Saturday 5th August
PARQUE TEJO TRANCÃO, LISBON – From around 4pm the transition from bustling racket to eerie stillness on the streets of Lisbon was deafening.
Pilgrims had spent the day getting their hands on sleeping bags and stocking up on provisions in preparation for the long walk and even longer queues to get to the venue of the closing two feature events– the Saturday vigil and the Sunday Mass.
The tradition (one to which most have kept to) is to sleep rough under the stars beside fellow Catholics of all nationalities on the Saturday night through to Mass and the close of the JMJ proceedings the following morning.
Upon arrival on the Saturday evening, with the sky turned pink and the air full of anticipation, it became clear that the population of a small country had arrived. If figures are accurate, 1.6 million were present on the banks of the widest part of the Tagus river, with the gargantuan Vasco da Gama bridge jetting out across the water and into the sunset beside.
As pilgrims took their places, drones behind the stage took to the air. Making an impressive spectacle, they arranged in various formations, combinations and colours, first as the Paraclete’s traditional representation as a dove and later with punchy biblical messages in various languages such as “FOLLOW ME”.
When the Pope made his speech in Spanish he gave lessons and reassurances about the Christian spiritual life– in the official script even quoting JRR Tolkien’s fine words about the Eucharist in a letter to his son and describing the Lord of the Rings as “surely one of the greatest stories of a journey of adventure ever written”.
A great theme was to assure pilgrims, all of whom were naturally at different levels and depths in faith, that they should not expect nor seek ease if they should wish to follow Christ.
“It is not always easy or downhill, because he is the God of adventure and exodus, not of pleasant walks in the park,” he said.
“Jesus is not someone who gives you a pat on the back and then walks off, but the true friend who accompanies you along the way, helps you to overcome your fears and brings you to the mountaintop, to those heights for which you were made.”
Once again, cutting through to the youth, he encouraged young Catholics to put down their phones, to not only pray, or go to Mass, or be charitable when they feel like it– but imitate the Virgin Mary in her flight to Elizabeth in haste.
“As for you, however, don’t be afraid to swim against the current. Take your life into your own hands, get involved, turn off the TV and open the Gospel. Put aside the cell phone and go to meet other people!”
A highly reverent moment of Eucharistic adoration followed, during which the Pope was helped to his wheelchair and a cardinal raised the monstrance in blessing for all present. The first major extended moments of silence for WYD 2023 followed.
Sunday 6th August
PARQUE TEJO TRANCÃO, LISBON – Pilgrims who managed to get a good night’s sleep woke up at 7am to a fine orange sunrise and the sound of Padre Guilherme, a Portuguese DJ and priest booming music through speakers in the park.
He remixed soundtracks from Pope Francis and Avicii to create a very contemporary, upbeat and strange alarm clock.
Pilgrims cheered and danced. Waving flags, some clambered upon fellow traveller’s shoulders with arms spread wide. Any oblivious onlooker would be forgiven for, in that moment, supposing the event a hardcore electronic dance music festival still going from the night before, wired artificially on narcotics and stimulants.
There, however, were no drugs or heavy drinking to be seen here. Pilgrims had been remarkably well behaved in bed at a reasonable time.
As the music subsided, preparation for the Mass ensued. Cardinals and clerics surged to the front areas by the stage. The area around the Pope became a sea of black and red as cardinals from every continent arrived.
The sun beat mercilessly upon the spectators as the Mass began. An amusing sight was the army of priests, thousands of whom took to concelebrating the consecration of the Mass, wearing World Youth Day bucket hats.
Pope Francis’ speech emphasised gratitude. He eloquently thanked volunteers, pilgrims and clerics for having made the journey and as he closed he encouraged pilgrims to pray and look to Mary.
Before leaving the venue, the Pope revealed where the next World Youth Day celebrations were to take place.
When Seoul in South Korea was announced, a small but loud section of the park erupted. Koreans jumping up and down took to the stage waving their flag. Much of the rest of the park seemed pleased and confirmed this with their applause. Korea certainly is enjoying a cultural moment.
As pilgrims exited the park for home in the now blistering heat, various individual Korean groups of pilgrims were handing out local Marian iconography, and gifts to fellow Catholics, educating on the quirks of the Church and Faith in their homeland and culture.
Unfortunately, the Portuguese transport system was totally overwhelmed. The park was far away from anything central in the city. Taxis were nearly impossible to find and queues for buses and trams were hours long. Police held back the crowds so as not to overwhelm platforms or any specific area.
Though the Tagus is not safe for swimming, it looked particularly inviting for pilgrims as they made their way home in the heat, as did the water fountains and decorative pools which attracted pilgrims like magnets.
(Pilgrims protect themselves from the sun with umbrellas during the Holy Mass led by Pope Francis on the last day of World Youth Day (WYD) at Parque Tejo in Lisbon, Portugal, 06 August 2023 | JOSE SENA GOULAO/LUSA/POOL via Getty)
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