Portugal – Pope Francis' first days at WYD Lisbon 2023
Portugal – August 2023 -The agenda of the Pope's visit to Portugal, in the framework of World Youth Day Lisbon 2023, is not limited to his presence at the central events, but is filled with moments of encounter, in various places. 2 August was mainly characterised by diplomatic meetings: the Pope met civil society authorities and the diplomatic corps at the Belém Cultural Centre, where he gave his first official speech. In the late afternoon, he met the Prime Minister at the Apostolic Nunciature, where he also held his meeting with victims of clergy sexual abuse. Before ending the day, he met with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men, seminarians and pastoral workers at the Jerónimos Monastery. On 3 August, the Holy Father began his day with a visit to the Portuguese Catholic University, where he met some young university students. The Pope asked the university students to "seek and take risks" searching for a "new choreography that puts the human person at the centre". Pope Francis then left for Cascais, where he met with young people from Scholas Occurentes, a school based on the teaching programme created by the Holy Father when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires. After answering some of the young people's questions, the Pope said that a life without crises is aseptic and tasteless, and that only together can crises be overcome. At the end of the afternoon, Pope Francis went to the Hill of Encounter for the first large gathering with the pilgrims.