A Historic Encounter: Pope Leo XIV Inspires Monaco’s Youth at Sainte-Dévote Church

More than just an iconic landmark of Monaco, the Sainte-Dévote church stands as the vibrant heart of the Principality’s annual celebrations and ceremonies. This sacred space recently hosted a momentous occasion: the first-ever visit of a modern Pope to Monegasque soil, and a deeply meaningful encounter between Pope Leo XIV and the youth of Monaco on Saturday, March 28th.

The church, dedicated to Saint Dévote, the patron saint of Monaco – a 4th-century Corsican martyr revered with fervent devotion – also increasingly honours the figure of Saint Carlo Acutis, a young man canonized by Pope Leo XIV in September 2025. “It seemed appropriate to gather the younger generations here,” explained Archbishop Dominique-Marie David in his welcoming address. These young people, he noted, “embody the dynamism and generosity” of the city-state, yet, like so many others, grapple with “questions and sometimes even anxieties about the state of the world and their future.”

Addressing the Doubts of a Generation

These concerns were powerfully articulated by four young people chosen by the parish to address the Holy Father. Andreia, a 24-year-old student, poignantly asked, “How can we ensure our faith remains strong and alive in a world that overwhelms us?” Sophie, a doctor at Monaco’s hospital preparing for baptism during the Easter Vigil, sought guidance from the Pope on confronting “the excess of indifference” towards the world’s suffering.

Pope Leo XIV’s Message of Hope and Resilience

Speaking in French, Pope Leo XIV first encouraged the youth to draw inspiration from Saint Dévote, “a courageous young woman who bore witness to her faith even unto martyrdom in the face of her persecutors,” and from Saint Carlo Acutis, the patron saint of the internet, who remained “faithful to his friendship with Christ until the end.”

“Today, faith faces challenges and obstacles, but nothing can diminish its beauty and truth,” Pope Leo XIV assured the congregation. Acknowledging the positive advancements in modern and postmodern eras – in culture, medicine, and communication – he emphasized that these advancements also present “great challenges” that must be met with “lucidity and awareness.”

In a world “that always seems rushed, eager for novelty, cultivating a fluidity without attachments, marked by an almost compulsive need for constant change,” a void can emerge. Yet, the Holy Father assured the hundreds of young people present, “what gives solidity to life is love: the fundamental experience of God’s love first and foremost, and then, by extension, the enlightening and sacred experience of mutual love.”

This inner emptiness, he explained, cannot be filled by “material and ephemeral things, nor even by virtual approval in the form of thousands of ‘likes,’ nor by constraining, artificial, or even sometimes violent affiliations.” Instead, young people “need prayer, moments of silence, and listening,” to “silence the frenzy of action and speech, of messages, reels, and chats,” and to deepen “the beauty of truly and concretely being together.”

Preparing for Easter and a Call to Action

On the eve of Palm Sunday, Pope Leo XIV offered a thought for the 70 catechumens who will receive baptism at Easter. To best prepare them, the Holy Father urged them to live “Holy Week contemplating the mystery of the Passion, in a climate of listening to the voice of the Spirit and what is happening in the heart, making this time an opportunity for a serene and profound examination of one’s life, past and present.”

Alongside prayer and spirituality, the Pope emphasized the importance of charity and self-giving. “The world needs your witness to overcome the excesses of our time and face its challenges.” He highlighted that Monaco, despite its small size, is “a great laboratory of solidarity, a window of hope.”

“Carry the Gospel into your professional choices, into your social and political commitment, to give voice to those who have none, by spreading a culture of attention to others,” he exhorted. The Pope encouraged the youth to live “everything as a mission” and to make all things a gift to God.

Learn more about the Papacy: Vatican Website