Light Bearers

Publisher's Note

World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — which we begin to chronicle here in print and cover live in video at NCRegister.com — represents a homecoming, of sorts, for Pope Francis.

For most of the millions of pilgrims, this will be their first glimpse of the Holy Father in person. Fresh off the release of his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith), the Pope is encouraging those in attendance — and the rest of us — to heed the simple yet profound message in the encyclical: Bear the light of Christ to illuminate a seemingly ever-darkening culture.

Please join me in praying for the Holy Father as he completes his meeting with Catholic youth in a country and continent that, like their neighbors to the north, are struggling to find their way to Christ and the Truth. In this, may we find wisdom and inspiration for the entire world.

God bless you!