Pope at WYD: 'We didn't come into this world to vegetate

Sun sets over Camp Misericordia

More than two million young pilgrims gathered in the Campus Misericordiae in Poland to join Pope Francis for a prayer vigil on Saturday night. From early in the day, the young people caught buses and trams from central Krakow to bring them as close as possible to the huge sprawling campsite. From there, they walked a further four kilometres to get to these grounds in order to be with the Holy Father. Some carried tents. All were equipped with sleeping bags and mats for the overnight stay. With temperatures in the mid 30s, bottled water was distributed from special points.

Once inside, the many thousands of young people in the camp joyously waved flags and sang songs, and when the Pope arrived, this field of pilgrims erupted with cheers.

One of the highlights of this vigil was when the Holy Father walked hand in hand with young representatives from five continents through an especially constructed Holy Door made from ribbons and wood which read: Jesus, I trust in You.

Then to their delight and their surprise the group joined Pope Francis in the Pope mobile making their way to the especially constructed altar, a replica of that in Blonia Park.

In the second of five themed scenes, a video entitled, "hope to those discouraged" showed different images of suffering in the world, beginning with the bombing of the twin towers on 9/11.

Also, during this scene a girl from Aleppo in Syria spoke just yards away from Pope Francis about the suffering in her country and the pain of her Christian compatriots. But she said, she and her colleagues at the Don Bosco centre in the city saw the presence of God in those who came there.

In another scene, "to forgive those who have done wrong", the Holy Father and pilgrims watched a re-enactment of St John Paul's prison visit to forgive the man who had made an attempt on his life.

When the Pope took to the podium, he said: "we have no desire to conquer hatred with more hatred, violence with more violence, terror with more terror. We are here today because the Lord has called us together. Our response to a world at war has a name: its name is fraternity, its name is brotherhood, its name is communion, its name is family."

He also encouraged them to place before the Lord their own "battles", "the interior struggles that each of you carries in his or her heart" and to build bridges of brotherhood.

Reinforcing the remarks of earlier this week, the Pope said to the pilgrims, "we didn't come into this world to "vegetate", to take it easy, to make our lives a comfortable sofa to fall asleep on. No, we came for another reason: to leave a mark."

God comes to break down all our fences, the Pope said. He comes to open the doors of our lives, our dreams..."

As the sun began to set, there was a long period of reflection and prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Pope Francis left Campus Misericordiae in candlelight, leaving the young people from 178 countries to continue that experience of fraternity and communion with music and song well into the night.