2023-08-02 20:55:00
DISPATCH — Visiting Lisbon for World Youth Day (WYD), Pope Francis urged Europe to design “itineraries of peace”, “creative ways to end the war in Ukraine”.
Welcomed by military honors in the Portuguese capital, the pope is to spend five days there as part of WYD. One million young Catholics are expected for festive, cultural and spiritual gatherings. The opportunity to address the future of the Church, in particular with regard to the position of young believers vis-à-vis the reception of LGBT +, the marriage of priests or the place of women.
That being said, in his first speech, Jorge Bergoglio chose to discuss a completely different subject: the war in Ukraine. “Looking with affection at Europe and the spirit of dialogue that characterizes it, one could ask him: where are you sailing towards, if you do not propose routes of peace, creative ways to end the war in Ukraine (…)?”, he questioned, applauded by the authorities and the diplomatic corps at the cultural center of Belém. Thus, in order to promise a better future for young people, Pope Francis calls on Europe to “build bridges” for peace in Ukraine. “We sail the ocean of history in tumultuous times and we feel the lack of courageous routes of peace,” he said.
For their part, the young people were receptive. “We are the pope’s youth!” chanted hundreds of them, while others appreciated the fact that the pope was “closer to us”.
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