Pope Francis jets into Panama on Wednesday for a gathering of young Catholics that will likely see him speak out strongly in defence of Central American migrants and human rights.
The festive five-day meeting with an expected 200,000 young people from around the world offers the 82-year-old pontiff a brief respite from a torrent of sex scandals that have jolted his papacy.
Groups of young pilgrims have been flocking into the small Central American country for days.
Wrapped in the flags of their nations, many resemble soccer fans on the eve of a major tournament, except this is one event in which they will be shouting for the same side.
At a Mass to open the festivities on Tuesday evening, tens of thousands of young pilgrims stood to chant, "this is the youth of the pope."
Ulloa said he prayed the gathering "will be a balm for the difficult situation in which many of them live without hope, especially the indigenous youth and youth of African descent, the youth who migrates after receiving almost no response from their countries of origin."
The Vatican bills World Youth Day as a chance for the pope to reach out to young Catholics who he says "can change the world."
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