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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Pope said to the half million assembled, \u201cDios nos quiere como somos, sin maquillaje,\u201d translated, \u201cGod loves us as we are, without any makeup.\u201d \u00a0He made the crowd repeat the words \u201ctodos, todos, todos<\/em>,\u201d after emphasizing that in the Church, there is room for all, todos<\/em>. \u00a0\u201cEn la Iglesia nadie sobra<\/em>,\u201d he asserted, which means, \u201cnobody is an extra in the Church.\u201d \u00a0He stressed the fact that God has called us each by name, and that the Church is mother to all. \u00a0\u201cThe Lord opens his arms to all, in the same way he opened his arms on the cross.\u201d \u00a0He finished his address stating, \u201cBe not afraid, God loves us.\u201d<\/p>\nIt was powerful to be part of the immense crowd. \u00a0There were so many young people singing and chanting, dancing. \u00a0Flags from so many countries \u2013 including unexpected ones such as China (I saw three separate groups today), Qatar, UAE, and Iraq. \u00a0We met 50 pilgrims from Alaska, and others from the Marshall Islands. \u00a0There are hundreds of Australians staying at our same hotel. \u00a0As a Catholic, it is powerful to experience how our faith has reached all corners of the world as Jesus asked us to do.<\/p>\n
World Youth Day began by Pope John Paul II as an event to gather \u00a0young people from all corners of the world to encourage them in the faith. \u00a0The day has evolved into days where young people gather for various events, including catechesis on various topics. \u00a0It is a worldwide gathering of Catholic organizations: I have run into numerous priests, and met new people from all over. I visited the \u201cCity of Joy\u201d where many organization had booths \u2013 I ran into familiar faces, and met people who know people I know. \u00a0I even ran into and chatted with a fellow Georgian who is the president of Lifeteen. \u00a0I met the President of Portugal and got my picture taken with him! \u00a0He was at our hotel last night greeting pilgrims in the lobby with his security detail. \u00a0In Fatima, I got a selfie with the nephew of two of the seers of the 1917 apparitions there \u2013 Francisco Marto, nephew of Jacinta and Francisco, the two younger shepherds.<\/p>\n
Tomorrow evening the Pope will lead Stations of the Cross at Parco Eduardo VII, and on Saturday evening he will be present at a Vigil that will take place in a large park outside the city. \u00a0Pilgrims will walk several miles to the site and sleep over that night. \u00a0On Sunday morning, the Pope will celebrate a closing Mass at that same park. \u00a0If half a million were present tonight, I estimate the closing Mass will hit one million faithful!<\/p>\n
Here the official prayer for World Youth Day Lisbon:<\/p>\n
Our Lady of the Visitation,
\nyou who arose and went with haste into the hill country to meet Elizabeth,
\nlead us also to encounter all those who await us
\nto deliver them the living Gospel: Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord!<\/p>\n
We, too, will go in haste, without distraction or delay,
\nbut with readiness and joy.
\nWe will go with peace because those who bring Christ bring peace, and well-being comes from being generous and loving in our deeds.<\/p>\n
Our Lady of the Visitation,
\nthrough your inspiration, this World Youth Day
\nwill be a shared celebration of Christ, whom we bring to others, just as you did.<\/p>\n
Please make this a time of testimony and sharing, of fraternity and thanksgiving,
\nwith each of us looking for opportunities to give to those who are waiting to receive.
\nWith you, we will continue on this path of encounter so that our world will join us, too, in fraternity, justice, and peace.<\/p>\n
Help us,
\nOur Lady of the Visitation,
\nto bring Christ to everyone, in obedience to the Father and in the love of the Holy Spirit!<\/p>\n
Amen<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An estimated 500,000 gathered at Parco Eduardo VII, renamed Colina do Encontro during World Youth Day 2023, to welcome Pope Francis to Lisbon, Portugal. I arrived with the fourteen pilgrim group from the Diocese of Savannah at around 3:45pm for a Welcoming Ceremony scheduled at 6pm. \u00a0The Park was packed already. \u00a0Arriving involved getting on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2533,"featured_media":7055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[175],"tags":[424,2162,197,163],"class_list":["post-7052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story","tag-jmj","tag-lisbon","tag-pope-francis","tag-world-youth-day"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n