1 Dear Friends... The Church welcomes you to Lisbon for these days together rejoicing in the Lord and in the great gift of our Catholic faith. World Youth Day is a privileged opportunity for people of the world to realize again the breadth and the depth of our faith—it is truly Catholic, universal, reaching to the ends of the earth. We give thanks to God for having called you here together, united in charity and in the Most Holy Eucharist. There will be hundreds of thousands of young people gathered together for World Youth Day. But just think: the Lord knows each of you, personally and by name! He knows what is in your hearts. He knows the burdens and struggles that each of you carry to this World Youth Day. He knows the prayers and hopes that you put before him in secret. He planned specifically for you to be in this world and to be here for this World Youth Day. Thus, I have one simple thing to say to you as you arrive: Know that you are loved. Believe in love. Pray with me: “Lord, I believe in your love for me. Help me to live each day in the truth of your love.” It is commonly observed that many young people have rejected religion and no longer believe that it is possible to know the truth about God, the world, and ourselves. But you, dear friends, have dared to profess your faith in God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are not afraid to say: I believe in the truth of our faith, and it is only in the truth that we are we are free. So, dear friends, Happy World Youth Day to you and to all the young people from all over the world who will be with you. May you be strengthened in faith, hope, and love, and return home ever more eager to be witnesses of the love of Jesus Christ in our world. Rev. Sebastian White, o.p. Editor in Chief
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