Pope presides Way of Cross ceremony at global Catholic youth festival

Pope Francis presided over a Way of the Cross reenactment at a Lisbon Park on Friday before hundreds of thousands of flag-waving pilgrims, part of a global Catholic youth festival. The rite commemorating Jesus Christ's suffering and death is one of the highlights of World Youth Day festivities, a six-day international Catholic jamboree.

Many national flags fluttered in the huge crowd, estimated by local authorities at around 800,000 people. Pope Francis will deliver a Mass on Sunday in Lisbon on the last day of his five-day visit to Portugal. Organizers expect a million people from around the world to attend the week of festive, cultural and spiritual events.