Lisbon.- Lisbon recovers its normality this Monday after hosting for a week the visit of Pope Francis and more than a million pilgrims for World Youth Day (WYD), which has brought together from August 1 to 6 the largest Catholic concentration after the coronavirus pandemic.
The faithful, who reached a million and a half people at the closing of this weekend, have caused long lines at the Humberto Delgado Airport to return to their countries of origin.
There is barely a trace of them on the streets of Lisbon, easily recognizable these last days by their shirts, backpacks, flags and songs.
Public transport, which suffered diversions and closures for security in the center of the city, has returned to its usual services.
The organization has begun to remove the boxes and stages used during WYD, as well as the giant screens and speakers installed to broadcast the ceremonies.
Likewise, today the documentary controls are withdrawn at the Portuguese borders to enter the country that were replaced on July 22 on the occasion of the Day.
The Pope, who returned to Rome this Sunday, has officiated during these days several massive ceremonies, has met with victims of abuse, representatives of other religions, young people and the sick, and has traveled to the sanctuary of Fatima.
At the close of WYD, the Portuguese authorities have celebrated the levels of participation in this Catholic macro-event.
“It is something never seen in Portugal”, a “madness”, summed up this Sunday the Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, while the prime minister, António Costa, highlighted the “immaterial” impact of the event.
