Arriving in Lisbon on Wednesday to take part in World Youth Day, the pope began the five-day visit by calling on Europe to “build bridges” for peace in Ukraine and urging clergy to listen to the “cry of pain victims” of sexual violence. The 86-year-old Argentinian Jesuit was welcomed with military honors in the Portuguese capital, where a million young pilgrims are expected on the occasion of this major international gathering within a Catholic Church in full reflection on its future.
“Looking fondly at Europe and the spirit of dialogue that characterizes it, one could ask him: where are you heading, if you don’t offer routes of peace, creative ways to end the war in Ukraine (…)? “Launched Jorge Bergoglio in his first speech, applauded by the authorities and the diplomatic corps at the cultural center of Belém.
The fourth pope to visit this country, where he had already visited in 2017, Francis took the opportunity to address the delicate issue of child crime in the Church, six months after the publication of a shock report by a commission of experts. independent. Jorge Bergoglio spoke of “the disappointment and anger that some feel towards the Church, sometimes because of our bad witness and the scandals that have disfigured its face”. According to him, these scandals “call for a humble and constant purification, starting from the cry of pain of the victims, always to welcome and listen”.
According to the survey carried out at the request of the Portuguese bishops, at least 4,815 minors have been victims of sexual violence in a religious context since 1950, acts concealed by the hierarchy of the Church in a “systemic” way. According to the Portuguese ecclesiastical authorities, the pope must meet in private with victims of sexual assault, but the appointment is not currently in the official program. His visit began with a meeting with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. “We are the Pope’s youth!” “, chanted hundreds of faithful who were waiting for him in front of the presidential palace of Belém, beating on drums and waving flags in the colors of their countries.
Young people from almost every nation in the world flocked to the sunny Portuguese capital for this week of festive, cultural and spiritual gatherings, which opened on Tuesday with a mass at the top of a hill overlooking the city centre. city. This kickoff gathered a crowd of 200,000 pilgrims, according to the Portuguese police. According to estimates by local authorities, they could be 750,000 for the Pope’s welcoming ceremony which will take place Thursday evening on the same site.
