Lisbon volunteers prepare for Pope's visit on World Youth Day

With a month to go before Pope Francis visits the Portuguese capital to celebrate World Youth Day, preparations are gathering pace at the WYD volunteer headquarters in Lisbon.

AmericoAguiar, auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon and President of the WYD Foundation, says that around 250,000 participants have already registered from around the world for the Catholic festival. Francis has suffered a series of health issues since his election in 2013, from hip problems, knee pain and weight gain, to an inflamed colon and Respiratory infection.

But he continues to travel widely and has a typically packed programme for his August 2-6 visit to Portugal for World Youth Day, with around 20 meetings scheduled.