2023-08-06 18:56:36
Pope Francis presided over the final mass of World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon on Sunday morning in front of 1.5 million pilgrims, on the last day of his visit devoted to the largest Catholic gathering in the world.
With a crowd as large as during the vigil on Saturday evening, the number of people present on Sunday on a huge park set up for the occasion at the edge of the mouth of the Tagus was communicated by the Vatican, citing an estimate of the authorities. Portuguese.
Initially, the organizers said they were expecting around a million faithful for the vigil and the final mass, the culmination of a week of festive, cultural and spiritual events.
After a night spent on the spot under the stars, the young pilgrims woke up to music to the sound of musical entertainment by a Portuguese priest-DJ, in a stage that looked like a giant festival, at dawn on a day very hot, with temperatures likely to reach 40°C.
In the midst of tents, flags from many countries and temporary sanitary facilities, the young people sang and danced in a joyful atmosphere, surrounded by an important security device.
A great closing mass broadcast on giant screens was celebrated in the presence of 10,000 priests, 700 bishops and 30 cardinals, on a colossal altar dominating the site of this former landfill.
At the end of the service, the 86-year-old pope warmly thanked the young people, the volunteers and the organizers of the event. “Thanks to you, Lisbon, which will remain in the memory of these young people as a + house of brotherhood + and a + city of dreams +”, he said.
The Argentinian Jesuit also prayed for “those who might not come due to conflicts and wars”. “I feel great pain for dear Ukraine, which continues to suffer greatly,” he said.
The next WYD will take place in Seoul in 2027, the sovereign pontiff announced once more, provoking the cheers of young Koreans who waved their flags.
On the last day of his visit to Portugal, François made another walkregarding in a “Papamobile” through the paths of the park located at the gates of Lisbon. In the followingnoon, he will meet the 24,000 volunteers who participated in the organization of the event, before leaving the country around 5:00 p.m. GMT.
“It was a beautiful, peaceful night. I had never experienced anything like this. We took advantage of every minute,” testified Elsa Gonzalez, a 54-year-old American accompanying a group of young people from San Antonio (Texas).
On Saturday, 200,000 faithful gathered at the Fatima shrine in central Portugal, where the spiritual leader of 1.3 billion Catholics made a whirlwind visit to recite the rosary with young sick and disabled people.
Contrary to what was planned, François improvised almost all of his first speech, without reading his text, and did not deliver the second.
Describing Jorge Bergoglio as “tired” at the start of his visit, due to a very busy schedule, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told public television RTP that he then found him “in great shape these two last days”.
“As the day progressed, he entered into a joy and ease… he threw down his papers, said what was in his heart like last night, and outdid himself,” said the head of state. , devout Catholic.
During his visit, the longest of a pope in this Iberian country, he addressed many topics, such as ecology, social networks or pedocrime within the Church.
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