Pilgrims brave scorching heat for Pope’s vigil in Lisbon after Francis ditches Fátima peace prayer
August 07, 2023
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CWN Editor's Note: On August 5, the fourth day of his apostolic journey to Portugal, Pope Francis traveled by helicopter from Lisbon to Fátima, the site of the 1917 Marian apparitions.
At the Chapel of the Apparitions, he recited the Rosary with sick young people. He delivered an extemporaneous address to the 200,000 pilgrims, rather than reciting the prepared prayer for peace.
After returning by helicopter to Lisbon, the Pope held a private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus at the Colégio de San João de Brito, a Jesuit school founded in 1947.
In the evening, Pope Francis addressed an estimated 1.5 million young people during a prayer vigil in Parque do Tejo.
“Carry on; if you fall, get back up; walk with a goal in mind, and train each day of your lives,” the Pope said. “Nothing is free in life, everything has to be paid for. Only one thing is free: the love of Jesus!”
“So, with this free gift that we have – the love of Jesus – and with the desire to carry on the journey, let us walk in hope, let us be mindful of our roots, and move forwards, without fear,” he added. “Do not be afraid.”
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