Massive crowds of young people gathered to kick off World Youth Day (WYD) yesterday, an event hosted by the Catholic Church in the Polish city of Krakow.
More than half a million pilgrims from 187 different countries registered to participate in the event.
Organisers estimate there will be at least 1.5mn participants by the time the event ends on Sunday.
“We’re not just here to see Pope Francis,” said 21-year-old Rosane from Minas Gerais, a state in eastern Brazil. “In this world, where so many crazy things happen, we should all be using our strength to reach one goal: Simply peace.”
Participants are expected to attend prayer services and discuss themes like sacrifice and reflection.
“It is crazy here; it is just fantastic to be experiencing this sense of community,” said Maximilian, a student from Dresden, Germany. “Faith can move a lot.”
Across the city, young pilgrims could be seen bursting into song and dance, taking selfies and waving the flags of their home countries.
The event is also a chance for Poland’s conservative ruling government, whose reforms have faced criticism for the EU for breaching standards on rule of law, to demonstrate openness to people from around the world.
“We want this young, modern Poland to enchant the world during WYD,” said Prime Minister Beata Szydlo.
Krakow mobilised approximately 25,000 security forces to ensure the safety of participants in the event, which is one of the largest gatherings in the world of young people aged 16 to 35.
Officers could be seen patrolling with automatic weapons while a helicopter could be seen making frequent circles above the city.
The archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, is due to take part in the opening ceremonies.
Pope Francis is expected to deliver a welcome address at a prayer service today, according to the event website.
Francis is also expected to visit the shrine of Czestochowa, home of the Black Madonna icon of the Virgin Mary, tomorrow.
After that, he is scheduled to go to Auschwitz, the site of a former German extermination camp, where he will meet with Holocaust survivors on Friday.
Started in 1986, World Youth Days are staged every two to three years.
The last two events were in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2013 and Madrid, Spain, in 2011.