‘May no adversity paralyze you’: Pope’s address at rainsoaked Vigil
The official World Youth Day website has published a translation of the full address that Benedict XVI intended to give at the WYD Vigil. Due to heavy wind and rain, the Pope limited his spoken remarks to the greetings to the different language groups at the end of his address. The vigil resumed following a brief delay as the weather passed.
Dear Young Friends,
I greet all of you, especially the young people who have asked me their questions, and I thank them for the sincerity with which they set forth their concerns, that express the longing which all of you have to achieve something great in life, something which can bring you fulfillment and happiness.
How can a young person be true to the faith and yet continue to aspire to high ideals in today’s society? In the Gospel we have just heard, Jesus gives us an answer to this urgent question: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love” (Jn 15:9).
Yes, dear friends, God loves us. This is the great truth of our life; it is what makes everything else meaningful. We are not the product of blind chance or absurdity; instead our life originates as part of a loving plan of God. To abide in his love, then, means living a life rooted in faith, since faith is more than the mere acceptance of certain abstract truths: it is an intimate relationship with Christ, who enables us to open our hearts to this mystery of love and to live as men and women conscious of being loved by God.
[Read more...]
Cuatro Vientos will be a Giant Celebration
Madrid, July 5, 2011 – World Youth Day in Madrid (WYD) will end the weekend of August 20-21 with a “giant celebration”. The setting for it all: Cuatro Vientos, an air base whose length is equivalent to 48 football fields, an area capable of hosting the over one million people expected to attend the events with the Holy Father.
Javier Cremades has ensured that the events to be held in the Madrilenian air base will all be part of “a giant celebration.” Cremades highlighted that “this is the first part of the celebration, as the experience they live here will later go on to reach every corner of the world after World Youth Day.”
This celebration of the Pope with young people, on the afternoon of Saturday, August 20, will be a festive gathering centered around the Eucharist. The Monstrance of Arfe, a masterpiece of Spanish gold, provided courtesy of the Cathedral of Toledo, will be used for the main celebration on Saturday night.
Cuatro Vientos Air Base will open its doors on Saturday at 12 noon to welcome young people who will start arriving to attend the final celebration of WYD. From 2:00 pm onwards, there will be acts held on the main stage which is already being built at the airfield. Throughout the afternoon, a team of over 20 young people will be ready and waiting to greet the hundreds of thousands of young people who will come to meet with the Pope in Madrid. Participants will enjoy performances from the winners of the “Tuned into Madrid” (“Madrid me encanta”) contest, as well as from other groups from around the world. Prior to the Pope’s arrival, there will be flash mob attended by over 100,000 people.
After the acts on Saturday, young people will spend the night at the aerodrome. In the area in which young people will pass the night, there will be 17 Eucharistic Adoration tents, where attendees will be able to continue the vigil.
The next day will be the closing Mass for WYD, which will also be presided by Benedict XVI. The Mass will feature the presence of the Choir and Symphony Orchestra of WYD, in collaboration with the Donostiarra Choir and the Choir of El Escorial. After the Mass, the Pope will announce where the next WYD will be held.
Just a month away from World Youth Day, preparations at Cuatro Vientos Air Base are running smoothly. Eva Hernandez, Director of Infrastructure for World Youth Day, stressed that “the main priority is to ensure the safety of attendees.” All the underground electrical wires and water pipes have been installed. The air base will have 8 health camps to offer first aid on the spot. The numbers are in proportion to the volume of people expected: 48 sound towers and 20 giant screens will allow young people to follow the ceremonies.
Hernandez has placed special emphasis on the care of disabled youth attending WYD. They will have two special areas, one for intellectual and physical disabilities, and another for the hearing and visually impaired.
Registration for WYD are in their final stretch, with numbers at a current total of 420,000. To encourage the undecided, a new campaign has been launched which will be available on the Internet and radio, as well as in newspapers. It is recommended that registrations that include accommodation and meals be made before July 8. As for the form that does not include accommodation and meals, for young people from Spain there remains a 50% discount until July 15.
Small business
The contribution of small enterprises has also been important in World Youth Day. GAD, the Office of Demographic Analysis, has presented the results of a survey of more than 1,800 young people who follow the updates on WYD. The results of the survey offer a profile of a young person coming to WYD. The vast majority of respondents were under 30 and 9 out of 10 believe that WYD “is a life changing experience.”
Moreover, there has been a social mobile application for WYD presented. This application is available for download at: social.madrid11.com for Apple and Android devices. There will also be a mobile web version for other devices. The download will be by invitation through this page. Interested users can register on the waiting list starting July 6. According to Alberto Gimeno, President of Netnetics – the designers of the application -, this application will enable young people to “be informed and connected at all times.”
Asomafrut, Association of Fruit Wholesalers of Madrid, will contribute at least 8 tons of fruit for the young participants of WYD. “There are many companies that are contributing their bit to WYD; this is our way of helping,” said Maria Gonzalez, Manager of the association.
