Pope on record six-day visit to Portugal
Stay for World Youth Day should include a visit to Fatima on August 3 and 4, where Sister Lucia’s beatification is expected to be announced.
Accompanying thousands of young people from all over the world, the Pope will be in Portugal between August 1 and 6, 2023, during the World Youth Day (WYD), which will be held in Lisbon, which will be the visit longest from a Pope to Portugal. John Paul II, who was in the country three times, stayed a maximum of four days in 1982, the year he was the victim of an attack during the procession of candles in Fátima. From what JN found out, a Francisco stay must include a visit to the Marian Sanctuary on August 3rd and 4th.
The meeting, presided over by the Pope, will be Francisco’s second visit to Portugal, after having presided, in 2017, at the canonization of the little shepherds Francisco and Jacinta in Fátima, where he also celebrated the centenary of the 1917 apparitions. like Pope Benedict XVI and John Paul II, he always responds that the Successor of Peter will be there, without a specific name. The presence of the Pope for a week is a very important moment for our country”, said D. Américo Aguiar, responsible for the world day.
“The Pope has expressed the desire to travel to Fatima, raised in Portugal. We do not yet know whether it will be at the beginning, in the middle or at the end,” added Bishop Américo. According to the day’s schedule, everything indicates that Francisco will have “free” on August 3rd and 4th.
1st meeting on August 2nd
The main objective is to preside over the world youth meeting and the first meeting with young people is scheduled for August 2nd. On the weekend of 5 and 6, the biggest ceremonies should take place at Parque do Tejo, by the river. Traditionally, there is a night vigil with the Pope on the eve of the closing days, with the young people sleeping in the room.
The next day, there is an open mass, where the location of the following Days is announced. Only known Wednesday and Thursday no activities scheduled with young people. In Fatima, Pope Francis is expected to announce the beatification of Sister Lucia. “The beatification process has slowed down because of the pandemic, but if it doesn’t stop sooner, we hope that in 2023 the beatification will be officially announced,” a source close to the process told JN.
At the Vatican, at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, in addition to Sister Lucia, there are processes for the beatification and canonization of about 30 Portuguese.
WYD was scheduled for 2021 but was postponed because of the pandemic. The meetings with young people were created by John Paul II and took place, for the first time, in Rome, in 1986. The last ones took place in Panama, in 2019.
VISITS
Pope Bento XVI
The German Pope was in Portugal from 11 to 14 May 2010. He prayed at the Shrine of Fatima and celebrated the 10th anniversary of the beatification of Francisco and Jacinta. Lisbon, Porto and was requested by Cavaco and Sócrates.
Pope John Paul II
He was in Portugal in 1982, 1991 and 2000. João Paulo II thanked Senhora de Fátima for saving him from an attack in 1981, and almost suffered another in the candle procession. He was in Lisbon, Coimbra, Porto and Braga.
Pope Paul VI
On May 13, 1967, Paul VI presided over the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the 1917 apparitions. He met Sister Lucia and prayed “humbly and fervently for peace in the Church and for peace in the world”.