Pope Francis speaks to young people at festival via pre-recorded video
- Pope Francis thanked the young people for their desire to take action to make the world a better place.
- He blessed the crowd, adding "don’t forget to pray for me."
Death did not stop Pope Francis from making a surprise video appearance Sunday before more than 100,000 young people gathered for a festival in Mexico City's Zócalo Square.
Francis, who died April 21, recorded the video in mid-2024 specifically for the Vitae Fest, the Vatican said. The youth-focused event was organized by the Vitae Global Foundation, a global non-profit with the mission of sharing the gospel to younger generations around the world.
"You are not gathererd to stay silent, you are gathered to stir things up, to create some movement with joy," said Francis, sitting in a chair, dressed in white vestments and speaking his native Spanish language. "To receive a message and share a message."
He thanked the young people for their desire to take action to make the world a better place.
"There are many ugly things in the world and we have to fix them," Francis said. "But there are also many beautiful things. And that’s you, who are gathered there, because you want something more.”
Francis noted that the Catholic Church is celebrating the Jubilee of Hope. A Jubilee Year, traditionally proclaimed by the church about every 25 years, is set aside to encourage the faithful to embark on pilgrimages, repent sins and forgive the sins of others and to renew a focus on spiritual life.
He blessed the throng, adding "don’t forget to pray for me. Thank you.”
The College of Cardinals will gather in Vatican City this week to vote for a successor to Francis.
Popemobile's new mission: Providing care for children of Gaza
The popemobile used by Francis to greet millions of the faithful around the world will soon be serving thousands of Palestinian children, the Vatican announced. Among Francis' final wishes was to transform the vehicle into a mobile health unit for the children of Gaza.
More than 3,500 children below the age of 5 “face imminent death by starvation” because of an Israeli blockade that has lasted more than two months, Gaza’s Government Media Office says. About 70,000 children have been hospitalized with severe malnutrition and more than a million children lack "minimum nutritional requirements for survival," the office says.
The popemobile will be staffed by physicians and medics and is being outfitted with equipment for diagnosis, examination and other life-saving supplies, the Vatican said, adding that it will reach "children in the most isolated corners of Gaza" once humanitarian access to the enclave is restored.
"Amid the horrific war, collapsed infrastructure, a mutilated health care system and lack of education, children are the first to pay the price, with starvation, infections and other preventable conditions putting their lives at risk," the Vatican said in a statement.
Popemobile gift sends message that Gaza children are not forgotten
The charity Caritas is handling the popemobile transformation. In a press release, Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, wrote that the health system has amost "completely collapsed" in Gaza.
"With the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to health care – children who are injured and malnourished," Brune wrote. "It’s not just a vehicle. It’s a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza.”
Conclave to select next pope this week
The College of Cardinals will gather Wednesday in Vatican City to begin the process of voting for a new pope. More than 130 cardinals are expected to conduct their first vote Wednesday, then four votes daily until more than two-thirds of those gathered agree on a candidate.
The cardinals will determine whether the adage "fat pope, thin pope" holds true or whether the next leader of the Catholic Church will continue and expand the reforms that gained traction during the 12-year reign of Francis, who died April 21.
Stoves installed in the Sistine Chapel will generate smoke after each vote. Black smoke means no candidated claimed two-thirds of the vote. White smoke means the world has a new pope.