YOUNG Australians are among the huge throng of Catholic pilgrims filling the Portuguese capital Lisbon as World Youth Day gets underway ahead of Pope’s arrival.
Colina do Encontro in the heart of the Portuguese capital was filled with all colours, languages and flags to celebrate WYD as pilgrims from around the world joined in prayer for the WYD Opening Mass.
World Youth Day is known for galvanising young Catholics in their faith, and the excitement of the event was on display as the post-Mass throng of pilgrims sang, danced and cheered through city streets.
Pope Francis’ appearances in Lisbon are widely reported to be an opportunity to for him to raise some of the major themes of his papacy: perennial social justice concerns about climate change, social inequality and fraternity, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine.
His global canvassing of Catholics about their vision for the future comes to fruition in October with the General Assembly of the Synod on Synodality, to be held in the Vatican.
The meeting is intended to give direction on such hot-button issues as the place of LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in the Church, and for the first time will feature women and young people voting on proposals alongside bishops.
Continuing a tradition from previous World Youth Days, an Australian gathering was held on Tuesday to celebrate the pilgrims’ faith and their homeland.
In welcoming the pilgrims, Australian ambassador to Portugal Indra McCormick said: “You are, I’m sure, the largest single group of Australians ever to come to Portugal.”
Ms McCormick said that demonstrates that “the connection between faith communities in Australia and Portugal is an important part of the strong connection between our two countries”.
The Australian gathering featured prayer, reflections from Australian pilgrims on their experience so far visiting sacred sites in the Holy Land, Rome, France and Spain, and musical performances by Gen Bryant, Simon Hyland and Fr Rob Galea and their bands.
Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, who coordinated World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008, said it was an “awesome sight” to see such a large gathering of young people “ready for the grace-filled week of World Youth Day”.
“With your lay leaders, pastors and Pope, you will be living-breathing, singing-dancing, praying-acting proof that the Catholic Church is alive and well,” he said.
“But we’re not here just to profile the Church. No, we’re here so something big will happen to you and through you.”
Melbourne Archbishop Peter A Comensoli had invited pilgrims to also see World Youth Day as the start of their journey to the Jubilee Year 2025 and the next Australian Catholic Youth Festival in December that year.
He invited all pilgrims to return home, to share their joy and to invite friends and family to the next great experience for the Church in Australia.
