According to the Holy See Press Office, the Pope privately met with the group of pilgrims on Saturday morning to give spiritual comfort to the young people left shaken by the tragic event.

The pontiff was greeted Aug. 2 by joyous crowds on the 237-acre grounds of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, 10 miles east of Rome.

Hundreds of thousands of young Catholics are pouring into a vast field on Rome’s outskirts for the highlight of the Vatican’s 2025 Holy Year