“Mary arose and went with haste” [Luke 1:39], refers to the story of the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. Twenty centuries later, another land of Marian visitation—Fatima —is coming alive with over 300,000 Catholic youth from around the world descending on this land for World Youth Day [WYD] 2023. The largest gathering of Catholic young people with the pope will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from August 1 to 6, with Pope Francis arriving on August 2. The event will have 13 patrons, with Mary as its patron par excellence, as well as St. Carlo Acutis and St. Chiara Badano.
Over 300 young people from Hong Kong are being accompanied by their bishop, Cardinal-elect Stephen Chow Sau Yan, SJ, in Lisbon. Back in the diocese, he had entrusted them with a special “missionary mandate” during a Commissioning Eucharist on July 2. Bishop Chow reminded them of the pope’s exhortation “to go out of yourselves, to respond to the Lord’s call through mutual encounter and encouragement with young people from all over the world.”
In his message for WYD 2023, the pope recalled, “Recent times have been difficult, when humanity, already tested by the trauma of the pandemic, is torn apart by the drama of war.” The solution seems to be Our Lady’s model of service, who, with her visit to her cousin, “reopens for everyone, and especially for you, who are young like her, the path of closeness and encounter.” It is the pope’s call for young people to place others’ needs above their own.
How many people are going to attend the Lisbon WYD? How many people have registered? The official website of WYD has announced that more than 313,000 pilgrims have registered to attend. These numbers are lower than those of previous events, but they indicate a desire among young people to celebrate the Catholic faith and return to normalcy. Seven hundred thirty-seven bishops, including 29 cardinals, have signed up to take part in the Lisbon event. Over 2,600 priests are also registered to attend.
In a recent podcast,Pope Francis urged the youth to attend WYD, responding to those who may not feel like going by saying “It is worth to take the risk. In life, who doesn’t take risks doesn’t move forward.”
The numbers, however, do not reflect how successful the event is. Most World Youth Days have experienced a constant situation in which the number of pilgrims attending the Papal Mass can be calculated by multiplying registered pilgrims by four! If the trend continues, the Papal Mass in Tejo Park, Lisbon, could attract over 1.2 million participants. People usually flow from neighbouring dioceses when they see WYD excitement on TV—that was the case with Madrid, Rio, Krakow, and Panama, and it will be the case with Lisbon too.
“It’s not about the number of people attending, but about one person whose life will be changed by WYD… that is all that matters,” says Father Thomas Rosica, executive director of WYD 2002 in Toronto. The event is a testament to the Catholic Church’s commitment to young people and the belief in their ability to positively impact the world. The young are not the future but the present of the Church and of the world. Jose, CMF.
