Cristina Cabrejas
Lisbon, Aug 6 (EFE) Pope Francis at the World Youth Day (WYD) vigil and prepare for today’s mass.
The 100 hectares of Parque Tejo, almost like 150 soccer fields, have become an endless expanse of mattresses, mats, tarpaulins, blankets, and backpacks full of sandwiches, cookies, and juices to kill hunger at all these hours.
Some are so far away that they have not even been able to see the Pope, but “nothing happens”, the important thing is to be there and tell that they were here together with a million and a half young people from 151 countries.
“Good morning, pilgrims”, resounds from the loudspeakers in several languages, encouraging them to wake up and collect all their belongings to continue the mass. Some find it hard to get going and roll over in their sleeping bags.
When Pope Francis arrived with the popemobile, some boys were still picking up their mattresses and after a very long night in which they hardly slept and others explained that they felt “a little cold.”
But the majority are already on their feet, active and enthusiastic, because they have been told that in a few minutes the Pope will arrive to greet them with the popemobile. They all have the same question to the policeman who watches that no one goes out into the corridors of the esplanade: Will he pass through here?
Ana, Marta and Lucia, from Seville (southern Spain) assure that they are not tired and that they have spent the night praying, singing, dancing and playing cards with a group of Italians because the best thing about their first WYD is above all power being “with other people of other nationalities and other cultures”. They are excited and they didn’t expect “all these people” at all.
Martina, from Argentina, is enthusiastic: “We spent the night here under this beautiful sky, this moon. It’s a very nice experience. I had many expectations because it was my first WYD but the truth is that it has surpassed all of them. Being with all these people from other countries, close to Pope Francis is an inexplicable and unique joy”.
For Marta, from Guatemala, this is her third WYD after Krakow and Panama, but she assures that “this WYD in Lisbon has been very special due to the large number of people who have come.”
Rocio, Lucia, Ceci and all their friends from Asturias and Valladolid (northern Spain) acknowledge: “They don’t get much sleep” and they are a bit tired but they explain that as soon as the Pope passes by “they’re going to come crashing down.” They don’t expect any of this and comment that the best thing is to be able to meet people from so many other countries.
Still sleepy, and very well equipped with tents and mattresses, a huge group of young people from South Korea are unaware that they will be happy at the end of the mass: the next WYD will be in their country. EFE
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