Coming up on a month after World Youth Day in Panama, one of the main organizers, Card. Kevin Farrell reflects on how it went. He says of all the events that took place, there is one image that will forever stay with him.
CARD. KEVIN FARRELL
Prefect for the Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life
“For me, the image that sticks in my mind is how they got on well together and how they everybody was mixed together, different cultures, different nationalities. Some could barely communicate with each other, because of language. Yet they were all there and all together and to was no tension. There was everybody respecting everybody else.”
This respect and universality of the Catholic Church is one of the main aspects witnessed at World Youth Day.
Apart from this, he says they will begin the analyzing process, which is done after the conclusion of every World Youth Day. After reflecting, preparations for Lisbon 2022 will take-off at record speed.
CARD. KEVIN FARRELL
Prefect for the Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life
“The first thing that we study and we're looking at, after we all take a deep breath, is 'What was good about Panama?' We have to analyze where we were. We analyze. Where the Synod was, we analyze what took place after the Synod. The World Youth Day, in Panama, we look at all the good points, we look at the points that were not so good. We will decide in the next couple of months how it's going to go.”
For WYD Portugal, they are preparing an even larger team of young people from all over the world to work on the event, as one of the recommendations after the Synod.
Additionally, another special guest will also be present.
CARD. KEVIN FARRELL
Prefect for the Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life
“Will Our Lady of Fatima? Of course, Our Lady will be included, always in it. She has always been and it will obviously be a very important factor. When you visit Portugal, you cannot think of Portugal without Fatima. So that I would say is the simple answer to that question.”
He said Pope Francis also has an interest in World Youth Day and is the person who guides the planning process.
Various teams are being set up and preparations have already begun in Lisbon, Portugal, so in 2022 thousands of youth will be sent home with another message of hope and trust in God's love.
