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WORLD YOUTH DAY - JORNADA MUNDIAL DELA JUVENTUD - GIORNATA MONDIALE DELLA GIOVENTU - JOURNEE MONDIALE DE LA JEUNESSE - JORNADA MUNDIAL DA JUVENTUDE - WELTJUGENDTAG

Compelled to tell the world the wonders and magic of World Youth Day, I decided to post this project online in order for others to understand the historical significance of this event and the impact that it made to the young people of the world. It’s not easy to compile everything into a series of monster posts, documenting everything from historical accounts, papal documents, publication entries, photos, videos and even the official music and songs of the World Youth Day, yet God have his ways in making the impossible, possible! Of all the series I wrote here in OTWOMD, the “World Youth Day Through The Years” series is the closest to my heart because of it’s effect on my life. For some this maybe trivial, but to all young people in the world who have gathered in various places around the globe, World youth day is one extraordinary event that will forever be etched on their hearts. In this second part of this series, you will read the history of the World Youth Day, what made one small thing that led to another and became the world’s profound largest gathering of young people around the world. Journey with me in this series as it gives you goosebumps just like it gave me when writing this. Totus Tuus Young People of the World! Be Not Afraid!!!

IN THE BEGINNING

Rome in the early 1980s, in an inconspicuous side street, close to the St. Peter’s Square. It was here that a group of young people would regularly meet to pray and talk. Frequently, the German bishop Paul-Josef Cordes would come along, as Vice-President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Here, in the church of San Lorenzo in piscibus, an idea was born. Pope John Paul II had invited the faithful to Rome to celebrate the exceptional Holy year of the Redemption in 1983/84, marking the 1,950th anniversary of the death of Jesus Christ. And on that anniversary many events were being organized for young people. In San Lorenzo everyone was thinking hard about how something more permanent could be made out of such a one-off meeting. Working away in the background were young people - and Bishop Cordes.

In 1984 more than 300,000 young people from all over the world took up the Pope’s invitation and came to Rome for an International Jubilee of Youth on Palm Sunday in St. Peter’s Square. Even then finding accommodation was a major logistical challenge: when Rome’s city authority decided at short notice to forbid the planned construction of a gigantic tent site for the guests, 6,000 families spontaneously came forward with offers to put up the young people in their own houses. Along with the many bishops who engaged the young people in discussion, Mother Teresa from Calcutta and Frère Roger, the founder of the Taizé Community, also came to the event.

In the Coliseum young people did the stations of the cross, while in St.Peter’s Cathedral the Eucharist was celebrated. The response was overwhelming, and on the evening before Palm Sunday the Pope called out to the young people: “What a fantastic spectacle is presented on this stage by your gathering here today! Who claimed that today’s youth has lost their sense of values? Is it really true that they cannot counted on?” And John Paul II entrusted to the world’s youth a symbol: the colossal wooden crucifix, later to be known as the “World Youth Day Cross.

A YEAR OF YOUTH

Questioning the claim that young people can no longer be counted on, the Pope now personally decided to make this meeting with youth more than just a one-off occasion. And the young people from San Lorenzo and the Council for the Laity were thinking along the same lines as the Pope. When the United Nations made 1985 “International Youth Year”, Rome’s mind was made up: another meeting of the world’s youth with the Pope had to be organized for that year. Time was short, so the organizers began working at full stretch. More than 250,000 young people responded to the Pope’s invitation and came to Rome on Palm Sunday in 1985.

Immediately before the event, on 31 March 1985, John Paul II issued a letter to the world’s youth. It’s main theme was the responsibility borne by every generation for the future: “Responsibility for this present reality and for its shape and many different forms lies first of all with adults. To you belongs responsibility for what will one day become reality together with yourselves, but which still lies in the future.”

A week after the youth meeting the Pope surprisingly announced the establishment of World Youth Days as a regular event. In his Easter message “Urbi et orbi” on 7 April he said: “Last Sunday I met with hundreds of thousands of young people; the festive sight of their enthusiasm made a deep impression in my soul. Wishing that this wonderful experience be repeated in the coming years and that an International Palm Sunday meeting of youth therefore be initiated, I reaffirm my conviction: youth faces a difficult yet exciting task: changing the underlying mechanisms that promote egotism and repression in the relations between nations, and creating new structures oriented to truth, solidarity and peace.”

In his Christmas address to the College of Cardinals, on 20th December, the Pope repeated his view that a World Youth Day should become an annual event in the future: “The Lord has given his special blessings to this gathering [on Palm Sunday], so in the coming years a celebration of the world day of youth shall be held on Palm Sundays in collaboration with the Council for the Laity.”

