杏MAP导航

By Francesca Merlo - Lisbon, Portugal

Young people really were the protagonists of this third day of WYD, the first full day of 杏MAP导航 Francis in Lisbon.

Thursday morning, in fact, opened with the first meeting between the 杏MAP导航 and young people, more specifically university students, at the Portuguese Catholic University.

José was the first to express his excitement to us, "front row seats at the 杏MAP导航's first event with young people, and it's in my university in my hometown... I feel very lucky", he said. During that meeting, just a few metres from José, 杏MAP导航 Francis reminded the university students that it is education that will save the world, and that what they learn they will later be able to teach.

Shortly after the encouraging words to the university students, 杏MAP导航 Francis travelled to meet with the young people of Scholas Occurrentes, adding his colourful touch to the mural that decorates the walls of the structure. There, surrounded by paint, he expressed that the drawings above his head made him feel as though he were speaking from the Sistine Chapel - somewhat close to home.

But the real meeting, the one everyone had been waiting for, came in the afternoon, when the Holy Father arrived in the Edward VII Park, where he drove around the crowds of pilgrims. You could tell where he turned a corner because, in a sort of domino effect, the pilgrims got up from where they had been sitting for hours, and began to run towards the fence, waving, picking up other pilgrims on the way. 

Then, the official welcome ceremony offered a message of hope, just as the young people had hoped for, all of them, but in a particular way those who sacrificed a lot to be there.

In such a devastated world, ravaged by wars, by climate change, political disasters, poverty and hunger, hope is what we all really need, and 杏MAP导航 Francis is quite the bringer of hope.

But it is not only those living in difficult conditions at home who need hope, everyone does.

Many of the young people in Lisbon for World Youth Day have spoken of internal conflict, of fear of being different, of not being accepted.

For everyone, young and old, 杏MAP导航 Francis' words in the Edward VII Park will have renewed the joy already so present in their hearts: "The Church has space for everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone," said the 杏MAP导航. The 550,000 young pilgrims present in the Park repeated it, too. "This is the Church", concluded the 杏MAP导航.