Tyne & Wear Citizens meet Pope Leo XIV
Tyne & Wear Citizens meet Pope Leo XIV
by Lily Clephane, Year 12 at St Thomas More Catholic High School, North Shields
A few weeks ago, I had the fantastic opportunity to travel to Rome as part of Citizens UK in order to receive a private audience with the Pope. The trip, for me, was all about connecting with some of the other young people who are involved in this incredible organisation and looking forward to what we can all achieve together after this visit.
In the days leading up to the trip, I was naturally very excited. Telling people that you might be meeting the Pope and having them not believe you was honestly so interesting, because I couldn’t quite believe it myself. Iona, in Year 13 who was the second student on the trip, said she felt nervous too - not just because it was such a big thing, but also about the hot weather and how early we’d be getting up. We were both excited to be sharing the fantastic work of Citizens UK in such a special setting.
The whole trip came together so fast. I only had a week to prepare and mentally comprehend the fact that I was going to be at the Vatican in a few days. Meeting the Pope isn’t something a regular Catholic can easily prepare for. It’s almost unheard of in our part of the country, so I didn’t really know what to expect.
Getting to know the other young people involved was one of the most important parts of the trip. Hearing how some of the other groups had been involved in valuable community organising and campaigns was really insightful. Iona said it was wonderful to see how many people were involved and how far-reaching community organising could go. It helped us both to understand Citizens UK not just from a local perspective, but as a national movement. Beyond the formal parts, it was also just nice to talk to people from different backgrounds and make friends.
On the first day, the groups met up and visited the tomb of the late Pope Francis. The simplicity of the space was beautifully moving. It reflected how he had led - humbly, and in service of others. I think we all felt challenged and encouraged by it, especially in how he’d stood up to injustice and reshaped the papacy.
The morning of the audience with Pope Leo XIV was full of anticipation. There was a buzz of excitement as we met up with the other groups and made our way to the Vatican. But then we were told there’d been a problem with our tickets and that we might not be let in. Iona described it as a “movie moment” - fighting our way through a mixture of hope and apprehension to get to our seats. One of our group managed to sort things out with the guards, and suddenly we were in.
We were sat near the top of the square, soaking in the atmosphere. The whole thing felt surreal. But just as the Pope began to greet people, Iona unfortunately felt unwell due to the extreme summer heat and had to step away. That was hard, especially after all the build-up. But even so, she said it still felt amazing to be part of the moment, and the story of nearly fainting right before meeting the Pope is definitely one she’ll always remember.
For me, sitting there and hearing the Pope speak was unforgettable. He blessed the crosses and artefacts we had brought, and we each received a set of rosary beads blessed by him personally. We gave him a copy of the Community Organising & Catholic Social Teaching toolkit that we launched in 2024, and one of the other Organisers got a chance to explain to Pope Leo about all of the campaigns and social justice work we have been doing in the UK. As a Catholic, it was faith-enriching and spiritually uplifting.
Later on, we had time to reflect as a small group from St Thomas More. Talking it through really helped me take in just how special it had all been. Mr Merchant said afterwards that it was something that would stay with us for the rest of our lives. He found it really moving to see the Pope taking time to meet and speak with the young people there. It definitely felt like a moment we’d always remember.
We were also joined by Fr Chris Hughes, parish priest of St Cuthbert’s and St Joseph’s in North Shields. He has always supported community organising and was the one who helped bring our school into membership with Tyne & Wear Citizens back in 2017. Having him there made it feel like things had come full circle. Michael, our former school chaplain who now works as a Community Organiser for Tyne & Wear Citizens, was also with us. He’s supported many students at St Thomas More over the years take action on issues of justice that are important to us, as young people.
This trip has shown me what’s possible when people come together to do something meaningful. It’s something I’ll never forget.
Tyne & Wear Citizens was part of the national Citizens UK delegation to Rome. The visit was a culmination of many decades of community organising in the Catholic sphere; in schools, parishes and beyond.