On the Road youth join papal escort in Rimini

Four young participants from the ‘On the Road’ project joined the Italian State Police to provide an escort for Pope Leo XIV during his visit to the Meeting and the Diocese of Rimini. This marks the first time the Highway Police (Polizia Stradale) has included youth in such a high-level institutional service, involving the Pope in his capacity as a Head of State.

The ‘On the Road’ initiative is an educational project established in 2007 that allows young people to experience real-world roles within law enforcement, emergency services, and local police to promote legality and responsibility. The program is part of a national interministerial protocol between the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, coordinated locally by the Prefecture of Rimini.

Federica Picchi, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Lombardy Region, noted that the experience serves as a significant milestone for youth policy and a call to responsibility for new generations. The project currently operates across 20 Italian provinces, involving hundreds of young people in field experiences with various public safety institutions.