Closing youth festival in Portugal, pope shares 'old man's' dream of peace

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims at the end of the Holy Mass on the last day of World Youth Day (WYD) at Parque Tejo in Lisbon, Portugal, 06 August 2023. The Pontiff will be in Portugal on the occasion of World Youth Day (WYD), one of the main events of the Church that gathers the Pope with youngsters from around the world. INACIO ROSA/Pool via REUTERS

LISBON (Reuters) - Pope Francis closed an international festival of Catholic Youth on Sunday with a huge outdoor Mass and his own "I have a dream" speech, saying it was for world peace, especially for Ukraine.

About 1.5 million people attended his closing Mass at a riverside park in the Portuguese capital, the Vatican said, quoting local authorities. Many of the faithful slept outdoors, having attending a vigil there on Saturday night, and they gathered in sweltering heat.