Offering Hope on World Youth Day

‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
    and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams.

Acts 2: 17 NRSVue -- Peter at Pentecost, quoting from Joel 

 “The only time it is permitted to look down on people,

is when you are bending down to pick them up!”

Pope Francis in Lisbon

The Roman Catholic World Youth Day, actually nearly a week, wrapped up yesterday in Lisbon, Portugal. Reports are that more than a million young people braved the heat for an outdoor mass with Pope Francis, during which he offered a message of hope.

Last Wednesday Francis met with survivors of clergy sexual abuse who, ironically, would have been children and youth when these atrocities of broken trust occurred. After years of claiming that these incidents were relatively few a report in February revealed that there were close to 5,000 confirmed claims spanning decades. It's really appalling and Francis was scathing in his criticism.

Once again Pope Francis offered encouraging comments regarding acceptance of LGBTQ2S+ persons, although these seem personal rather than a doctrinal shift for the church. It would have been good for the young people in Lisbon to hear that they are fully welcome in terms of their sexual orientation and as participants in the leadership of the Roman Catholic communion.

Francis has demonstrated an openness on several fronts which is a departure from his predecessors and this has incurred the wrath of conservatives. I like the statement Francis made, above, and hope that it is more than a platitude. After the mass the 86-year-old Francis said

"Dear friends, allow me, this old man, to share with you young people a dream that I carry within me: it is the dream of peace, the dream of young people praying for peace, living in peace and building a peaceful future."