THE FIRST WORLD YOUTH DAY

A success story was born that would attract the world’s attention as it moved forward so triumphantly. The first actual World Youth Day was officially celebrated in Rome on Palm Sunday in 1986. It was then repeated in 1987, after which World Youth Days have been held, as rule, every two years at a new central location somewhere in the world. In the intervening years World Youth Day is also marked by celebrations on Palm Sundays in Rome and in dioceses across the world.

In 1987 the world’s youth came together in Buenos Aires (Argentina): one million participants heard the Pope say: “I would like to repeat to you what I told you on the first day of my pontificate: that you are the hope of the Holy Father, the hope of the Church.” And the Pope called on young people to work constructively in shaping the world: “In this way you are building the civilization of life and truth, of freedom and justice, of live, reconciliation and peace.”

Impressed by the experience of this movement, the Pope devoted a chapter in his Apostolic Letter “Christifideles laici” on the laity of 30 December 1988 to youth: “The Church has so much to talk about with youth, and youth have so much to share with the Church. This mutual dialogue, by taking place with great cordiality, clarity and courage, will provide a favorable setting for the meeting and exchange between generations, and will be a source of richness and youthfulness for the Church and civil society.”

In the following year some 600,000 young pilgrims made their way to Spain’s Santiago di Compostela. John Paul II asked them: “Why are you here, you young people of the nineties of the 20th century? Isn’t it because you feel in yourselves the spirit of this world?”

AFTER THE FALL OF THE WALL

In 1991 one-and-a-half million people came to World Youth Day in the Polish town of Czestochowa. Now that the “Iron Curtain” had come down, this was the first opportunity for young people from Eastern Europe to participate unhindered in the event. “Young people from the east and west of Europe - the old continent is counting on you to help build up this ‘common house’ from which we expect a future of solidarity and peace … For the well-being of future generations it will be necessary for the new Europe to be built on the foundations of those spiritual values that define the innermost core of her cultural tradition,” said the Pope.

In 1993 half a million young people met with John Paul II in Denver in the USA. With the Rocky Mountains forming an impressive backdrop, the Pope spoke to the young people: “Do not stifle your conscience! The conscience is our real heart and shrine, where we are alone with God … Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places … This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel … Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living and to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern ‘metropolis’.”

YOUNG FILIPINOS SENT BY THE POPE

The biggest gathering of people of all times took place in 1995 at the World Youth Day in Manila (Philippines): four million young people cheered the Pope as he appealed for compassion for our fellow human beings: “Are you capable of giving yourselves, your time, your energy and your talent to the well-being of others? Are you capable of love? If you are, Church and society can expect great things of each one of you.” Pope John Paul II presided over the event, marking his second trip to the country.

The youth gathered from different parts of the world to be with each other, know each other’s culture and talk to each other as brothers and sisters. The event was celebrated with different activities like Barrio Fiesta where every assigned group gather and have fun. Mass were also celebrated everyday almost in every Catholic Church in the Philippines. The closing mass, held at the Luneta Park, was estimated to be attended by more than 5 million people and was considered to be the largest papal gathering in Roman Catholic history. Some have even suggested it may have been the largest Christian gathering ever, although this is not certain.

After that event, the Pope was supposed to visit the Philippines again for the World Meeting of Families in 2003 but was prevented from doing so because of health problems. His 1995 Pastoral visit in the country was his last.

WORLD YOUTH DAY IN THE WEST

In 1997, World Youth Day was celebrated in Paris, France, and the number of youth attending far surpassed all expectations. In Paris, the Pope concentrated his thoughts on the disciples’ question, “Master, where do you live?” and Christ’s response, “Come and see.”

When World Youth Day went to Paris in 1997 almost a million people had gathered there by the end of the festival. John Paul called for young people to bear living witness: “Your journey does not end here. Time does not come to a halt. Go forth now along the roads of the world, along the pathways of humanity, while remaining ever united in Christ’s Church!”

The jubilee year of 2000 became a jubilation year of the World Youth Days. Almost two million young people gathered in Rome, it was dubbed as John Paul II’s Woodstock. For the first time, Rome was literally rocked by the energy of the youth, hosting a “Christian Rock� concert in the St. Peter’s Square where young people gathered to celebrate life and faith through rock music.

