The Catholic youth participating in WYD 2023 also stand to gain “the needed commitment to be true soldiers of Christ and also give them an opportunity to interact and build friendships with youths from other nations,” he said.
In the July 11 interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Idoko highlighted preparations for the global event in Portugal, saying that the official delegation of Nigeria comprises 95 participants “coming from across the country.”
“We also have four Bishops who will be joining the delegation to Lisbon,” Fr. Idoko said in reference to the Chairman for the Youth at CBCN, Bishop Patrick Eluke, alongside Archbishop Valerian Okeke of Onitsha, Bishop Michael Apochi of Otukpo, and Bishop John Oyejola of Oshogbo.
The member of the Clergy of the Archdiocese of Lagos further said, “We are in the process of receiving response for the visas we applied for.”
“The next stage for now will be the orientations, which will prelude our departure,” he further said, and added, “We hope to have the orientation two or three days before departure because of the difficulty in travelling these days.”
An orientation has been scheduled for July 24, during which “we will have better arrangement and better information given to the pilgrims before the take-off,” Fr. Idoko told ACI Africa during the July 11 interview.
He called upon the Catholic young people in the West African nation to see the WYD 2023 as another opportunity for them to pray for a better Nigeria.
Abah Anthony John contributed in the writing of this article
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