2023-08-02 14:01:14
Ecclesiastical authorities say they do not know the whereabouts of 106 young people from the PALOP who traveled to Lisbon for the World Youth Day. The church fears that many young Africans intend to stay in Portugal.
More than a thousand young Catholic pilgrims from Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP) traveled to Portugal to participate in the World Youth Day (WYD), which takes place in Lisbon between the 1st and 6th of August, and has the presence of Pope Francis.
Weeks before leaving their respective countries, there were already fears regarding the possibility of pilgrims from Angola, Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe taking advantage of this trip to Europe to stay in Portugal.
Young Mazivele, who insisted on being identified by a fictitious name, is one of the 600 pilgrims making up the Mozambican caravan. He is part of the more than one million people who came to Portugal with the expectation of gaining new experiences and “learning more from those who come from abroad”.
It brings with it the spirit of faith, he says, but also the concerns of many young Mozambicans who want to study and find a job. Mazivele aspires to go to college and do a master’s degree in Europe in the field of accounting. DW Africa asked if she will stay in Portugal: “No! It’s just an exchange of experience. One day I will be able to return ”, she said, categorical.
Embassies are unaware of the situation
This Monday (31/7), the news came out that 106 young people from Angola and Cape Verde were in an uncertain location, according to the Diocese of Leiria where they would be welcomed. The embassies of both countries say they are unaware of the situation.
Recognizing the difficult situation in Angola in the social and economic areas, the Angolan Catholic Church asked for “good faith” and urged the more than 500 young people who traveled to Portugal to “avoid fleeing”.
In Cape Verde, where almost a thousand young people came from, there is currently a strong pressure on the demand for visas to Portugal. This led the Church to become concerned that many of the pilgrims might not return.
The same concern arose in São Tomé and Príncipe. The local episcopal organization therefore sought to prevent the possibility of some young people wanting to stay in Lisbon, preparing them for the trip.
Portuguese authorities dedramatize
Tiago Antunes, Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs, admits that there is a great appetite for Europe, but minimizes the fear of a possible mass immigration of young people from Africa who came to participate in WYD.
“Neither from Africa nor from other parts of the world. We don’t make that difference either”, said Antunes, stating that he believes that the purpose of young people, whether they come from poor or rich countries, is to share experiences. “And that is what we are counting on and not on mass immigration phenomena. It’s not at all what we expect. We do not foresee major fears at this level”, insisted the official.
The trip to Lisbon of young pilgrims with more financial difficulties, namely from Africa, was supported by a solidarity fund created by the Vatican, according to the Organizing Committee of the Journey.
Speaking to DW Africa, the president of the World Youth Day Foundation and Auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon, D. Américo Aguiar, preferred to highlight the spirit of this movement.
“Dreamers, fighters and poets”
“Pope Francis asks young people to be dreamers, fighters and poets. We are in the habit of saying that young people are the men of tomorrow, of the future. No, no, they are from today. And that’s why we have to listen to their cries, listen to their concerns and what their sensitivity is in the face of so many problems”.
This is the spirit that they bring to the Day in Portugal, said Aguiar, adding that he hopes that the day can be an opportunity for the concerns of young people to be heard due to the many difficulties they face in their countries.
Kedy Santos, a young activist from São Tomé, lives in the municipality of Loures, one of the stages of the Journey, which he will also accompany. Her expectation is that, beyond faith, young people debate topics such as unemployment, education and the environment, thinking about their future. But not only: “And that they can also discuss essential issues such as the climate issue, the issue of sustainable development and economic balance, issues such as the distribution of wealth, so that we can have underdeveloped countries emerge, so that we can have a more egalitarian”.
Ivan Petersburgo, a young Mozambican also signed up for the journey, hopes to learn from here good lessons in interacting with the other pilgrims. But Petersburg also sees an opportunity to debate what he considers to be key issues in his country: “Primarily the question of health and the question of unemployment”.
Portugal expects around 67,000 pilgrims from over 120 countries and five continents for World Youth Day. From Africa, the presence of the five Portuguese-speaking countries stands out, but young people from Brazil and Timor-Leste also traveled to Portugal.
By João Carlos
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