Pope Francis’ three-day visit to Paraguay drew to a close on Sunday night with a mass rally of young people on the new coast-road area known as the Costanera.
The crowd stretched as far as the eye could see – and beyond – and the organisers reported the numbers as 220,000.
Massive as this was, the Ñu Guasu Mass of Sunday morning had been even bigger, with over a million present. Paraguay’s total population is less than seven million. The police and security forces reported that there had not been a single incident during the entire visit, despite the huge movement of people.
As dusk fell over the Bay of Asunción and the Palacio de Gobierno was floodlit, the crowd at the Costanera waved balloons and chanted in unison “Esta es la juventud del Papa” – “This is the youth of the Pope”.
When the Popemobile arrived, and Francis had greeted the people with his habitual “Good evening”, there was a colourful dance number with an indigenous flavour, in which a figure of the Sower had a grass skirt and a feather headdress. Then two young people told the Pope of their journey through suffering to faith. As before, the Pope’s address took the form of a response to messages he had heard from the people, and he commended the two young speakers, Liz and Manuel, by name, focusing his address on the theme of liberty.
Above: The Pope hugs each young person who goes to him. Photo: Margaret Hebblethwaite
“We all know that there are so many ties in the world that hamper the heart”, said Francis, “and stop our heart being free: exploitation, the lack of the means of survival, drug addiction, sadness.” But “a heart that can say what it thinks, and can say what it feels, and can do what it thinks and what it feels – this is a free heart”.
“I have to go”, he concluded, and the youth bellowed back, “No!” And he continued: “Before I go, first of all I ask you to pray for me”. This formula has closed all his speeches in Paraguay.
“Secondly, go on stirring things up [literally, making a mess]. Thirdly, help to organise the mess that you make so that it does not destroy anything. And all together now, in silence, let us lift our hearts to God.”
Above: Young people passing the Palacio de Gobierno as they leave the youth rally on the Costanera. Photo: Margaret Hebblethwaite
On his way to the airport Francis was due to make a stop at the site of the burned-out supermarket, Ycua Bolaños, but the management of the crowd seemed to have failed there, as people surged over the road around the Popemobile to the point of making it impossible for the Pope to descend. After some minutes of confusion, the Popemobile drove on, allowing the Pope nothing more than gestures of blessing as he passed. Some 400 people had been burned to death in the 2004 fire, when the supermarket’s owner gave orders to lock the emergency doors when the fire broke out, apparently in an attempt to prevent looting. The families of the victims’ were distressed that the Pope had not come out to meet them as had been planned.
Above: The burnt out Ycua Bolaños supermarket, where 400 died and the Popemobile failed to stop. Photo: Margaret Hebblethwaite
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