In 1994, Pope John Paul II announced in his encyclical Tertio Millenio Adveniente that the Catholic Church would be extensively preparing itself for the coming Jubilee of the birth of Christ in the year 2000. Coinciding this event was also the Jubilee of the youth wherein young people around the world gathered in Rome for the World Youth Day 2000. First time in the history of Rome, Gospel music tuned into rock songs were played in front of the St. Peter’s Basilica as a concert for the young people of the World. This was the year when numerous Gospel and Catholic Rock group started to emerge and destroyed the prejudice of the over-conservatives from other Christian denominations that rock songs are influenced by the devil. CNN, BBC and other international journalists covered this event via satellite and was profoundly astounded on the Pope’s openness to the changing musical preferences of the youth. Some denominations have labeled the event as a proof of ant-Christ sentiment inside the church, but little did they know that John Paul II just showed the world that evil is not what we see, hear or feel, but what actually comes from our very heart. This was the second largest gathering of young people during WYD, following that of the unbeatable 5 Million attendance of people during the WYD ’95 in Manila.

THEME: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14)

LOGO

Observing the â??logoâ??, we can see the three fundamental elements that characterizes the XV World Youth Day: the place of celebration, the participants and the spirit of the encounter.

The city of Rome is evoked with the style of the cupola of the Basilica of Saint Peter and the Bernini Columns.

1. The image of the cupola (dome-shaped roof) recalls the truth of the Church and the person of the Holy Father.
2. The encounter between the Pope and the young people happens through mutual â??embracesâ?? in which no one remains passive: everyone is an active promoter and receiver.
3. The young people and other participants of the event are identified in a simple and irregular collage, conceptual to the figure of the circle, that it comes as a symbol of the totality of the young generations

HIGHLIGHTS

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