The Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Rite, Bishop Stephen Chirappanath, was received today, May 9, at the headquarters of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for World Youth Day (WYD) Lisbon 2023. The Syro-Malabar Rite Catholic Church is the second largest Eastern Catholic Church in the world.

Over the past few years, the Syro-Malabar Rite Catholic community has been preparing for WYD Lisbon 2023 with several meetings in Europe, which includes five dioceses where the Syro-Malabar Rite is lived, and even a meeting with Pope Francis.

D. Stephen Chirappanath looks at this WYD as a moment when "the energy of young people comes together and gains strength" and recalled Pope Francis' request that young people "be original and that they live WYD with great enthusiasm and joy."

In addition, the Syro-Malabar Rite Bishop hopes that the young people, when they return to their realities, "can replicate and bring what they received to their communities." "They must always keep in mind that they are the present, as Pope Francis says, they are not the future, they are the now," he added.

During the course of the visit, the Bishop of Syro-Malabar Rite had the opportunity to visit the various areas of the LOC and meet the collaborators and volunteers who prepare daily the biggest event of young people from all over the world with the Pope, as well as to meet with Bishop Américo Aguiar, President of the WYD Lisbon 2023 Foundation.