The pope arrived by helicopter at the Tor Vergata field, roughly eight miles southeast of Rome’s city center, and was greeted with cheers from young people waving flags. Many of the youth camped out overnight, sleeping in tents and sleeping bags on the dusty field, much like the World Youth Day celebration held 25 years ago in the same location.

Pope Leo celebrated the largest event yet of his nearly three-month tenure on Sunday, encouraging a crowd of more than a million Catholic young people gathered in a field on the outskirts of Rome to spread their faith.