemdiales, Cardinals from around the world will continue to arrive to participate in the general congregations, the set of confidential discussions that precede the conclave that will choose the next pope.