In Portugal where half the young people say they have no religion, a Catholic priest has discovered a unique way to connect with them. Guilherme Peixoto (pictured) blends faith with electronic dance music as a DJ priest. “Padre Guilherme says, ‘If we can’t bring them to church, we’ll bring the church to them’” said Silvana Read more
The Catholic Church is open to everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community, Pope Francis affirms. The Church has a duty to accompany gay people on a personal path of spirituality, providing that accompaniment is within the framework of the Catholic Church rules, he told reporters on the plane returning to Rome from World Youth Day (WYD) Read more
On the stage in the Garden of the Empire Square in the Belém district of Lisbon , Mariia, 31, Natalia, 33, and Oksana, 28, sing a patriotic song in Ukrainian, holding the blue and yellow flag, in the admiring silence of the assembly. They come from Ternopil, in the western part of their country devastated Read more
“There is space in the Church for everyone… Everyone, everyone, everyone!” Pope Francis encouraged the half-a-million young people who warmly received him on Thursday evening at Lisbon’s Edward VII Park to repeat this word numerous times. The Pope appeared revitalized and invigorated by the contagious enthusiasm of the girls and boys who, together with their Read more
LGBTQ pilgrims at a special Mass organised for them at World Youth Day (WYD) last Thursday found themselves facing a group of ultra-traditionalist Catholic protesters. Earlier that same day, Pope Francis spoke at three different venues, telling the half a million WYD pilgrims that the Church must be a home for everyone. Despite the Pope’s Read more
At World Youth Day on Friday, politics and devotion met briefly. Crux reports on August 5 that during a semi-private meeting, a Russian Orthodox bishop expressed regret for the Ukraine war, thanking Francis for supporting the Ukrainian people. “I would like to thank you very much for all you have done for the Ukrainian people,” Read more
On the third day of his visit to Portugal, Pope Francis delivered a heartfelt message of praise and encouragement to charitable outreach workers for their selfless dedication to ‘love in action.’ During the 37th World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon, the Pope commended representatives of aid and charitable centres, urging them to continue making life Read more
The Pope’s eyesight is not failing, the Vatican says. Observers had noted Francis set aside several prepared speeches at World Youth Day (WYD) in Portugal. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni says there’s no cause to think the Pope’s eyesight is failing. Francis prefers to speak without notes, Brunei adds. It’s a pastoral preference. “The pope always Read more
An estimated 1.5 million people packed a riverside park in Portugal’s capital on Saturday, braving a relentlessly scorching sun for hours for an evening prayer service with Pope Francis. The Parque Tejo, a new venue created for the event, covers 100 hectares (250 acres) and has no shade or structures. Some participants had to wait Read more
Pope Francis’ hope for the Church to offer the Portuguese community a more cohesive opportunity through World Youth Day (WYD) is being met with some strong challenges. Hours after he touched down in Lisbon on Wednesday, one of three huge billboards erected by activists to raise awareness of sexual abuse by clergy was removed, says Read more