Don’t be afraid to fail, Pope tells 1.5 million at Lisbon Mass

The huge Mass took place in Parque Tejo, Lisbon, celebrating the 37th World Youth Day (Francisco Seco/AP)

Pope Francis has told young people that the Catholic Church needs them and urged them to follow their dreams as he wrapped up World Youth Day in Portugal with a massive open-air Mass for an estimated 1.5 million people.

“Do not be afraid,” Francis told the vast crowd of pilgrims, many of whom camped out overnight on the Lisbon field so they could be in place for the grand finale of the Catholic festival.