The leader of the Roman Catholic Church conducted a mass for 1.5 mn pilgrims, many of whom spent the night at Lisbon's field in anticipation of the pontiff, Euronews has reported.
According to the Vatican, around 700 bishops and 10,000 priests joined the prayers of the faithful and the pontiff in the capital of Portugal.
Pope Francis urged young people to pursue their dreams and not fear failure:
"Young people want to change the world. And it's wonderful to wish to change the world and work for justice."
The Roman Pontiff also highlighted the sufferings of Ukrainians:
"I feel great sorrow for beloved Ukraine, which continues to suffer. Dear friends, allow me, as an older generation person, to share with you young people the dream I carry within me: it's a dream of peace."
Pope Francis announced that for the first time in the past three decades, the next ceremony will take place in Asia.
In 2027, Seoul will host the relay for the World Youth Day. This signifies the growing significance of this part of the world for the church. The Vatican notes that while religion is diminishing in traditional European countries, Catholicism is attracting more and more followers of faith on the Asian continent.
Pope Francis also declared the celebration of the jubilee Youth Day in Rome in 2025.
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