Pope calls on young people to oppose fundamentalism during Assisi meeting

Pope Leo XIV said the faithful should oppose fundamentalism during a visit to Assisi on Thursday for Go!, the 2026 Franciscan Youth Meeting. This year Italy is celebrating the 800th anniversary of death of Saint Francis of Assisi. "Increasingly, Christians will be called to become artisans of peace within societies that are tempted to place religion at the service of competing identities," the American pontiff said in response to question from a young Croatian woman. "Rejecting the culture of power and building a civilization of love are choices that are not immediately understood or accepted. "Saint Francis, however, teaches that radicalism of the Gospel is the very opposite of fundamentalism. "It does not make us blind or violent; instead, it makes us aware, attentive and always eager to