Crowds in Portugal gathered around Pope Francis, the Vatican's leader, on Thursday as he traveled in an open car en route to a massive gathering of Catholic youth from around the world, where he warned them about the false happiness found in social media. The white car carrying Pope Francis moved through the streets of the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, as dozens waved flags from various countries, and the crowd filled the vast Eduardo VII Park.
Pope Francis cautioned the youth about the "illusions of the virtual world," noting that algorithms use their names for market research, but can never truly understand their individuality. He stated, "Many truths that attract us and promise us happiness later reveal the reality that they are pointless, unnecessary, and secondary, leaving us empty inside."
According to police, the crowd reached around half a million, the largest in Lisbon since the 2016 celebrations of Portugal winning the UEFA European Championship. Thursday's events mark the beginning of other activities that Pope Francis will attend as part of World Youth Day, a gathering held every three years in a different city, concluding on Sunday with a papal mass.
