Jubilee for teenagers, 200,000 at St Peter's. Parolin: "Pope Francis would have liked to be with you today".

The day after the last farewell to Pope Francis, St Peter's Square was invaded by the many young people who had come to Rome for the Jubilee of Adolescents: at least 200,000 people according to estimates released by the Vatican Press Office. A considerable influx, above expectations, which matches the numbers of Bergoglio's funeral for which, according to the figures released yesterday by the Prefecture, 450,000 were mobilised. And today it was Cardinal Pietro Parolin who recalled the message during the mass in suffrage for the Supreme Pontiff.

Taking the floor before the many teenagers who had arrived in the capital, the Secretary of State of the Holy See explained that Francis would have loved to meet them: "Easter joy, which sustains us in the hour of trial and sadness, today is something you can almost touch in this square; you can see it imprinted above all in your faces, dear children and teenagers who have come from all over the world to celebrate the Jubilee. You come from so many places: from all the dioceses of Italy, from Europe, from the United States to Latin America, from Africa to Asia, from the Arab Emirates ... the whole world is truly present with you!"

To you, Parolin continued, 'I address a special greeting, and to the bishops and priests who accompanied you, with the desire to make you feel the embrace of the Church and the affection of Pope Francis, who would have liked to meet you, look you in the eyes, pass among you to greet you,' the cardinal remarked in his homily amid the applause of the young people in the square.

The liturgical service to pay homage to the late Pontiff on Easter Monday coincided, as mentioned, with the Jubilee of Teenagers, which brought tens of thousands of young people from all over the world to the Vatican. Also in the square were many cardinals in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis and to take part in the upcoming Conclave that will choose his successor.

Speaking to the many young people crowded in the square, Parolin encouraged them several times during his homily. "In the face of the many challenges that you are called to face - I recall, for example, that of technology and artificial intelligence that characterises our age in a particular way - never forget to nourish your lives with the true hope that has the face of Jesus Christ. Nothing will be too great or too challenging with Him! With Him you will never be alone or abandoned to yourself, not even in the worst of times!"