SW News:

Pope Francis exhorted 800,000 young believers gathered at Parque Eduardo VII in Lisbon for the WYD Way of the Cross on August 4 to walk along with Jesus, who is the way. 

From the stage, the pontiff told the youth to “look at Jesus, who is passing by, and let us walk with him”. He added that the way of Jesus is God coming out of himself. “We hear it so many times at Mass. The Word became flesh,” said the pope. He urged the young believers to silently think about their own anxieties and solitudes. “Jesus walks towards the cross so that our soul can smile," said the Pope. 

At the beginning of each station, the choir intoned Adoramus te Christe and at the end, the “Christe Salvator Filius Patris dona nobis pacem” was chanted thrice. Ensemble 23 comprising 50 young men and women from different countries gave dramatic renditions for each Stations of the Cross with perfectly choreographed moves. 

The first station’s contemplation was on how young people feel that they do not have a bright future. Hardship to earn money and find opportunities and the difficulty in landing a job plague many young people. 

In the second station, young believers contemplated wars, conflicts and mass shootings. Not to mention child abuse, bullying, violence in families and abuse of power. If the third station meditation was on loneliness and the feeling of hopelessness, the fourth was on the assistance of the Blessed Virgin in helping the youth find their real vocation and get along in life. 

All those taking part in the Way of the Cross contemplated exclusions and intolerance at the fifth station. They brought to mind the people suffering religious persecution and trampling of the right to free speech. 

In the next station, young believers reflected on the individualistic world where it is taught that self-realization and one’s image matter the most. The seventh station’s meditation was on anxieties, depression, eating disorders and burnout which are issues that affect the youth these days. 

Caring for the common home was the topic for the eighth station and it is something of great concern to the Holy Father. Unbridled exploitation of natural resources, extinction of species and the decimation of forests all pave the way for climate change. All young people who are addicted to pornography, alcohol and drugs and drifting away from faith were contemplated in the next station. 
The tyranny of the right body and the perfect smile for selfies on social media was brought to mind in the tenth station. In the 11th station where Christ is nailed to the cross, young believers contemplated on people who try to escape inhuman situations such as war, lack of resources and political persecution. 

In the 12th station, the pilgrims contemplated on people who are sidelined such as the elderly, people with disabilities and the migrants. If fake news and peddling lies on social media were the topics of meditation in the 13th station, the obstacles in life and the fear to look forward and see light at the end of the tunnel were the meditation for the final station.