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Writer's pictureClaire Vous Aide

Lisbon, host city of World Youth Day 2023

🗓 From 1 to 6 August 2023, the XXVIIIth World Youth Day (WYD) will be held for the first time in the Portuguese capital, on the edge of the Tagus river, in particular very close to the Parc des Nations district, a stone's throw from the imposing Vasco de Gama Bridge, on the 75-hectare Parque Tejo-Trancão site - renamed "Campo da Graça" for the occasion.


Some of the WYD activities will also take place in the Parque Eduardo VII in Lisbon, in Cascais and in Fatima.


🕦 Official Schedule for the Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Francis to Portugal : SEE


📊 In Portugal,

- Around 80% of the population identify themselves as Catholics,

- Around 53% of young Portuguese people say they are Catholics, which is higher than the European average.

[Figures taken from the study by the Benedict XVI Centre for Religion and Society, which served as a basis of information for the 2018 Synod of Bishops on Young People in the Catholic Church].

- There are 21 dioceses and 4,380 parishes.


The WYD is a meeting of young people from all over the world with the Pope. It is a pilgrimage, a celebration of youth, an expression of the universal Church and a powerful moment of evangelisation for the world of young people. With a clearly Catholic identity, WYD is open to everyone, whether they are close to the Church or not.


1986: first WYD in Rome - established by John Paul II.

2019: Latest WYD to be held in Panama City - the first WYD in Central America.

This year's event was originally scheduled for 2022, but was postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic.


"Mary arose and went with haste" (Lk 1:39) is the biblical quotation chosen by Pope Francis as the motto for this 2023 edition.The biblical phrase (a quote from the Gospel of St. Luke) opens the account of the Visitation (Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth), a biblical episode following the Annunciation (the angel’s announcement to Mary that she would be the mother of the Son of God, and the theme of the last WYD, in Panama).


The logo for WYD 2023, created by 24-year-old Portuguese designer Beatriz Roque Antunes, takes the symbol of the Cross, with the Holy Spirit appearing on the way.

Mary appears as a young woman, to remain faithful to the representation described in the Gospel of Saint Luke (Lk 1, 39) and to reinforce her identification with young people. The rosary celebrates the spirituality of the Portuguese people in their devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. The colours are a reminder of those of the Portuguese flag (green, red and yellow).


The 2 symbols of WYD are currently on pilgrimage in the Dioceses of Portugal:

- The Pilgrim Cross, 3.8 metres high: built for the Holy Year in 1983, it was entrusted by John Paul II to the young people on Palm Sunday of the following year, so that it could be transported around the world. Since then, the wooden Pilgrim Cross has embarked on a pilgrimage that has taken it to 5 continents and almost 90 countries.

- The Icon of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani (since 2003) depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus in her arms.

In the months leading up to each WYD, the symbols go on pilgrimage to proclaim the Gospel and accompany the young people.


🎼 The song "Há Pressa no Ar" ("There is haste in the air") was chosen as the anthem for this WYD in Lisbon.

The lyrics were written by priest João Paulo Vaz and the music by Pedro Ferreira, both from the diocese of Coimbra. The arrangements were provided by musician Carlos Garcia. The anthem - and the video clip showing the flagship sites of Lisbon - was recorded in 2 versions: in Portuguese and in an international version in 5 languages 🎥(Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and Italian).


The preparation of all WYDs, their implementation and their dynamism are entrusted to patrons (saints who have been canonised or are in the process of being canonised).

For this 28th edition, the Local Organising Committee has selected 13 patrons: Saint John Paul II, Saint John Bosco, Saint Vincent, Saint Anthony, Saint Bartholomew of the Martyrs, Saint John of Britto, Blessed Jeane of Portugal, Blessed John Fernandes, Blessed Maria Claire of the Child Jesus, Blessed Peter George Frassati, Blessed Marcel Callo, Blessed Chiara Badano, Blessed Carlo Acutis.


ℹ️ All the news and Q&A about WYD 2023 🇵🇹 are available on the dedicated website.


🗞 The extra info:

At the beginning of 2023, controversy erupted in Portugal over the cost of building the large WYD altar stage on the main site on the banks of the Tagus (which will remain in place post-WYD). Indignation was aroused by the value of the stage initially presented by Lisbon City Council: 4.24 million euros. Over a two-week period, the Church, the municipality and Mota-Engil (the company with whom the contract was signed) met to review the initial value and came up with a 30% reduction, representing a cost of 2.9 million euros.

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