Towards WYD Lisbon: the Church welcomes and recognizes the driving force of young people

There was much discussion on how the Church can relate to the world of young people and the message that the Encyclical Fratelli Tutti offers to society. These were the topics about which Cardinal Mauro Gambetti - the Pope's Vicar General for the Vatican City and Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica - and Attorney Daniele Bruno - President of the John Paul II Youth Foundation - spoke yesterday afternoon in the Aula Magna of the Pontifical Gregorian University, during the second meeting of the lecture series "Walking Towards Lisbon - 10 Years of Francis."

The challenge of proclaiming the good news to all young people

Drawing inspiration from the theme of the upcoming WYD, "Mary arose and went with haste”, both Gambetti and Bruno offered insights on the richness of the "good haste" and the positive instability typical of young people, which make it possible to challenge the proclamation of the Good News even, and especially, to those who are furthest away and have not yet come to know Christ. Overstepping and speaking on the themes of technology and politics, social friendship and hospitality, enriched the dialog and sharing of ideas. The series of meetings, organized by the Embassy of Portugal to the Holy See, opened last month with a talk about the figure of Pope Francis between Coach José Mourinho and Cardinal José Tolentino Da Mendonça and will conclude on May 9 at the headquarters of the Embassy of Portugal to the Holy See with the final dialog on Laudato Si' between Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, former Prefect of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and Jorge Vaz de Carvalho, musician and professor of literature (Universidade Católica Portuguesa).