ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday told more than a million Catholic youths at a closing Mass for a weeklong encounter with the next generation of faithful that they are “the sign that a different world is possible” where conflicts can be resolved with dialogue, not weapons.

The question of whether the pope has the capacity to connect with the crowds was largely put to rest this past week as Leo received an enthusiastic welcome from a million young people.

By Poppy Tollemache ✐ Peruvian Times Contributing Writer Though born in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV—formerly Robert Prevost—spent more than three decades living and serving in Peru, becoming a dual citizen in 2015.