The news conference with updates about the synod — how it will work and what reporters can expect — came just a few days after Pope Francis had told journalists aboard his flight from Mongolia that the discussions at the assembly of the Synod of Bishops 4 to 29 October will not be open to the public or to reporters to “safeguard the synodal climate.”

Supported by Catholic Mission, the House of Mercy is a social centre that will provide support for women and minors who are victims of domestic violence, a safe place for people suffering from homelessness, and a welcoming place for migrants.

Every person thirsts for happiness, for direction and for meaning in life, Pope Francis said. But “more than anything, we thirst for love, for only love can truly satisfy us, bring us fulfillment, inspire inner assurance and allow us to savour the beauty of life.”

With so much of the world experiencing a “culture of exclusion,” Pope Francis said, the church can model a better way, one in which everyone finds a welcome and no one echoes the prayer of the Pharisee in Luke’s Gospel.

In his homily for the closing Mass of World Youth Day 6 August 2023, Pope Francis asked told the hushed crowd “Let’s all repeat this phrase in our hearts: ‘Don’t be afraid,'” “Jesus knows the hearts of each one of you, the successes and the failures, he knows your hearts,” Pope Francis said. “And today he tells you, here in Lisbon for this World Youth Day: ‘Don’t be afraid.'”

Continuing a tradition from previous World Youth Days, an Australian gathering was held on Tuesday to celebrate the pilgrims’ faith and their homeland.

Director of the National Centre for Evangelisation at the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Malcolm Hart, presents the upcoming WYD from the perspective of young Australians, defining it “a moment of faith experience, exploration and growth in their lives”

The decree states that the indulgence will also apply to “the faithful who dedicate adequate time to visit in person or virtually, through means of communication, elderly brothers and sisters in need or in difficulty” such as the sick, abandoned and disabled on 23 July.

The event aims to celebrate and express gratitude for the great missionary work carried out daily by influencers and digital missionaries from the five continents, who transmit the Gospel through their social media platforms.

The friar advised the confessors to follow the message of Pope Francis: be merciful, understanding and be willing to listen and understand others.