Lisbon
World Youth Day is to be sited on land beside the river, leaving behind the magnificent altar-stage under construction to host the Pope... Image: FRANQUE SILVA

Porto bishop calls on families to take in “two, four, even six young pilgrims for World Youth Day”

With the constant mantra that “Lisbon will never have seen anything like this”, Church leaders are now appealing to families to open their homes to the flood of young people from all over the world anticipated for World Youth Day celebrations later this summer. In Porto Bishop Manuel Linda has even asked for people to consider as many as six young people. “We are going to receive thousands and thousands of young foreigners who will live among us the so-called pre-days or the specific preparation for the day in Lisbon and we need to accommodate them in private houses because nothing can replace that human warmth that will be noted between the host and the hosted”, he said. Porto currently has 1,600 families willing to take in pilgrims, but the city needs more, he said, adding that interested families can sign up for this experience until Sunday…