Pope Francis Calls World Youth Day "A nucleus of strong evangelization, of joy, of youthful expression." to WYD Committee



IMPROVISED WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE FOUNDATION
FROM WORLD YOUTH DAY LISBON 2023
Paul VI Hall on Thursday, November 30, 2023
Pope Francis thanks members of the 2023 Lisbon WYD Committee and Foundation who offered their work and their hope during the 6-day event in August. “Thank you, thank you for what you have done. Thank you for all you set up so that this World Youth Day could be what it was: A nucleus of evangelisation, of joy, of youthful expression." Speaking off-the-cuff to a delegation of members of the 2023 Lisbon World Youth Day Committee and Foundation, Pope Francis recalled the six-day event this summer in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.

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I speak Spanish because it is safer, closer to Portuguese. Italian is further away.

Thank you. Thank you for what you did. Thank you for all this scaffolding that you offered to make Youth Day what it was. A nucleus of strong evangelization, of joy, of youthful expression. I bring back from the Lisbon meeting a very great emotion, and also a memory, simple people, who lent their shoulder from below. I still have the rosary of the 96-year-old old lady - is she still alive?  Then I remember that girl, 19 years old, with a serious illness, who had offered her life for the Meeting thinking that she was going to die, but she was still alive. Does she still live? 19 years old.  (Yes, was the answer for both)I remember the children of that Day volunteer who died at work, how they came with joy and left with sadness for having lost their mother. I remember so many simple people, so many. I also remember the pastéis, which are very good... So many simple people who have offered their work, their enthusiasm. And I thank Cardinal Americo, he likes me to call him Father Americo, it's better. I thank him for everything he has done. He is a special cardinal, a cardinal a little enfant terrible, but very good.

Now, I can't talk much, someone is going to read what I was going to tell you.

Source: Vatican.va - with Vatican Media Screenshot from the Meeting with the Committee

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