INDIANAPOLIS (LifeSiteNews) — Thousands of young Catholics joined Pope Leo XIV on a digital event to learn how to become modern-day saints.

In a historic first livestream at the National Catholic Youth Conference on Friday, Pope Leo told thousands of American teens that they are the Church’s present, not just its future, urging them to pursue greatness through a real relationship with Christ and trust in God’s mercy.

“You are not only the future of the Church. You are the present,” Pope Leo told youth. “Your voices, your ideas, your faith matter right now, and the Church needs you.”

The event, hosted by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), was attended by 15,000 youth at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, and joined by thousands more online.

During the discussion, Pope Leo answered questions from five Catholic youth, in the pontiff’s first direct encounter with American teenagers via livestream.

One young Catholic, Mia from Baltimore, Maryland, asked Pope Leo, “Is it hard for you to accept God’s mercy when you make mistakes or feel like you’ve let people down?”

“The truth is that none of us is perfect,” Pope Leo responded. “St. Paul teaches that everyone has sinned and fallen short the glory of God.”

“We may struggle to forgive, but God’s heart is different,” he continued. “When we honestly confess our sins and accept our penance, the priest gives absolution, and we know with certainty that we are forgiven. So yes, it can be discouraging when we fall, but do not focus only on your sins. Look to Jesus, trust His mercy, and go to Him with confidence.”

Pope Leo also addressed concerns from young Americans who wish to abandon their troubles to the Lord but feel distanced from Him.

“Jesus does not just understand our struggles from a distance,” Pope Leo responded. “He actually wants us to hand them to Him because He loves us. And that kind of trust starts when we have a real relationship. We cannot give our problems to someone who we barely know.”

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“We have to have a relationship with Him. In quiet, we can speak honestly about what is in our hearts,” he explained. “During Eucharistic adoration, you can look at Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. You know that He looks at you, and He looks at you with love. He often speaks to us gently in stillness.”

“That is why daily moments of silence are so important, whether through adoration, reading Scripture, talking to Him, looking for those little spaces of time where we can be with Him,” he continued. “Little by little, we learn to hear His voice, to feel His presence, both within and through the people that He sends to us.”

Another young Catholic, Christopher from Nevada, asked, “How do you suggest we balance all these great tools — social media, smartphones, tablets, and any other devices — while also making faith connections outside of technology?”

Pope Leo explained that while technology is an incredible tool, it cannot replace human connection. He referenced the recently canonized St. Carlo Acutis, who balanced technology with in-person relationships, including Eucharistic adoration.

Pope Leo also discussed the role of AI, which he said “cannot replace human intelligence” and “cannot offer real wisdom.”

“AI will not judge between what is truly right and wrong, and it won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation,” he warned. “So be prudent, be wise, be careful that your use of AI does not limit your true human growth.”

Finally, Pope Leo encouraged young people to be hopeful, rather than fearful, of the future, quoting Jesus’ promise to St. Peter that “the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church.”

“It is not true that life is only about doing what feels good to yourself,” Pope Leo declared. “It makes you feel comfortable, as some people claim. Sure, comfort can be nice, but as Pope Benedict XVI reminded us, we weren’t made for comfort.”

“We were made for greatness. We were made for God Himself,” he encouraged.

“One of my own personal heroes, one of my favorite saints, is Saint Augustine of Hippo,” Pope Leo recalled. “He learned this as a young man. He searched everywhere for happiness, but nothing satisfied him until he opened his heart to God.”

“That is why he wrote, ‘You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.’ Augustine discovered that his desire for greatness was really a desire for a relationship with Jesus Christ,” he continued.

During his pontificate, Pope Leo has prioritized connecting with young Catholics. In August, Pope Leo led over 1 million young Catholics in prayer as he offered Mass to close the weeklong Jubilee of Youth.

Young Catholics are known for their devotion to the tradition of the Church, particularly to the Traditional Latin Mass. Generation Z, those aged 18-24, are also leading a resurgence of religious interest in some countries.

According to a recent survey of American Catholic priests, younger generations are more theologically orthodox and less interested in LGBT issues than their older counterparts.