He Pope Francisco86 years old, arrived this Wednesday at Lisboawhere a million young pilgrims from all continents await you to participate in the World Youth Day (WYD)an event of the first order in a Catholic Church that is currently reflecting on its future.
“I will return (from this trip) rejuvenated,” he told the nearly 80 journalists who accompanied him on the plane that landed at 09:45 (08:45 GMT) at the military airport in the Portuguese capital, where he was to be received. by the conservative president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Con 11 speeches and twenty meetingsthe program for this 42nd trip abroad promises to be very tight for the Argentine Jesuit, two months after an important abdominal operation.
War in Ukraine, ecology, social justice: it is expected that Jorge Bergogliowhose direct and spontaneous style is very popular among young people, addresses themes dear to this generation, at a time when the Catholic Church is facing the challenge of secularization in Europe.
In all, the organizers expect a million pilgrims from more than 200 countries for this week of festive, cultural and spiritual events, which opened on Tuesday with a mass on top of a hill overlooking the city center and the mouth of the Tagus.