The Prague Post - Pope's 'Jubilee of Youth' closes with huge Rome mass

The week-long event ending Sunday, a highlight of the Jubilee holy year, was an enormous undertaking for the Vatican, with a half a million young pilgrims in Rome for most of the week.

On Saturday night, before an twilight vigil led by the pope, organisers had confirmed the attendance of 800,000 people in the vast, open-air space on Rome's eastern outskirts, and on Sunday the Vatican said that number had grown to one million people.

Most of those attending slept on the ground in tents, in sleeping bags or or mats, awaiting Sunday's mass under sunny skies.

To music from a choir, green-robed bishops began filling an enormous stage covered with a golden arch and a massive cross before Leo, who arrived by helicopter, began mass.

The Vatican said 450 bishops and around 700 priests participated in the final event for the youth, who have filled Rome's streets since Monday.

The festive atmosphere reached its peak Saturday ahead of an evening vigil presided over by Leo, with Italian broadcaster Rai dubbing it a Catholic "Woodstock".

Hundreds of thousands of youths camped out at the dusty venue, strumming guitars or singing, others snoozing, as music blasted from the stage where a series of religious bands entertained the crowds.

Leo was greeted with deafening screams and applause after his arrival by helicopter Saturday as he toured the grounds in his popemobile, with many people running to catch a better glimpse of the new American pope.

At over 500,000 square metres (125 acres), the grounds were the size of around 70 football fields.

British student Andy Hewellyn had parked himself in front of a huge video screen -- a prime spot, as he could not even see the stage far away.

"I'm so happy to be here, even if I'm a bit far from the pope. I knew what to expect!" he told AFP.

"The main thing is that we're all together."

The youth pilgrimage came about three months after the start of Leo's papacy and 25 years after former pope John Paul II organised the last such youth gathering in Rome.

The Church planned a series of events for the young pilgrims over the course of the week, including turning the Circus Maximus -- where chariot races were held in ancient Rome -- into an open-air confessional.

N.Kratochvil--TPP