JOHN PAUL II’s LAST WORLD YOUTH DAY OUTSIDE ROME

The 17th World Youth Day 2002 was held from 23 July to 28 July 2002 in Toronto, Canada. As always, it was very well attended, with an estimated 400,000-500,000 youths from all over the world participating in the week-long festival. Although WYD is designed for Catholics, it attracts sizable numbers of youths from other faiths and denominations.

The night vigil and closing mass, presided over by Pope John Paul II, was held in Downsview Park in north Toronto. With a crowd of over 850,000 people [1], the place turned into Canada’s fourth largest city overnight.[2]

World Youth Day 2002 consists of two portions - Days of the Diocese held in various dioceses - with the majority in Montreal, Quebec and London, Ontario; as well as the World Youth Days themselves, held in Toronto. The scale is massive: Days of the Diocese involved the participation of 35 of Canada’s 72 dioceses while the World Youth Days involved the use of some 129 Catholic churches and 7 halls at Exhibition Place, 10 stages (as well as Downsview Park and 5 other parks in Toronto), 30 seminars, 10 prayer experiences, 300 vocational or service group exhibits, 10 cultural gatherings. [3]

As the event is ultimately an expression of faith, and a critical expression of faith is through service to others, World Youth Day 2002 had the support of some 25,000 volunteers; and some 100,000 pilgrims themselves spent three hours each on one of 750 service projects.

The theme of the event was “You are the salt of the earth … you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14).

The groundswell of Catholic spirituality following World Youth Day 2002 in Canada led to the establishment of Canada’s first national Catholic television network, Salt + Light Television. Fr. Thomas Rosica, who was the National Director of WYD2002, is also the founder and Chief Executive Officer of this new television station.

THE NEW POPE IN THE WORLD YOUTH DAY

The 20th World Youth Day 2005 was a Catholic youth festival that started on August 16 and continued until August 21, 2005 in Cologne, Germany. It was the first World Youth Day and foreign trip of Pope Benedict XVI, who joined the festival on August 18. This meeting was decided by the previous pope, John Paul II, during the Toronto World Youth Day of 2002. The theme was “We have come to worship Him” (from Matthew 2:2).

About 400,000 young people from 200 countries attended during the week, and more than 1,000,000 came for the weekend. They were joined by about 600 bishops and cardinals, as well as by 6,600

Originally, Pope John Paul II was to attend the World Youth Day in Cologne. After he died earlier in 2005, it was instead his successor Pope Benedict XVI’s first apostolic journey. Most pilgrims to the World Youth Day made their plans to come while John Paul II was still Pope, and had hoped to see him. Before Pope Benedict XVI led the central mass, he met with several politicians and others.

On 21 August 2005, perched on a hill at Marienfeld outside Cologne, Pope Benedict XVI invited the youth of the world to proclaim and celebrate the Holy Spirit at the 23rd World Youth Day to be held in Sydney, Australia in 2008.

“And now, as the living presence of the Risen Christ in our midst nourishes our faith and hope, I am pleased to announce that the next World Youth Day will take place in Sydney, Australia, in 2008. We entrust to the maternal guidance of Mary most holy, the future course of the young people of the whole world.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Marienfield, WYD 2005)

ALL ROADS LEAD TO SYDNEY

The theme of World Youth Day 2008 will be “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8)

From July 2007 until World Youth Day, a large wooden WYD Cross (entrusted to the youth of the world from Pope John Paul 2 as a sign of peace and hope) and a large Icon of the Virgin Mary (as a symbol of Mary’s maternal love for young people) will journey around the dioceses of Australia, engaging with a variety of Catholic parishes and communities.

It will begin with the Opening Mass on 15 July 2008, celebrated by George Cardinal Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney. Pilgrims will be able to celebrate Mass and Catechesis each morning with the rest of the world. There will be youth festivals each afternoon with concerts, seminars, conferences, etc. On the Thursday, the youth of the world will welcome the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI to Sydney. The Way of the Cross (Stations of the Cross) will be held through the streets of Sydney on Friday. On Saturday 19 July 2008, The Sydney Harbour Bridge will be the focus of a 10-kilometre pilgrims’ walk in which tens of thousands of Catholics will cross the city to attend an overnight vigil before the Mass at Randwick Racecourse.

Up to 400,000 pilgrims will sleep out under the stars at Randwick, before an estimated 600,000 Catholics are expected to attend the final Mass celebrated by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday 20 July 2008. Pope Benedict will follow a tradition of Australian Papal Masses at Randwick Racecourse following in the footsteps of Popes John Paul II and Paul VI.

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