Pope Francis arrived in Lisbon on Wednesday where a million young pilgrims from every continent are waiting for him to take part in the World Youth Day (WYD).
"I will return [from this trip] rejuvenated," he told the 80 or so journalists accompanying him on the plane that landed at 09:45 local time (10:45 CEST) at the Portuguese capital's military airport. He was greeted by conservative president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
WYD is a major event within a Catholic Church which in the midst of reflection on its future. With 11 speeches and around 20 appointments, the programme for this 42nd trip abroad looks set to be a busy one for the 86-year-old Argentine, two months on from major abdominal surgery.
As the Catholic Church faces the increasing challenge of secularisation in Europe, Jorge Bergoglio, whose direct and spontaneous style is highly popular with young people, is expected to address themes dear to this generation, including the war in Ukraine, ecology and social justice.
In total, organisers are expecting a million pilgrims from more than 200 countries for the week of festive, cultural and spiritual events, which opened on Tuesday with a mass on top of a hill overlooking the city centre and the mouth of the Tagus.
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Some 16,000 police officers and medical services are being deployed for the occasion, and several roads and metro stations will be closed in the Portuguese capital.
Less than two months before the opening of a world gathering in Rome designed to look at the future of the Church, this event also acts as a barometer of where young Catholics stand on welcoming LGBT+ people, priests marrying and the place of women.
These are all subjects on which Pope Francis has gradually outlined reforms over the past ten years of his pontificate.