For more information on the new registration campaign and to download audio recordings from the press conference, visit: http://www.madrid11.com/es/oficina-de-prensa/descargas/516-ruedas
WYD 1997 – Paris, France
 Theme “Teacher, where are you staying? Come and see” (cf. Jn 1:38-39) Theme Song
Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of WYD 1997, Paris
Thursday, 20 March 1997 1. “Non sum dignus, non sum dignus”. So, dear young people, over the last few days I read a French book: Jean Paul II le résistant. The Pope is resistant. Today I see that I have earned a new title: “disruptive”, because I have disrupted your programme. But we must come “ad rem”… read more
 Homily of the Holy Father at the Final Mass of WYD 1997, ParisLongchamp Racecourse, 24 August 1997 1. "Teacher, where are you staying?" (Jn 1:38). This is the question which Jesus was asked one day by two young men. This happened on the banks of the Jordan. Jesus had gone there to receive the baptism of John. But the Baptist, when he saw Jesus coming towards him, said: "Behold, the Lamb of God" (Jn 1:36)… read more |
Laudate Omnes Gentes – Psalm at WYD2002 Closing Mass
This was the Psalm that was sung and danced at the Closing Mass with Pope John Paul II at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto. The dancers are from the Teresa Mann Dance group in Panama. The Psalm setting was composed and arranged by Susan Hookong-Taylor and it’s sung by Susan and Julie Lafontaine.
WYD 1993 – Denver, Colorado
Theme “I came that they might have life, and have it to the full” (cf. Jn 10:10)
Theme Song
Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of WYD 1993, Denver
Vatican city,15 August 1992 Dear Young People, 1. Following our meetings in Rome, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Compostela and Czestochowa, our pilgrimage through contemporary history continues. The next stop will be in Denver, in the heart of the United States, in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado… read more
 Homily of the Holy Father at the Final Mass of WYD 1993, DenverCherry Creek State Park, Denver, 15 August 1993 Beloved Young People and Dear Friends in Christ,1. Today the Church finds herself, with Mary, on the threshold of the house of Zechariah in Ain–Karim. With new life stirring within her, the Virgin of Nazareth hastened there, immediately after the Fiat of the Annunciation, to be of help to her cousin Elizabeth…read more |
WYD 1989 – Santiago de Compostela, Spain
 Theme “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6)
Theme Song
Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of WYD 1989, Santiago de Compostela
Vatican city, 27 November 1988 Dear young people!I am happy to be with you once again in order to announce the celebration of the IV World Youth Day. In my dialogue with you, this Day has, indeed, a privileged place. It affords me the welcome opportunity of speaking to the young people… read more
 Homily of the Holy Father at the Final Mass of WYD 1989, Santiago de Compostela“Monte del Gozo”, Spain, 20 August 1989 I cordially greet all those present!Inhabitants of numerous cities! Representatives of many peoples and nations! You have come here not just from Galicia, from the whole of Spain, from all over Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals, but also from North America and Latin America, the Middle East, from Africa, Asia and Oceania… read more |
WYD 1995, Manila, Philippines
 Theme “As the Father sent me, so am I sending you” (Jn 20: 21)
Theme Song
Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of WYD 1995, Manila
Vatican city, 21 November 1993 – Dear Young People,1. “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:19). This is the greeting, rich in meaning, which the risen Lord extended to the disciples, so fearful and dismayed after his passionWith the same intense and deep feeling I now address you, as we prepare to celebrate the Ninth and Tenth World Youth Days… read more
 Homily of the Holy Father at the Final Mass of WYD 1995, ManilaRizal Park, Manila, 15 January 1995 – Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,1. We are celebrating the Mass of the Santo Niño of Cebu, the Child Jesus whose birth at Bethlehem the Church has just commemorated at Christmas. Bethlehem signifies the beginning on earth of the mission which the Son received from the Father, With the same intense and deep feeling I now address you, as we prepare to celebrate ththe mission which is at the heart of our reflections during this Tenth World Youth Day… read more |
WYD 1991 – Czestochowa, Poland
 Theme “You have received a spirit of sonship” (Rom 8:15)
Theme Song
Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of WYD 1991, Czestochowa
Vatican City, 15 August 1990 – Dear young people!1. The World Youth Days mark important stages in the life of the Church, as she seeks to intensify her commitment to evangelization in today’s world, looking towards the year 2000. By proposing every year for your meditation certain essential truths of the Gospel teaching… read more
|
WYD 2000 – Rome, Italy
 Theme “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14)
Theme Song
Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of WYD 2000, Rome
Vatican, June 29th 1999 – My dear young people, 1. Fifteen years ago, at the close of the Holy Year of the Redemption, I entrusted to you a great wooden Cross, asking you to carry it across the world as a sign of the love which the Lord Jesus has for mankind and to proclaim to everyone that only in Christ who died and is risen is there salvation and redemption… read more
 Homily of the Holy Father at the Final Mass of WYD 2000, RomeTor Vergata, Sunday 20 August 2000 – Dear young people of the Fifteenth World Youth Day! These words of Peter, in his conversation with Christ at the end of the discourse on the “bread of life”, affect us personally. In these days we have meditated on John’s statement: “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14)… read more |
