The festivals of WYD began on 1 July 2008, when a large 3.8-metre-high wooden Cross and a large 15-kilogram Icon of the Virgin Mary arrived in Sydney to travel around the country. The relay-style event, known as the Journey of the Cross and Icon (or JCI for short) saw the cross and icon go on a pilgrimage around the dioceses of Australia, engaging with a variety of Catholic parishes and communities. The WYD Cross was entrusted to the youth of the world by Pope John Paul II in 1984 as a sign of peace and hope. The Pope told the young people of the world to take it around the world as “a symbol of Christ’s love for humanity”. In 2004, Pope John Paul II commissioned the large icon of the Virgin Mary to accompany the Cross’s pilgrimage. It is a symbol intended to represent Mary’s maternal love for young people. From the announcement of the host World Youth Day, the Cross and Icon travel ceremonially around the world similar to the Olympic Torch Relay.

In the week preceding the main event, many young Catholic pilgrims spent time in different parts of Australia and New Zealand, staying with a local parish as part of the Days in the Dioceses. After their stay, they travelled to Sydney for the Opening Mass of the week-long main event.

The Pope arrived at Sydney on Sunday 13 July at Richmond Air Force Base in North Western Sydney on a special Alitalia flight. Until Wednesday 17 July he stayed in the Opus Dei centre, called Kenthurst Study Centre, 30 km from Sydney. On Tuesday 15 July, World Youth Day 2008 began with the Opening Mass, celebrated by George Cardinal Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney, at Barangaroo. This was followed by a concert.

Each morning from Tuesday 15 to Thursday 17 July, Catechesis was held in approximately 300 locations. Pilgrims received teachings from a Bishop and also celebrated Mass. In the afternoons, pilgrims journeyed into the city and attend the Youth Festival consisting of a series of art exhibitions, concerts, seminars, and conferences. On Thursday 17 July, 500,000 attendees from around the world were present at Barangaroo to welcome Pope Benedict XVI on a day dubbed Super Thursday by the press. The Pope actually arrived on Monday 14 July, but only appeared in public for the first time on the 17th. The event involved the Pope travelling around Port Jackson in a “boatacade” where pilgrims lined the shores to see him. However, there were many disappointed spectators in places like The Botanic Gardens and Circular Quay who did not actually see the Pope because of where he was sitting on the boat. The Pope then spoke extensively to the pilgrims and greeted them in five foreign languages. In order to let the pilgrims see him better the pope was driven around Barangaroo through the crowds in his Popemobile..

On Friday 18 July, there was a live re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross at major city landmarks with an estimated number of 270,000 participants. Around 500 Million people around the world followed the stations on television. On Saturday 19 July, around 235,000 pilgrims embarked on a 10-kilometre pilgrimage walk, beginning at the Mary MacKillop Chapel in North Sydney, over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and across the city to attend an overnight Vigil before the Mass at Randwick Racecourse. Approximately 250,000 pilgrims slept overnight at Randwick, and about 300,000 to 400,000 participants attended the Final Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday 20 July. Pope Benedict continued a tradition of Australian Papal Masses at Randwick Racecourse, following in the footsteps of Popes John Paul II and Paul VI.

WYD 2008 was the first World Youth Day to take full advantage of telecommunications, with Pope Benedict sending text messages to the pilgrims during the week. Each pilgrim who registered for WYD had the option of providing a mobile phone number to which the Pontiff’s message would be sent at the beginning of each day.

Theme: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses. (Acts 1:8)

LOGO

The meaning of this logo and what it inspires is pretty clear:

1. We can see a Big White Cross that symbolises Christ, the light of the world. The Cross raised in victory, representing Christ and the life of witness which the Holy Spirit enables. It is the passion of the heart of Christ, poured out into the world from the Cross, which consumes the young people of Sydney, of Australia and of the world. The whiteness of the Cross indicates that Jesus is the light of the world.
2. The flames represent for sure the Holy Spirit. There are three reminding us the Trinity. The flames of the logo represent the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in tongues of fire. They evoke the Sacrament of Confirmation and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The colours of red, orange and yellow flowing throughout symbolise the Trinity and Unity of God. They also bring to mind the colours of the Australian outback. The flames looks like to the Sydney’ Opera House. The Opera House is the symbol of Sydney, the host city for World Youth Day 2008.
3. Less evident, we can find a play on words with the acronyms of WYD (World Youth Days) and SYD (Sydney). Actually when the Australians talk about WYD they refers to the “WYDSYD” that would sound like: Wide Side.
4. The blue of the logo, presents in the text, represents the oceans that surround Australia, the waters of Baptism, the sea of humanity and Mary, full of grace.

HIGHLIGHTS

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