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Medjugorje youth festival participants receive message from Pope Leo XIV

August 4, 2026 · 1 min read

Pope Leo XIV urged the thousands of young people gathered in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the Mladifest International Youth Festival to rediscover the beauty of encountering Christ and not to be deceived by promises of fleeting happiness.

The event is proceeding normally, despite the grave act of vandalism that took place on July 28 at the Parish of St. James the Apostle, where the outdoor altar used for celebrations was set on fire and a statue of the Virgin Mary was found defaced with offensive graffiti.

In his message , read by the apostolic visitor for the parish of Medjugorje, Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, shortly before the opening Mass presided over by the apostolic nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt, the pontiff invited participants to return to the source of true joy, following this yearʼs motto: “Ad fontem! To the source!”

Addressing participants from 73 countries, the pope warned against the false promises offered by the contemporary world. “Promises of easy and immediate happiness are alluring, but they often vanish without a trace,” the pope noted, while reminding them that the deepest questions of the…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (2) 🌐 Show original

Peter Kováč

Shame on the statue of the Virgin Mary and the altar, who would do it in such a way. At least the festival continues and the Pope has warned them about the fleeting promises of happiness that will eventually be lost. Ad fontem – that's good, because you can really find yourself at the source.

Constantin Marin

Yes, shame about the statue of the Mother of God and the burnt altar. Still, it's good that the festival is going ahead and that Pope Leo XIV has drawn the attention of young people to the false promises that are quickly disappearing. "Ad fontem" sounds like a practical exhortation to me, like when you fix a car and go back to the original manual.