In the months preceding WYD, the symbols make a pilgrimage through all the dioceses of the host country, to proclaim the Gospel and accompany young people, in a special way, in the circumstances in which they live.
The pilgrim cross and the icon of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani were handed over to the young Portuguese on 22 November, 2020, on the day of the Solemnity of Christ the King, in St Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican.
At 3.80 metres high, the pilgrim cross, built for the Holy Year in 1983, was entrusted by John Paul II to young people on Palm Sunday the following year, so that it could be carried around the world.
In 2000, Pope John Paul II also introduced the Salus Populi Romani icon as a symbol of Mary's presence among young people. The image, 1.20 metre high and 80 centimetres wide, now accompanies the cross on pilgrimages. It is a replica of the icon of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore which, according to tradition, was painted by St Luke.
Arriving now in the Patriarchate of Lisbon, the WYD symbols were received with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Manuel Clemente, Patriarch of Lisbon, in the monastery at Alcobaça. The Patriarch recalled that Lisbon will be the last stop for the cross and the Marian icon before the WYD, which will take place from 1 to 6 August. Everywhere, from the north to the south of the country, mainland and islands, where the symbols have arrived, many things have happened and continue to happen, because the signs of God's presence have been received.
After Mass, Cardinal Manuel Clemente joined some young people to carry the cross through the streets of Alcobaça, passing in front of the market and the City Hall. Then, getting into a car with an open roof, they headed to their next destination.
To know all the stages of the WYD symbol itinerary in Portugal, you can access the lisboa2023.org website
