Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
General
Yes, we are available to help you and happy that you want to participate. You can send your application to internationalrelations@lisboa2023.org.
You can make your donation by bank transfer to NIB PT50 0018 0003 5148 5613 0204 7 (to request a receipt send an email to financas@lisboa2023.org).
If you would like to sponsor WYD Lisbon 2023, you can send an email to financas@lisboa2023.org.
Organization
WYD Lisbon 2023 will take place from August 1-6, 2023. We are preparing the program for WYD Lisbon 2023 in close collaboration with the Vatican Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. We will release this information as soon as possible, as well as other important dates.
World Youth Day (WYD) is a gathering of young people from all over the world with the Pope. It is at the same time a pilgrimage, a celebration of youth, an expression of the universal Church and a powerful moment of evangelization for the world of youth. It is an invitation to a generation determined to build a more just and united world. With a clearly Catholic identity, it is open to all, whether they are close to the Church or far from it. It is held every year at the diocesan level, on the Sunday of Christ the King, and every two, three or four years as an international meeting, in a city chosen by the Pope, always in his presence. It brings together thousands of young people to celebrate faith and belonging to the Church. Since the first edition, held in Rome in 1986, World Youth Day has proven to be a laboratory of faith, a place of birth of vocations to marriage and consecrated life, as well as an instrument of evangelization and transformation of the Church.
For one week, young people from all over the world are hosted mostly in public facilities (gyms, schools, halls...) and in parish or family homes. In addition to moments of prayer, socializing and recreation, the registered youth participate in various initiatives organized by the WYD team in different parts of the host city.
World Youth Day is intended to offer all participants an experience of the universal Church, fostering a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It is a new impulse to faith, hope and charity for the whole community of the host country. With young people as protagonists, World Youth Day also seeks to promote peace, unity and fraternity among the peoples and nations of the world.
The place where WYD is held changes with each edition. It is the Pope who chooses the diocese that will host each WYD, which will be in charge of organizing the event, always in close collaboration with the Holy See, specifically with the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. Following the announcement of Lisbon as the next host city for WYD, the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, Monsignor Manuel Clemente, constituted the Local Organizing Committee of WYD Lisbon 2023, the executive body in charge of the preparation and organization of WYD Lisbon 2023, formed by the Auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon, Monsignor Américo Aguiar, and the executive secretary Duarte Ricciardi. The legal entity for the organization of WYD Lisbon 2023 is the WYD Lisbon 2023 Foundation, chaired by Bishop Américo Aguiar.
WYD Lisbon 2023 is being organized by the Patriarchate of Lisbon. For this purpose, the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, Bishop Manuel Clemente, constituted the Local Organizing Committee of WYD Lisbon 2023, the executive body for the preparation and organization of the event, formed by the general coordinator, Auxiliary Bishop Américo Aguiar of Lisbon, and the executive secretary, Duarte Ricciardi.
Each diocese has a diocesan organizing committee that is the structure responsible for energizing the path of preparation for WYD Lisbon 2023.
The highlights of World Youth Day are the celebrations (central events) attended by the Pope, such as the welcoming and opening ceremony, the Way of the Cross, the vigil and, on the last day, the Mass of Sending.
The main events will take place at "Campo da Graça" (Tejo Park). All information available here.
Registrations
WYD Lisbon 2023 is aimed at pilgrims from all over the world between the ages of 14 and 30, but pilgrims of other ages are welcome to register.
Yes, although it is an event promoted by the Catholic Church, everyone is welcome to attend WYD Lisbon 2023.
The participation of pilgrims in the WYD is free, which means that each person can participate freely in the central events (Opening Mass, Welcoming the Pope, Via Crucis, Vigil and Missioning Mass). For non-registered pilgrims, specific sectors will be available. However, for logistical and security reasons, as well as to help cover organizational costs, all interested parties are invited to register for the WYD and pay the participation fee. In addition to the participation contributions indicated above, during the registration process, the WYD pilgrims are invited to contribute to the Solidarity Fund, whose goal is to cover the costs of the participation of young people from less favoured countries, allowing them to participate in the meeting.
Volunteering
You can register as a volunteer candidate from the age of 18, but preference will be given to candidates between 18 and 60 years old. In the Pilgrim Welcome Parishes (Dioceses of Lisbon, Santarém and Setúbal), volunteers can register from the age of 15 provided they are accompanied by an adult volunteer tutor.
