As was widely expected, Lisbon, Portugal has been selected to host the next World Youth Day, which is slated to take place in July 2022. “Nos vemos en Portugal,” declared His Eminence Cardinal Kevin Farrell at Sunday’s closing World Youth Day Mass, the pope’s final event with pilgrims. His Eminence Cardinal Farrell is prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Marriage, and Family, whose department is in charge of overseeing World Youth Day planning.
Upon news of the announcement, LeopolDina Simões who previously worked as coordinator for the Social Communication Center of the Fátima Sanctuary in Portugal, told Crux that she believes “World Youth Day in Lisbon will be a unique opportunity to make known the Portuguese Catholic reality to the world.”
Portugal had long been rumored to be the next city to host the Vatican-backed youth festival, as Cardinal Manuel Clemente of Lisbon, who is also president of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP), had already confirmed that the CEP had applied to serve as the host city. Although this will mark the first time the traditionally Catholic country has played host to World Youth Day, Pope John Paul II visited Portugal a record four times during his pontificate, and Benedict XVI visited in 2010.
Source: Crux
