As part of his itinerary for second day of his Portugal trip, Pope Fancis made a stop at the Catholic University, known as Universidade Catòlica Portuguesa, on Thursday, August 3, 2023, to meet and address the students.
The Pontiff was warmly received at the Catholic University.
In his speech, Pope Francis encouraged the students to take risks and reject the temptation to merely perpetuate the status quo, which he explained as the “present global system of elitism and inequality.”
“An academic degree should not be seen merely as a license to pursue personal well-being,” the Pontiff averred, but rather as “a mandate to work for a more just and inclusive; that is, truly progressive society.”
Francis, who has environmental conservation a cornerstone of his pontificate, urged the students to utilize the privilege of their education to work for the common good, especially in caring for the environment, the poor and marginalized.
He acknowledged that current promises to curb global warming have amounted to mere “halfway measures (that) simply delay the inevitable disaster.”
“Yours can be the generation that takes up this great challenge. You have the most advanced scientific and technological tools, but please, avoid falling into the trap of myopic and partial approaches.
“We need to align the tragedy of desertification with that of refugees, the issue of increased migration with that of a declining birth rate, and to see the material dimension of life within the greater purview of the spiritual.”
Pope Francis
Emphasizing the need for oneness, the Pontiff said, “We need a unified vision, a vision capable of embracing the whole.”
There were testimonies from students during the event, including one who first fled her native Iran for Ukraine, and then fled Russia’s war for Portugal.
Many young Catholics around the world have adopted some of Francis’ core teachings about correcting economic injustices and promoting environmental custodianship.
As such, they have joined church-sponsored foundations and social movements under the banner of the “Economy of Francesco” the “Global Compact on Education” and the “Laudato Sii” movement.
After the event, Francis was headed to the seaside town of Cascais to visit the local branch of his Scolas Occurrentes foundation, a movement he founded years ago to bring young people from different backgrounds and nationalities together.
Pope Francis landed in Lisbon, Portugal on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, for a five-day visit which is focused on World Youth Day.
Pope Francis Meets With Clergy Sexual Abuse Victims
Later on Wednesday, Pope Francis met for more than an hour with 13 victims of clergy sex abuse at the Vatican embassy, listening to their traumas, the Vatican disclosed.
The victims were accompanied by church personnel in charge of child protection programs.
The meeting with victims took place after Francis presided over a vigil service for Portuguese clergy and nuns at the capital’s iconic Jeronimos Monastery.
“It is often accentuated by the disappointment and anger with which some people view the church, at times due to our poor witness and the scandals that have marred her face and call us to a humble and ongoing purification, starting with the anguished cry of the victims, who must always be accepted and listened to.”
Pope Francis
Bishop Jose Ornelas, the Head of the Portuguese Bishops’ Conference, promised to devote “our special attention to the protection of the welfare of children and the undertaking to protect them from all kinds of abuse.”
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