Slogan

Justification of the slogan ‘Young people, rise up and be a witness. James the Apostle awaits you’:

  1. Pope Frances, when World Youth Day 2019 finished in Panama, called all young people to new World Youth Days in Lisbon in 2022 (it will finally be in 2023). To this end, he suggested a spiritual route that would cause young people to get on the path, seeking that Christ would answer their hearts’ deepest desire to be happy and thus testify to everything they experience. The Holy Father urged all youth to meditate on the verses:
    • Young man, I say to you, arise! (Luke 7:14 – Christus Vivit, 20) for 2020
    • ’Now get up and stand on your feet! I appoint you as a witness of what you have seen!’ (Acts 26:16) for 2021
    • ‘Mary arose and left with haste’, excerpted from Luke 1:39 for 2022, World Youth Day in Lisbon

‘In this way, I hope that this time too, will see a harmonious coordination between our journey towards the Lisbon World Youth Day and our post-synodal journey. Do not tune out the voice of God who urges you to arise and follow the paths that He has prepared for you. Like Mary, and in union with her, may you daily bring to others all your love and joy,’ the Pope said. And he added ‘The Church needs you so she can be fully herself’.

What these three topics have in common is the invitation to youths to ‘arise’ and hurry to live the call of the Lord and spread the good news, like Mary did after saying ‘I am here’. In the original text by Saint Luke, the verb ‘arise’, also has the meaning of ‘come back to life’ or ‘awaken to life’.

  1. The Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Julián Barrio, presented the Holy Year of Compostela, offering a pastoral letter entitled ‘Salt of your Earth: James the Apostle is waiting for you’. The letter sets the pilgrims on their way, ‘trying to indicate where they are going and why, sharing a reflection with them on Christian life and its commitment to our society’. Julián states that setting out entails the charity that ‘is the love that faith imbues with life’. He concludes by inviting all pilgrims, youth and adults to the Holy Year of Compostela 2021-2022.