Pope Francis on Thursday asked the world's youth to take on the twin scourges of global warming and poverty as he made an open-air address to thousands on the second day of his visit to Portugal.
At the Catholic University of Portugal in Lisbon, he told the young crowd to accept no compromise in fighting for their planet.
“We must recognise the dramatic and urgent need to care for our common home,” he said, speaking in Spanish. “Yet this cannot be done without a real change of heart.
“We cannot be satisfied with mere palliative measures or timid and ambiguous compromises.”
The pontiff urged students to take risks and reject the temptation to merely perpetuate the status quo, or what the pope called the “present global system of elitism and inequality”.
“An academic degree should not be seen merely as a licence to pursue personal well-being, but as a mandate to work for a more just and inclusive – that is, truly progressive – society,” he said.
The Pope encouraged the students to use the privilege of their educations to protect the environment, care about poor and marginalised people, and to “redefine what we mean by progress and development”.
“Yours can be the generation that takes up this great challenge,” he said.
“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.”
The pontiff also emphasised his call for the Catholic Church to be welcoming to all, sinners included.
“There is room for everyone in the church,” the Pope told the crowd, leading the young people in a chant of “todos” – Spanish and Portuguese for “everyone”.
He also told the assembled crowd to beware of the false happiness lurking in social media.
Seemingly energised by the crowd of young people singing and dancing, the pontiff warned them to beware “the illusions of the virtual world”, where algorithms used their names for market research but could never understand a person's uniqueness.
“Many realities that attract us and promise happiness are later shown to be what they really are: vain, superfluous and surrogate things that leave us empty inside,” he said.
About 6,500 people, including Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and bishops, were gathered under a bright sun in a main square of the campus of the institution, one of Portugal's leading universities, to listen to the Pope.
Catholics spanning a diverse array of ethnicities, backgrounds and languages are gathering in Lisbon to celebrate their faith at World Youth Day (WYD).
More than 1.5 million pilgrims from across the globe are expected to attend the event, which runs until Sunday.
Pope Francis touched down in Portugal on Wednesday and prayed for peace in Ukraine.
The National visited the WYD event and spoke to some of those who had travelled from around the globe.
Ricardo Gema, a member of the Portuguese WYD orchestra, was one of hundreds of musicians who performed at the opening mass on Tuesday.
“It was an honour,” he told The National. “There were so many people there and it was broadcast to people around the world.
“And we will also get to play for Pope Francis when he says Mass. I will always remember this experience. God made music for us so we can take it to him and take it to the people.”
Jover Brinas travelled from Toronto with a group of friends. He said the wisdom he will gain and the strength he receives from praying with others will stay with him long after the festival concludes. “It does not stop here,” he said. “This is just the seed. It’s going to grow into something more. God has a plan and I believe he wanted me to be here.”
Joel Kappan made the trek to Lisbon from India with fellow members of Jesus Youth, an organisation for young Catholics. He said the size and strength of the “mother church” was evident in the crowds and it was heartwarming to see people from different backgrounds unite in prayer. “There are people here from all ethnicities sharing their faith,” he said. “It shows that we are all part of the same church.”
WYD was initiated in 1985 by Pope John Paul II and takes place every couple of years in a different country. The last was held in Panama in 2019. The Covid pandemic caused the Lisbon gathering to be delayed.
10 years of Pope Francis – in pictures
THE SPECS
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
SPECS
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at the Gabba
Australia 312-1
Warner 151 not out, Burns 97, Labuschagne 55 not out
Pakistan 240
Shafiq 76, Starc 4-52
