A moving Way of the Cross on the fourth day of the World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, walked through the real-life stories of young people presented as insurmountable, towering heights. Pope Francis comforted and reassured over half-a-million young people: “Jesus, with his tenderness, wipes away our hidden tears, and is always present to relieve our loneliness, our fears, and fill us with consolation.”
The 37th World Youth Day, concluded in the Portuguese capital on August 6, dealt with some burning issues that impact the world in an era of Artificial Intelligence. A unique element of the event was the “Catholic Influencers Festival” for the future of evangelisation. Catholic digital influencers discussed the future of Catholic communications, the need to “keep up with the times,” and the importance of using digital media to spread the gospel.
The pope cautioned young people pursuing a university certificate that their academic degree “should not be seen merely as a license to pursue personal well-being but as a mandate to work for a more just and inclusive—that is truly progressive—society.”
He exhorted young people not to be afraid to take risks in pursuing their aspirations and challenged them to expend their hard-earned knowledge for the benefit of all. Pope Francis’ tone was reminiscent of Pope St. John Paul II’s famous “Be not afraid” exhortation.
The pontificate of Pope John Paul II began with the words, “Be not afraid.” On the day of his solemn inauguration, on 22 October 1978, he looked out upon the multitude in St. Peter’s Square, and he preached a rousing, poetic homily. At its climax, he issued a number of challenges, each punctuated with the words, “Be not afraid.”
The easy road is enticing to young people today, and they often avoid hard work. Many young people today are tempted to “abandon the road ahead for a resting place that gives the illusion of comfort…,” the pope said. It is not the first time the pope has made similar “shake-up” calls to the youth.
In 2016, the pope addressed over a million young people in Kraków, Poland, saying, “Drowsy and dull kids confuse happiness with a sofa. We don’t come into the world to vegetate. We came to make a difference.”
WYD is, in fact, an occasion for conversion from a self-centred, sluggish existence to a Christ-centred and other-centred one. During the days of WYD, Lisbon’s Jardin Vasco da Gama Park, was turned into the Reconciliation Park. One hundred and fifty custom-made confessionals, in the shape of a cross, were made by prisoners in various prisons in Portugal, making them tangible testimonies of conversion, compassion, and forgiveness. A confessional does not exclude or reject anyone. They symbolise a Church that stands with open arms to embrace … literally, everyone. It was thus possible for even prison inmates to participate in WYD.
Historically, World Youth Day has always been an exhilarating breath-stopping experience, and the current edition was no exception. Despite his health issues, the elderly pope was beaming with enthusiasm as he guided the young to repeat “todos, todos, todos”, which means “everyone” in Spanish and Portuguese, explaining, “That is the Church, the Mother of all; there is room for everyone.” – Jose, CMF
