Around 70,000 young people from different parts of Mexico made the pilgrimage on Jan. 31 to the Christ the King monument, situated atop Cubilete Hill in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, in what became one of the largest youth pilgrimages in recent years.
Since 1974, the Witness and Hope movement has organized the youth pilgrimage, which commemorates the Mexican martyrs who gave their lives exclaiming, “Long live Christ the King!” This year, the number of attendees surpassed that of 2020, previously the year with the highest number of pilgrims recorded for this youth event.
Witness and Hope told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that by the end of the Mass, it had an estimated count of 50,000 pilgrims. However, after a subsequent meeting with authorities from the state of Guanajuato, it was determined that the final number was higher, reaching approximately 70,000 attendees.
This year’s pilgrimage had the special purpose of commemorating the centenary of the start of the 1926–1929 Cristero War, a conflict stemming from the religious persecution experienced by Catholics in Mexico during the first decades of the 20th century.
‘A clear sign of a people who believe’
At a press conference following the closing Mass of the pilgrimage, Bishop Víctor Alejandro Aguilar Ledesma of Celaya, Guanajuato state, stated that the massive turnout does not represent an “awakening” of young Catholics but rather the manifestation of a reality that already exists.
The prelate explained that “there are many young people in Mexico who live their faith” and that “they believe and express their faith in their communities, in their parishes.”
Aguilar called it a lie that “young people are drifting away from the Church… or that the Church no longer has young people.”
The large number of pilgrims “is a clear sign of a people who believe,” he said and affirmed that “young people in Mexico have faith.”
Aguilar also expressed his joy at seeing that young people are able to organize themselves months in advance to participate in these kinds of expressions of faith, “without being coerced, without being paid, without any promotion by a political party” but rather doing so to “express their love for Jesus, for the Blessed Virgin, and their fidelity to the Church.”
‘Seeds of hope’
The apostolic nuncio to Mexico, Archbishop Joseph Spiteri, urged the young participants of the pilgrimage to become “seeds of hope” in society upon returning to their dioceses and communities.
The pope’s representative in Mexico assured them that everyone can “have an influence in changing structures of sin, unjust structures,” and affirmed that the first step is to build community and encourage other young people, because in this way “the fire will continue to grow.”
Finally, Andrea Perea, who concludes her term as president of Witness and Hope this year, invited the young people to continue their formation so as not to have a “shallow faith” that is limited solely to isolated events.
“That is the challenge we take with us today as young people: to recognize that today is beautiful but tomorrow will bring fatigue and weariness,” she added. In this context, she emphasized the need for young people to work for the community and its development, and that this commitment be “guided by love for one’s neighbor.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