To be able to prepare all volunteers, WYD will give priority to those who are available between July 23rd and August 7th 2023. However, central volunteers with lower availability (at least two days between 1 and 6 August) may also register on the platform. All the information is available on our website here.
The Volunteer (depending on his/her profile) will be able to perform different functions, both in support of the main events and in support of all the activities that will take place in the Parishes, such as providing general information to pilgrims, helping to set up the events, translating, helping with transportation, among many other needs.
After the validation of your application, you will receive an email that you can attach to your Visa application process, proving that you have been selected to be a WYD Lisbon 2023 Volunteer.
Communication and Brand
Questions related to WYD Lisbon 2023 should be directed to the e-mail geral@lisboa2023.org. If you have questions about the communication area (called media area) please contact geral@lisboa2023.org.
For guidance on the correct use of the WYD Lisbon 2023 logo and to ensure consistency in the communication of World Youth Day Lisbon 2023, we are making available a kit with materials and rules regarding the use of the logo, which can be accessed here. For questions or inquiries about the WYD Lisbon 2023 brand, please write to geral@lisboa2023.org.
Official WYD merchandise can be purchased here.
Registration should be done through the official website of WYD Lisbon 2023 using the following link.
July 11th.
The press center has limited capacity and will be allocated to journalists who need to write news articles, photographers who need to edit their images, or videographers who need to edit their videos.
No. The journalist accreditation will not have any associated costs.
No. Each journalist should arrange their own accommodation.
You can check all the necessary documents in the registration form here.
You can register through the official website - form in this link -, selecting the "Freelancer" option.
Pastoral
Yes, during WYD Lisbon 2023 there is a Youth Festival, where artistic, cultural and religious projects are presented by young pilgrims from all over the world. All information available on our website here.
Music, Theater, Exhibitions, Conferences, Dance, Cinema, Religious Events.
Applications submitted by pilgrims registered for WYD Lisbon 2023 will have priority over the others.
Registration for the Youth Festival is now closed. For more information, contact: festivaldajuventude@lisboa2023.org
Registration for WYD Sports will open on a date closer to WYD Lisbon 2023.
The preparatory catecheses for WYD Lisbon 2023 offer young people a transformative itinerary that aims to make this an opportunity for the renewal of pastoral ministry among the younger generations. Materials for the catecheses are available here.
World Youth Day has two symbols that accompany and represent it: the Pilgrim Cross and the icon of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani. In the months leading up to each WYD, the symbols go on pilgrimage to proclaim the Gospel and accompany young people, in a special way, in the realities in which they live. For more information, visit here. You can follow the journey of the symbols in Portugal on our social networks (Facebook and Instagram).
During the registration process, we ask if there are any priests in the group. Once the priests of the group have been identified, they will also be able to indicate whether they are available for confession during WYD Lisbon 2023. Documents to be attached at registration are a photograph and the declaration of clerical status.
Days in Dioceses
The "Days in the Dioceses" is a meeting that precedes the week of WYD Lisbon 2023 and consists of the integration of young people from all over the world into the parish communities of several Dioceses of Portugal. During these days, participants will be able to get to know better the region that welcomes them, as well as the local Church and its specifics, being accommodated, as during the week of WYD, in public facilities, parishes or in family homes. At WYD Lisbon 2023, the "Days in the Dioceses" will take place from north to south of Portugal, including the islands of Madeira and the Azores archipelago.
Registrations for the "Days in the Dioceses" must be made directly with the Diocesan Organizing Committees (COD). Check the information available on the official website here.
Inclusion and Environment
We are developing the program for the preparation and implementation of WYD Lisbon 2023. On April 22, Earth Day, we published the letter of commitment which can be accessed here. We will publish more information as soon as possible.
Everyone is welcome to attend WYD Lisbon 2023. If you need specific information, please contact us at jmj4all@lisboa2023.org.
The invitation to participate in WYD is for everyone and people with special needs are very welcome. As we know that there are important limitations, we are working on the details so that everyone can participate in all the activities. We will publish more information as soon as possible.
People with disabilities can be volunteers. When registering, the candidate must indicate his or her particular situation. We will contact you afterwards to find roles compatible with your situation.
There will be translation available into Portuguese Gestural Language and the International Sign System. Sign languages from other countries must be provided by participants.
We plan to have interpretation in several languages, including Portuguese Gestural Language and the International Sign System.
