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In an address to young people gathered at the Vatican on October 30, 2025, Pope Leo XIV delivered a stirring call to students worldwide: “Do not settle for appearances or fads; dream of more; long for something greater.”
The meeting, part of the Jubilee of the World of Education, was filled with joy, laughter, and reflection.
The Pope combined warmth, wisdom, and wonder in his speech — inviting students to see education not just as a means of success, but as a path to holiness, truth, and peace.
He began by recalling newly canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, whose motto “To the heights” became the theme of the day. Pope Leo urged young people to live fully and courageously, like Frassati, to reject the shallowness of modern distractions, and to “light the beacon of hope in the dark hours of history.”
Education, he said, is the key.
Echoing Pope Francis’ 2020 Global Compact on Education, he reminded students that they are not merely recipients of knowledge but its protagonists: “Join forces to open a new season of education, where we become credible witnesses of truth and peace.”
Using a striking image, the Pope compared humanity to the stars — countless and radiant, yet meaningful only when connected. “Each of you is a star,” he said, “but together you form constellations that guide the future.”
Citing the prophet Daniel, he added, “Those who lead many to righteousness shall shine like the stars forever” (Dan 12:3).
The Pope also turned to St. John Henry Newman, soon to be named Doctor of the Church, noting that “knowledge grows when shared.” Like stars forming constellations, education thrives through conversation, community, and shared pursuit of truth.
3 Modern challenges
In a particularly moving moment, Pope Leo addressed three modern challenges: nurturing the interior life, using technology wisely, and promoting peace.
He warned that a society focused only on technical success risks losing its soul. “Without silence, without listening, without prayer, even the light of the stars goes out,” he said, invoking St. Augustine’s famous words: “My heart is restless until it rests in You.”
Turning to the digital world, he challenged students: “Do not let the algorithm write your story! Be authors yourselves.” Citing St. Carlo Acutis as a model, the Pope called young people to “humanize the digital,” transforming the internet into a space of creativity and fraternity.
Finally, he spoke of education for peace — “disarmed and disarming,” rooted in equality and compassion. True peace, he said, begins with the human heart: “We must disarm hearts, renouncing violence and vulgarity.”
Concluding, Pope Leo lifted everyone’s gaze beyond the night sky: “Do not look to shooting stars, on which fragile wishes are entrusted. Look higher still — toward Jesus Christ, the Sun of righteousness, who will guide you along the paths of life.”
In a world dazzled by passing lights, his message shone with enduring brilliance: each student, each soul, is a star called to illuminate the horizon of tomorrow.
