Be the first to comment!565 young Gozitans and Maltese in Lisbon for World Youth Day
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565 young Gozitans and Maltese are joining thousands of other young people from around the world and with Pope Francis to participate in the World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Maltese group will be led by the Bishop of Gozo Anton Teuma.
The Pope wanted the theme for this year to be “Mary arose and went with haste” (Lk 1:39) in order to encourage young people to follow Mary’s example and not be afraid to proclaim the Good News.
World Youth Day is an international meeting for all young people where together with Pope Francis they celebrate their youth, their faith in Jesus, and share aspirations for the future through spiritual and social activities.
Pope Francis will take part in the main activities which include the opening ceremony, the traditional Via Crucis, the night vigil, and the closing Mass.
Bishop Anton Teuma said that the large number of young Maltese and Gozitans who will live this experience is a sign of hope for the Church in Malta. “In a world where everyone thinks more and more for themselves, through this experience, young people want to convey a strong message to everyone, that we need each other,” emphasised Bishop Teuma.
Benjamin Flores Martin, the Archbishop’s Delegate for Youth, said that he hopes that the World Youth Day celebrations will be an inspiration to the Maltese youth who will attend so that they too stretch out their hands and convey the “Word of Jesus” in their communities and in Maltese society.
The Malta Catholic Youth Network (MCYN) and the Gozo Diocesan Youth Commission (KDZG) are taking care of the organisation of the activities of the local delegation.
During the last months several activities have been prepared in preparation for this event, both for the young people who are going to Lisbon and for those who will follow the celebration from Malta through their involvement in their groups and communities.
World Youth Day was founded by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1983. This year’s celebration is the 16th edition, and will take place between the 1st and 6th of August.
Photo: Curia – church.mt/photos
