OSV News/Vatican Media, YouTube screenshot
By OSV News
VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV has a message for American teens gathered this summer at the Steubenville Youth Conferences: True joy is not found “spending hours in front of a screen or endlessly scrolling on social media.”
In a video message released June 20 for the 50th anniversary of the conferences hosted by Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, the pope told young people his message is simple: “Only the love of God can provide us with true and perfect joy.” He said, “True peace and perfect joy are gifts from God that come when we open ourselves to him and trust in his power to transform us.” Pope Leo underlined that the hours spent scrolling social media often crowd out time better spent in prayer, building real friendships, being with family, studying or playing sports. He went further, warning that drugs, alcohol, promiscuity or a fixation on image or appearance are not paths to fulfillment either, adding that even wealth, beauty, fame and health are fleeting. For the pope, reflecting on the message of St. Francis of Assisi, the answer lies elsewhere entirely. He told the young Catholics that only God’s love can give them genuine and lasting joy, and that trusting in God is what allows people to remain steady even when life gets hard.
“If we have the profound conviction that God cares for us as his beloved children, we will not be flustered or discouraged, even in difficult situations,” he said.