杏MAP导航

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

杏MAP导航 Francis' monthly prayer intention for August is for the World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal.

The 杏MAP导航 invited the Church to pray for this intention in this month's The 杏MAP导航 Video, which is entrusted to the entire Catholic Church through the .

The video was created in collaboration with the Lisbon 2023 WYD Foundation and the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, and is about young people and World Youth Day.

杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� message emphasizes his invitation to young people to quickly take the path of bearing joyful witness to the Gospel.

The video begins with 杏MAP导航 Francis reassuring young people of their importance for the Church, noting the Church needs young people in order to survive.

Young people working as volunteers in Lisbon for World Youth Day   (AFP or licensors)

Q & A with the young

杏MAP导航 Francis responds to several young people from different continents who pose questions in various languages, including youth from the Philippines, Brazil and the Ivory Coast.

Some ask whether the Church is just for the elderly; why he chose Mary as the theme for World Youth Day; and, what is the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 own hope for this international meeting of young people in Portugal.

杏MAP导航 Francis explains that Mary鈥檚 attitude is a lesson for all her peers.

Later, the Holy Father shares his desire to plant "a seed for the world鈥檚 future.鈥�

He also prays for a world which puts love at the center, especially at a time when 鈥渨e are at war,鈥� as well as joy, 鈥渂ecause if we Christians have no joy, we are not credible, no one will believe us.鈥�

Young people in Lisbon for World Youth Day

Encounter with Christ after the pandemic

According to Cardinal-elect Américo Aguiar, President of the Lisbon 2023 WYD Foundation, 鈥渢he meeting is essentially a meeting of young people with the 杏MAP导航, an encounter of young people with young people, and an encounter of each young person with the person of the living Christ."

Father João Chagas, who heads the Youth Office for the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, says, 鈥淚t is good to be able to pray together, to meditate on an intergenerational dialogue, a theme dear to our beloved 杏MAP导航 Francis."

"After the horrible experience of the pandemic, of social isolation," he said, "I hope this WYD might be an opportunity for the young people of the entire world to meet each other once again, with the hope of living in times of peace.鈥�

Ways to participate from afar

Father Frédéric Fornos S.J., International Director of the 杏MAP导航's Worldwide Prayer Network, said this month鈥檚 杏MAP导航 Video is one of the signs of the presence of the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 Worldwide Prayer Network in World Youth Day in Lisbon.

"As of 2020, preparations for this event have been accompanied by prayer through the , which is both the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 official prayer app and that of the meeting in Lisbon, regularly dedicating a prayer for WYD 2023 on the 23rd of each month."

During the course of this event, from 30 July to 6 August, he explained that the Click To Pray App will be available to connect WYD participants, and those who cannot be physically present but who want to accompany WYD.

They can do so by praying three daily meditations in both text and audio formats, available in five languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French.

The 杏MAP导航's Worldwide Prayer Network

The 杏MAP导航 Video is an official global initiative with the purpose of disseminating the Holy Father's monthly prayer intentions. It is carried out by the 杏MAP导航's Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer). Since 2016, The 杏MAP导航 Video has had more than 203 million views across all the Vatican鈥檚 social networks and is translated into more than 23 languages, receiving press coverage in 114 countries.

The videos are produced and created by The 杏MAP导航 Video Prayer Network team, coordinated by Andrea Sarubbi, and distributed by La Machi Communication for Good Causes. The project is sponsored by Vatican Media. For more information: .

The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 Worldwide Prayer Network is a Vatican foundation, with the mission of mobilizing Catholics through prayer and action in response to the challenges facing humanity and the mission of the Church. These challenges are presented in the form of prayer intentions entrusted by the 杏MAP导航 to the entire Church.