The Argentine pontiff told the young pilgrims that “the world needs you, like the earth needs rain.
“I would like to look into the eyes of each one of you and say to you: do not be afraid,” he added, telling them that Jesus was looking out on them.
“He is looking at us. He knows you.
“He knows the heart of each one of you. He knows the life of each one of you. He knows your joys, He knows your sorrows, your successes, and your failures.
“He knows your hearts, and He says to you today, here, in Lisbon, at this World Youth Day, ‘Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid. Take heart, do not be afraid.”
Francis also asked the crowd for prayers for people unable to attend the event because of armed conflicts and wars.
“There are many of them in our world,” he said.
“In thinking of this continent. I feel great sorrow for beloved Ukraine, which continues to suffer greatly.”
He shared “a dream that I carry within me – the dream of peace, the dream of young people praying for peace, living in peace and building a peaceful future”.
He invited the young people to the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee in Rome and announced that the next World Youth Day would take place in Seoul, South Korea, in 2027.
ANSA
