TRANSCRIPT
Pope Francis has addressed youth audiences in Lisbon, speaking about higher education, challenges facing the world and the "essential" role of women, as part of a five-day visit to Portugal for World Youth Day 2023.
Hundreds of thousands of young Catholics from all over the world are in Lisbon for World Youth Day events.
In his address, Pope Francis spoke of the discrimination which women face.
"In the collective subconsciousness, women are often thought of a second class, as substitutes, they don't play in the first team. That exists in the collective subconsciousness. The contribution of women is indeed essential."
He also spoke to the students about the importance of viewing knowledge as a responsibility emphasising that those who receive a higher education should address global inequality rather than perpetuate elitism.
“University would have little use if it were simply to train the next generation to perpetuate the present global system of elitism and inequality, in which higher education is the privilege of a few. Unless knowledge is embraced as a responsibility, it is of little use. If someone who has benefited from a higher education – which nowadays in Portugal, as in the wider world, remains a privilege – makes no effort to give something in return, they have not fully appreciated what they have been offered.”
That statement touched Jonathan Spiekerman, a 21-year-old student from Germany.
"I think as university students we have a privilege and we have to look at what we can do with that to the society, not just for our own, to give something back to the society, to engage and to make a better future."
The Pope also spoke about the challenges facing our world today.
"At this moment in time, our world faces enormous challenges, and we hear the painful plea, we are seeing a third world war in many places. But we embrace the risk of believing we are not in agony, but in the process of giving birth. Not at the end but at the beginning of a great new chapter of history. Courage is needed to believe this."
Pope Francis was driven along the streets of the Portuguese capital in a white "popemobile" past people waving the national flags of scores of countries, converging on the sprawling Edward VII park.
The crowd, which police say numbered about half a million, was the largest in Lisbon since celebrations in 2016 when Portugal's men won the European soccer championships.
Amorita Ogwuche was among the crowd, thrilled at the chance of seeing the Pope
“I’m from Nigeria, I’m so excited to see the pope today! It’s so heavenly - I'm excited!”
Yanyu Wang is a World Youth Day volunteer from China and is Buddhist.
“The reason why I decided to join this big Catholic event is because I want to learn from other religions and to see it's like a reflection, to help me learn more about faith and the reason why young (people) now believe in any faith or any religion. And I realised in the past few days (that) faith is one, and in religion we are all together. Whatever religion you believe in - it's a good thing.”
From Australia, was Jack Ho, a 39-year-old priest.
“It's wonderful. I'm here as a new priest, I was ordained two years ago and my first World Youth Day was with John Paul II, 20 years ago in Toronto when he invited young people to not be afraid to take upon a vocation. It has taken 20 years but I'm here, back again because of his legacy.”
Mr Ho was accompanied by a group comprising of at least 10 Aussies who proudly waved Australia's flag cheering and chanting.
The event was the first of several with the pope for World Youth Day, a gathering that takes place every three years in a different city.
The World Youth Day events opened on Tuesday and will close with a papal Mass on Sunday.
