There is one year left until World Youth Day in Krakow and Pope Francis wanted to be the first pilgrim to sign up. He did it while praying the Angelus on Sunday.
It's the 31st World Youth Day and it will be inspired by the Year of Mercy proposed by Pope Francis. The dates are already confirmed: it will take place from the 25th to the 31st of July, 2016.
The Pope chose as his theme the fifth of the eight beatitudes: 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.â?
The title of the official hymn has a similar name, 'Blessed are the mercifulâ? and its lyrics reference some of the psalms and parables of the Bible.
For now, only some of the events have been disclosed. There will be, for example, a Via Crucis, a festival for youth and a catechesis for the whole city. The Pope will end the event with the traditional vigil and a crowded Mass in which he will announce the city that will host the next World Youth Day.
Pope Francis signed up online yesterday and, after only 1 day, the number of registrations has skyrocketed. According to the latest data from the organization, more than 45,000 pilgrims have signed up.
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-VJ
-Up:LOA
