Krakow, Poland, Jul 31, 2016 / 12:54 pm
How can young people prepare for the next World Youth Day, Pope Francis asks? Remember the past, be courageous in the present, and have hope for the future.
The Pope made these impromptu remarks just before catching his departing flight to Rome July 31 during a meeting with the 20,000 volunteers who served at this year's WYD in Krakow.
Sunday's meeting came just hours after the official closing Mass for the international youth event in Krakow's "Campus Misericordiae," after which it was announced that the 2019 WYD would take place in the Central American nation of Panama.
Addressing the lively crowd which filled the city's Tauron Stadium, the Roman Pontiff tossed aside his prepared remark – "five pages . . . a little boring, right?" – and, speaking in his native Spanish, thanked the volunteers for undertaking this "adventure of generosity."