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Wednesday, 16 August 2023 12:25

The Cross of Christ is a Message of Hope Says the Pope

World Youth Day | Lisbon, Portugal | August 1-6, 2023

Pope Francis met with some 800,000 young people in Lisbon’s Eduardo VII Park, the hub of many of the events during the 2023 World Youth Day. The Stations of the Cross were focused on prayer for those suffering the effects of mass shootings, wars, abuse, anxiety, eating disorders and persecution. The pope assured those who joined him in the park that Jesus never fails to be present, despite the hardships the youth of today's face.

"Jesus weeps with us," the pope said during the Way of the Cross. Speaking without a script, he said, "All of us in life have cried and we cry still. And there is Jesus with us. He cries with us because he accompanies us in the darkness that leads us to tears."

During the Way of the Cross, video were shown indicating some of the situations today’s youth find themselves in. There were also meditations and reflections on the everyday lives of young people in today’s world. "We live in a world of mirrors where all that matters is our appearance, our image. Selfies after selfies. The tyranny of the right body and the perfect smile," read one reflection. "Photos of us on social media in carefully studied poses. Artificial posts waiting for likes."

The cross of Christ, Pope Francis said to the young people, is a message of hope, one of victory over death, and shows that sacrificial love, while risky, is always worth it. The pope told the young people that despite these temptations, fears and distractions, Christ and the Church offer a message of inclusion and renewal.

It has been reported in various new media that the priests have been hearing more than 10,000 confessions a day. The pope has participated as well, beginning his day by hearing the confessions of three young people from Guatemala, Italy, and Spain. The event organizers have provided makeshift confessionals with simple wooden benches. The pope opted to sit in one of these rather than a larger confessional complete with a cushioned, high back chair.

The pope later went to meet charity workers. Here too he opted to speak spontaneously rather than read through the prepared remarks. He blamed the change being necessary because he was having difficulties with his glasses. However, the pope often put aside prepared remarks to speak to his audience.

"When I shake the hand of someone in need, or a sick person, or a marginalized person, do I do this right after so they don't infect me?," the pope asked while rubbing his hand on his cassock.

"Concrete love," he told the aid workers, "is that which gets one’s hands dirty."

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