SW News:

The Holy Father exhorted volunteers of WYD Lisbon to be “surfers of love” as they bravely handled the “huge wave” of young pilgrims. While addressing them in Alges on Sunday, August 6, the pope evoked nautical imagery once again by referring to the town of Nazare north of Lisbon where the waves can reach up to 30 meters making it a surfers’ paradise.

The pontiff said that these days the volunteers faced a veritable wave, not of water, but of young people who have flocked to this city. He said with the help of God, with enormous generosity and support they managed to ride this big wave.
I want to tell you: keep going like this, keep riding the waves of charity, be ‘surfers of love’! It is like a task that I entrust to you at this moment. May the service you did at WYD be the first of many good waves; each time you will be taken higher, closer to God, and this will allow you to see your path in a better perspective,” the pontiff said.

He also expressed gratitude to the volunteers and paid kudos for their hard work which made “these unforgettable days possible”. The Holy Father said they all worked for months in secret without advertising their activities so that everyone could come together and sing. “Jesus lives and does not leave us alone: We will never stop loving,” he said.

The Supreme Pontiff also compared their service to Zacchaeus who came down from the tree to find Christ and welcome Him into his house and to the disciples who ran back and forth from the Upper Room to the tomb to announce that Jesus is risen. “Those who love do not stand idly by, those who love to serve and those who love will run to serve, to give themselves in service,” the pope told them.

When the meeting started, the pope listened to the testimonies of three volunteers. The first one Chiara told the pope that life with God is not boring at all. Instead, it is pure adventure. She recounted how she was able to give Jesus to the pilgrims whom she served.

In his testimony, Francisco from Portugal narrated the preparations done and how WYD has made volunteering a part of his life now. “I felt Jesus in the songs and smiles of pilgrims,” he said, adding that he was fortunate to meet so many people from around the world.

Filipe from Portugal also said that WYD was a personal encounter with God. He said his entire parish was involved in the preparations for the big event. He concluded by saying that all the volunteers are praying for the Holy Father and also requested him to keep them in his prayers.

From Alges, the pope went by car to the Figo Maduro military airbase where there was a brief farewell ceremony as per protocol. Cardinal Manuel Clemente of Lisbon and the Portuguese prelates were present on the tarmac along with Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas and other government dignitaries. The pope in a wheelchair was escorted by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on the tarmac where he bid farewell to all who were gathered there, including the three service chiefs.

The Vatican entourage led by Cardinal Pietro Parolin also bid farewell to the president, prime minister, officials and the Portuguese episcopate and thanked them for the hospitality. The Holy Father used a hydraulic lift to board the TAP A321 Goncalo Velho Cabral aircraft which was piloted by a former F-16 fighter pilot.