Youth Day “will be a success” and Portugal “is ready”
ONEugusto Santos Silva, who participated in Fátima in the opening of the International Preparatory of WYD Lisbon 2023, which has more than 300 delegates from more than a hundred countries, underlined the occurrence of the event, “both due to the scale — more than one million young people — wants to talk about current issues, and for this opportunity to hear young people about different dimensions of a spiritual nature (…), but also of a public and social nature”.
“We have already expressed our support for the Journey, and in particular for the initiatives within the scope of WYD that exert an influence directly related to the civic participation of young people”said the president of parliament, who reaffirmed Portugal’s availability as a stage for initiatives “of all religions”.
“We are always like religious manifestations and we are the civic influence and social religions of a democratic state of law”, he said, highlighting a “freedom” enshrined in Portuguese democracy.
“One of the most beautiful characteristics of Portuguese democracy is the fact that it is a private democracy in which one of the main axes is absolute: having or not being religious, the freedom to believe as beliefs, to practice and publicly as beliefs, the freedom of change from Portugal defended”, All this is guaranteed in Portugal.
In turn, the Cardinal-Patriarch of Lisbon, Manuel Clemente, said he believed that JMJLisboa2023 is an opportunity to rejuvenate the Church, stressing that “it is very necessary, not only for the Church and for young Catholics, but even for Portuguese society ( . ..) A Youth Rejuvenation Opportunity is a great opportunity for that.
On the other hand, the “deconfinement” that young people need to make is another of the goals that the cardinal sees on the horizon, “at a time of his existence [dos jovens] where they most need to live”.
Meeting, the president of the JMJ Lisbon 2023 Foundation, auxiliary bishop of Lisbon Américo Aguiar, reported on the organization’s concern in “Participate, but with some desire and fear of the real prices of life and things in August 2023”.
This declaration of agreement – reveals itself to the part of Duarte Ricciardi, secretary of the Executive Committee of the JM Lisbon 2023, that the participants will pay 235 euros to enjoy today the week of the Journey, 125 euros is what will pay those who opt only for the end week, while the volunteers, for two weeks, will pay 145 euros. This amount is intended to ensure accommodation, food, transport in the municipalities where the activities of the day are carried out, as well as the pilgrim’s kit.
The work of this International Preparatory Meeting, which takes place today and Tuesday in Fátima, and ends the following day with a visit to places related to the day, was opened by the prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life (Holy See), Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who stressed the importance of the initiative in a post-pandemic context.
“It is perhaps one of the most important [jornadas] in the last 30 years, because it is being reborn again, after a long time”, after the Panama Day, in January 2019, said Cardinal Kevin Farrell, stressing that World Youth Day is the “biggest youth event” of the world.
In the opening session, a video was also shown with a message from the Pope, who greeted the participants.
Meanwhile, the online newspaper 7 Margens, reported today that the logistics of the organization of the “Reconciliation Center” and the “Vocation Fair”, at JMJLisboa2023, will be the responsibility of the Government and its Mission Structure (MS), within the scope of the increase in funds at the last meeting of the Council of Ministers.
“This is one of the main innovations in the scope of the competences of the MS created by the Government to accompany the preparation of WYD and which is led by José Sá Fernandes. , the availability of multimedia goods and services, such as sanitary facilities for the central precinct’, as well as such as the acquisition of other equipment from the WYD organization’, added o.
Lisbon was the edition chosen by Pope Francis for the next World Youth Day, which will take place between the 1st and 06th of August 2023, with the main ceremonies taking place in Parque Tejo, north of Parque das Nações, on the riverside. do Tejo, on land in the municipalities of Lisbon and Loures. The initiative will be closed by the Pope, but scheduled for this year, it was postponed due to the pandemic.
Also read Sanctuary of Fatima with Youth Pastoral: Sanctuary to Youth Day