1
English Service for South Asia
Special Bulletin
On
World Youth Day
Rio- 2013
World Youth Day 2013, stylized WYDRio2013, was the 14th international World Youth Day, an international Catholic event focused on religious faith and youth. The host city of World Youth Day 2013 was Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as announced by Pope Benedict XVI at the end of the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, Spain. The events were held from 23 July to 28 July 2013.
World Youth Day was initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1984. For the first celebration of WYD in 1986, bishops all over the world were invited to schedule an annual youth event to be held every Palm Sunday in their dioceses. It is celebrated at the diocesan level annually, and at the international level every two to three years at different locations.
World Youth Day 2013 was the second World Youth Day to be held in South America; the second to be held in Latin America with the first being held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in April 1987; and the third to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. Additionally, World Youth Day 2013 was the first World Youth Day to be held in a country whose primary language is Portuguese, and the first for Pope Francis. On 24 August 2011, Pope Benedict XVI announced the theme for World Youth Day 2013. Taken from the Gospel of Matthew, the theme will be "Go and make disciples of all peoples" (Matthew 28:19).
A very brief yet inspiring video presentation of the NBC News TV: Click here
CONTENTS:
1. "The Pope attracts more people than football” in Brazil
…is the phrase that echoed through the streets of Rio among the hundreds of thousands of young people who came not only from Brazil but from all over the world to attend the WYD.
To read more click here…
2. In Rio, the inventor of WYD
Following Madrid, the “inventor” of WYD were also present in a certain way in Rio de Janeiro: Blessed John Paul II's relics were in the city of Rio. To read more click here…
3. Pope Francis’ First day in Rio
Sean-Patrick Lovett who heads the English Programme of Vatican Radio was in Rio de Janeiro reporting on the Apostolic visit of Pope Francis to the Brazilian nation. To read more click here…
4. Aparecida: knocking at Mary's door..
Pope Francis chose to add to the schedule a visit to the Marian Shrine of Aparecida which lies two hundred kilometres from Rio de Janeiro and is visited each year by over seven million pilgrims.
To read more and for a brief Video presentation: Click here..
5. Pope Francis: No to liberalization of drugs
Visiting with a group of recovering addicts in a Brazilian hospital July 24, Pope Francis criticized the regional push to legalize drugs, saying society must instead tackle root causes of substance abuse such as the lack of education and justice. To read more and Brief Video: Click here…
6. Former Delhi archbishop gives catechesis classes at WYD
The archbishop emeritus Vincent Concessao of Delhi told participants during the World Youth Day that an encounter with Jesus will change their lives. To read more click here…
7. Pope makes rally cry for world's poor in speech to Brazilian slum
Pope Francis underlined his mission to lead a “church for the poor” July 25, preaching against “selfishness and individualism” in an uplifting address to a rain-soaked Brazilian slum. To read more and for a brief video: click here…
8. Pope Francis at Prayer service with WYD pilgrims: ‘Put on Christ’
Pope Francis greeted young pilgrims taking part in WYD celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Thursday, July 25, ardently pleading with them to ‘put on Christ’. To read more click here…
9. Pope Francis to Argentinian youth: I want the Church to be in the streets
Pope Francis on July 25, also met with young people from Argentina gathered in Rio’s Cathedral to greet him. The unscheduled late morning event saw the Pope speaking off the cuff in his native Spanish. To read more click here…
10. Pope hears confessions of young people
On day five Pope Francis heard the confessions of a group of five young people, speaking Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. To read more click here… +
Friday events in brief Video presentation:Click here
11. Pope points to vital role of grandparents in passing on faith
Pope Francis on July 26, speaking at the recitation of the Angelus prayer to crowds gathered outside the Archdiocesan house, stressed the essential dialogue between the youngest and oldest members of society.To read more click here…
12. Indian youth recounts 'great' WYD lunch with Pope
Thomson Philip, a young India-born man who lives in New Zealand, can hardly believe he sat next to Pope Francis for lunch during World Youth Day 2013. To read more click here…
13. Via Crucis: Pope Francis interprets the Cross in daily life
Pope Francis, returned to Copacabana beach on Friday July 27, evening to preside at at the Via Crucis or "Way of the Cross". To read more+ for full text of the Pope’s address & for 2 Video News Presentations of the via Crucis: Click here.
