Pope Francis Prays at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major before his World Youth Day Trip and Entrusts his Journey and the Participants to Our Lady

 

Pope Francis prays at the Roman Basilica of Saint Mary Major for his Apostolic Journey to Portugal, and entrusts his visit and World Youth Day participants to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On the 31st of July, Pope Francis went to the Roman Basilica of Saint Mary Major to pray before the icon of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, before of his Apostolic Journey to Portugal. 

The papal journey from 2-6 August begins on August 2nd when the Pope departs for Lisbon, which is hosting World Youth Day. It will mark the fourth time Pope Francis presides at the Youth gathering, following the World Youth Days in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2013), Krakow, Poland (2016), and Panama City, Panama (2019).

The Pope is also scheduled to visit the Marian pilgrimage Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on Saturday.

The 38th World Youth Day was originally scheduled to take place in the Portuguese capital in 2022, but was postponed due to the Covid pandemic.

The motto chosen by Pope Francis for this World Youth Day is "Mary arose and went with haste" (Lk 1:39).