At WYD in Lisbon, ACN gives a voice to the persecuted Church
Tens of thousands of young people participated in ACN initiatives during World Youth Day in Lisbon (WYD). The organization ensured that persecuted Christians from around the world were not forgotten, reminding those present of brothers and sisters who are, too often, true Heroes of the Faith.
Exhibitions, conferences, documentaries, prayers, and sharing these were some of the many activities that Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) offered to the thousands of young people who turned Lisbon into the capital of the Catholic world during WYD. ACN was determined to put the spotlight on the persecuted Church around the world.
ACN initiatives and events were well received by the pilgrims, particularly the booth at the City of Joy and the exhibition in the cloisters of the old Graça Convent, where the reality of the persecuted Church was presented through the accounts of people who, in different countries, are examples of loyalty to Christ. Another presentation that received thousands of visitors every day was an exhibition of religious artifacts damaged by ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
The importance of these exhibitions and the realities they communicated to young people from around the world was highlighted by the director of ACN’s Portuguese office during a press briefing. “Despite the fact that we are experiencing a moment of joy, faith, and sharing, we must not forget the places where the Church is persecuted,” said Catarina Martins de Bettencourt, director of ACN Portugal.
The director also stressed ACN’s commitment to those places and reminded journalists that in countries such as Lebanon and Syria, young Christians who were unable to attend WYD in Lisbon held parallel events. “There are many young people in the world who could not be here, and whom we are supporting,” Bettencourt said, adding that they had been able to “celebrate in an atmosphere of faith and joy” and gathered for a vigil and Mass at the same time as those events were taking place in Lisbon.
Also present at the briefing was Joaquin Javaloyes, a man from Spain who volunteers with ACN. The young man talked about how important it was to stand in solidarity with persecuted communities and said that he considered it a privilege to be in contact with people who live without religious freedom. In his opinion, “the testimonies of our brothers and sisters are comparable to pages from the Gospels. God speaks to me very clearly in the field of cooperation. He calls me to love, to the cross, and to resurrection. He fills me with youth, joy, courage, and care.”
ACN also participated in WYD through a series of documentaries that were screened in the São Jorge Cinema, followed by short conferences about the experiences of priests and laypeople who are committed to the work of the Church. Joseph Fadelle of Iraq talked about the challenges he faced when he converted to Christianity. He was raised a Shia Muslim, and he was arrested and tortured in Iraqi prisons after coming to Christ. He later managed to escape to Jordan with his wife and two children, where an uncle and one of his brothers tried to murder him, and the highest religious authority issued a fatwa against him. The hundreds of young Catholics who packed the conference hall also had the opportunity to hear Rafi Ghattas, a Palestinian Christian, who talked about what it is like to live in the Holy Land, where Christians currently form less than one percent of the population.
ACN’s presence at WYD was also acknowledged in a message sent to the organization by Bishop António Juliasse of Pemba, about the conflict in Cabo Delgado. Reporting on it has stopped, but the war continues to cause untold suffering for young Mozambicans. The bishop issued an appeal through ACN, asking the young people in Lisbon to denounce the situation and express their solidarity with the people of Mozambique.
“Dear young people, WYD pilgrims: In Cabo Delgado, there is a war that the world does not speak of. We have already counted about one million internally displaced people and about five thousand dead.”
A young girl from Cabo Delgado also shared her testimony with the world during the Saturday night vigil, telling the Pope how she and her family had to escape into bushes when terrorists attacked their village twice.
Additionally, ACN created a virtual chapel for WYD, inviting young people to pray and light a candle in memory of all those who suffer for their faith. More than 1,600 candles were lit during WYD week.
—Paulo Aido
