Pope Francis plans to attend youth jamboree in Portugal

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Pope Francis plans to attend a youth jamboree in Lisbon, Portugal in 2023, organizers announced Monday.

Pontiffs traditionally attend World Youth Day, which draws huge crowds of Catholics from around the globe.

The event will take place in the Portuguese capital from Aug. 1-6, 2023, organizers said in a statement.

The announcement was made on the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, who inspired the pontiff’s choice of his papal name.

The event was initially planned for 2022 but was delayed for a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Francis attended the last youth day in Panama in 2019.

The first World Youth Day was held in 1986, in Rome.