Here are excerpts from the Pope’s conversation, responding to questions on topics such as mercy, friendship, participation, and navigating AI. How can we accept God’s mercy when we’ve fallen short? The truth is that none of us is perfect. Saint Paul teaches that everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. He tells us that in his Letter to the Romans. Because of original sin, we sometimes do the opposite of what we know is right. But there’s good news. Sin never has the final word. Whenever we ask for God’s mercy, He forgives us… For example, we all know the story of the prodigal son: that son who made terrible choices and yet, when he came home, his father ran to embrace him. Jesus also called Himself the Good Shepherd who searches for the lost sheep. Even on the Cross, He forgave the Good Thief and prayed for those who crucified Him. We may struggle to forgive. But God’s Heart is different. God never stops inviting us back. How can we give our worries to God and feel close to Him? To entrust our struggles to Jesus, we have to spend time with Him in prayer. We have to have a relationship with Him. In quiet, we can speak honestly about what is in our hearts. During Eucharistic Adoration, you can look at Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and know that He looks at you — and He looks at you with love… Giving our problems to Jesus is something we can do, we need to do, again and again. Each morning we can invite Him to be with us during the day. Each night we can talk with Him about our day. And remember also Mary, the mother of Jesus and our mother. She understands what we go through, and she prays for us. There’s a powerful way to ask for her help, and that’s praying the Rosary. Through her intercession and with all the saints praying for us, we can confidently place everything in God’s hands, knowing that He always hears us. He’s always with us. How can we communicate better with others? Scripture says that faithful friends are like a strong shelter and a treasure. I hope you are forming friendships like that, even during this conference — friendships rooted in faith, rooted in love for Jesus. Whether it is a trusted adult or close friend, it’s important to speak honestly about what you feel, what you think, what you experience. Honesty will help you put your feelings into words. And honesty will allow Jesus to work through the people that He has placed in your life. At the same time, remember that the Lord invites us to grow through our challenges. Many young people say, “No one understands me.” But that thought sometimes can isolate you. When it comes, try saying, “O Lord, You understand me better than I understand myself.” And trust that the Lord will guide you. In a world of distractions, how do we stay focused during prayer? It depends on the distraction, actually. But sometimes the best thing to do is to follow the distraction for a moment, see why it’s there, but then to turn back and to remember why you’re there and why you’re in prayer. And to say to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I’m distracted right now. I know You understand” — but not to allow yourself to be taken too far away, especially during prayer, because there are all kinds of temptations and all kinds of distractions, but there’s only one Jesus Christ. And we really need to give our time also in prayer to Christ. How should we use technology wisely? What about Artificial Intelligence (AI)? There’s a saint who was recently canonized who I’m sure all of you have heard of: St. Carlo Acutis. He’s a great example. Carlo was skilled with computers, and he used that talent. He used it to help people grow in their faith. He also spent 16 Marian Helper • Spring 2026 • Marian.org Independent Photo Agency/Alamy Live News Pope Leo XIV
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