14. Pope speaks of God’s call to proclaim the Gospel with a culture of encounter
In his homily at mass, Pope Francis on July 27, urged the bishops, clergy, seminarians and religious to respond to the call of God, proclaim the Gospel and promote a culture of encounter in their lives and ministry. To read more click here…
15. Teenager crosses South America on foot to see Pope
Unable to afford transportation, a teenage boy traveled 1,829 miles to Rio de Janeiro by foot in order to see Pope Francis during World Youth Day.To read more click here…
16. Nine year old boy jumps hurdles to meet Pope Francis
A nine year old boy wearing a soccer jersey, jumped the hurdles and made his way through to the white jeep, where he was received affectionately by Pope Francis, and whispered in the Pontiff’s ear: “I have a very important message for you...I want to become a priest.”To read more & Watch a moving Video : Click here
17. 2 million throng prayer vigil with Pope Francis
Two million young people carpeted Copacobana beach on July 27, joining Pope Francis in a huge outdoor evening prayer vigil. The centerpiece of the vigil was a Eucharistic procession. To read more + full text of Pope Francis’ remarks & Watch Video : Click here.
A Video of a song that touched many a heart at the vigil: Click here
18. Pope Francis to Brazilian Bishops: Are we still a Church capable of warming hearts?
Pope Francis had a joyful but challenging message for the Bishops of Brazil on july 28 as he took the opportunity to meet with the world’s largest episcopate.To read more click here…
19. Pope Francis welcomes sick girl at Final WYD Rio Mass
Pope Francis personally requested the presence of a sick child who suffers from anencephaly when he presided over Sunday’s closing mass for WYD celebrations. To read more click here…
20. Pope Francis: "Go, do not be afraid, and serve"
Pope Francis on Sunday July 28, celebrated the concluding Mass of WYD on the beachfront of Copacabana in the presence of over 3 million people.For full text of his homily click here
21. Pope to WYD volunteers: May you always be generous
In one of his final engagements in Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis met Sunday with hundreds of volunteers who had helped make World Youth Day 2013 a tremendous success.
For full text of his much acclaimed address: click here
22. Journalists' final verdict on World Youth Day: "Extraordinary"
Even for jaded journalists World Youth Day came as a surprise. To read more: Click here + for A special massive flash mob performance for Pope Francis: Click here
23. All the numbers on WYD 2013
The World Youth Day Press office revealed the final numbers of people who attended WYD 2013. For the interesting statistics: Click here
24. World Youth Day in Rio: What do you remember?
Sean-Patrick Lovett followed the trip for Vatican Radio in Rio, and sent us his final reflections.
For wonderful details and his brief final reflections: click here
25. Five Thousand Youth Offer Themselves for Priesthood and Religious Life
A Vocational Meeting held on July 29, in Rio which was attended by an estimated 50,000 youth from all over the world, where a vocational call was made and 3,000 young men, while 2,000 young women answered the call. To read more: Click here
26. Pope Francis: Next WYD in Krakòw, Poland 2016
The next venue for World Youth Day celebrations will be Krakòw, Poland. Pope Francis made the announcement in Rio de Janeiro Sunday, the final day of WYD 2013.To read more: click here
27. Website for WYD2016
The dust has hardly settled after the Catholic Church’s triumphant international celebration of World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and preparations for the next such celebration in 2016 is already underway in Krakow, Poland, with a website already in place. To read More: Click here
28. How Pope Francis is revolutionizing the church
(Opinion by the Rev. James MartinSJ, is a Jesuit priest, editor at large at America and author, special to CNN)To read: Click here
1. "The Pope attracts more people than football” in Brazil
"The Pope attracts more people than football" is the phrase that echoed through the streets of Rio among the hundreds of thousands of young people who came not only from Brazil but from all over the world to attend the WYD.
According to Cesar Costa, auxiliary bishop of Rio and vice president of the organizing committee, the involvement of local young people to prepare for the event, had also attracted many young people who were away from the Church. In recent decades, the Catholic Church had suffered a sharp decline. According to the last census: Catholics are more than 64% of the 190 million Brazilians,which is about 123 million. But in 1972 it was almost 92%. Many Catholics who leave the Church follow Protestant or evangelical churches. Besides, in the last half-century Brazil was invaded by thousands of sects of Pentecostal-charismatic groups, said the bishop.
And Francis Pope came to Rio to invite young people to become disciples-missionaries to proclaim Christ to all nations. Brazil welcomed with faith the long pilgrimage of the WYD Cross and Icon of Mary, which came to Rio on July 6 and after their passage, thousands of Brazilian families decided to open their homes to welcome young pilgrims coming from all continents. Even the EvangelicalChurch and the Protestants showed their generosity. On the eve of the Pope's arrival to Rio an important meeting was scheduled with about 200 young Catholics, Jews and Muslims who proposed concrete actions for interreligious dialogue.
2. In Rio, the inventor of WYD
Following Madrid, the “inventor” of WYD were also present in a certain way in Rio de Janeiro: Blessed John Paul II's relics were in the city of Rio. They were exposed in the major locations of World Youth Day in Brazil. They were delivered by Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, during the Mass celebrated on 7 July, in the Holy Sanctuary of the Miraculous Medal in the Tijuca district, in the north of the city.
For Pope John Paul II it is a return to Brazil's soil, where he was received four times: from 30 June to 11 July, 1980, then on 11 June 1982, then from 12 to 21 October, 1991, and finally from 2 to 6 October, 1997, when Rio de Janeiro held the Second World Meeting of Families.
During his stay in Brazil, Cardinal Ryłko also opened the exhibition “In the Footsteps of Christ”, with masterpieces from Italy and the Vatican, which were on display from 9 July to 13 October at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Rio. It is, as the Cardinal recalled, the eighth exhibition organized on the occasion of World Youth Day, and is "concentrated" on works by the most famous artists, painters and sculptors, ranging from the year 1400 to 1800. "Original works”, he said, “which have never been seen before in a Latin American country”.
3. Pope Francis’ First day in Rio
Sean-Patrick Lovett who heads the English Programme of Vatican Radio was in Rio de Janeiro reporting on the Apostolic visit of Pope Francis to the Brazilian nation on the occasion of the XXVIII World Youth Day. He, and others, watched in amazement at the pictures of the Holy Father's car trying to make it to the official opening ceremony. He ended up taking a helicopter instead.
Here is Sean's report:Heads were shaking in disbelief – and other heads will surely roll – after the Pope’s unscheduled drive-about through the centre of Rio on Monday afternoon. It’s true that the 40-minute trip from the airport to the Cathedral was unplanned, but it’s also true that the motorcade mistakenly took the wrong route and ended up being blocked by congested traffic. People quickly swarmed around the car and moments of high tension followed as security agents tried to control the swelling masses that, at times, looked like they might engulf the vehicle completely.
Only after he transferred to an open jeep, did his drive through the city regain the tone of dignity and celebration that allowed Pope Francis himself to relax and greet the enthusiastic crowds with his characteristic warmth and spontaneity. By the time he reached the Cathedral, hundreds of thousands of people had poured out into the streets, determined to give him an authentic Latin American welcome.
That welcome took on stately tones when the Pope reached the Governor’s Palace at Guanabara for the official ceremonial greeting. This time he travelled by helicopter – which solved the traffic issue and allowed him a spectacular view of Rio-by-night. It also helped the organizers pick up some time as the Holy Father’s program was already running one hour behind schedule.
A side-effect of that papal delay was that the Vatican Press Office Director’s press conference also started an hour late – to the consternation of some very travel-weary, jet-lagged journalists who were hoping he would give them the headlines they so desperately needed to trump the story of the royal baby. Responding to journalist’s questions, Fr Lombardi began by down-playing the motorcade escapade, adding that it was the Pope’s secretary who was upset while Pope Francis appeared to be enjoying himself. He also revealed two other pieces of behind-the-scenes information. Firstly that, during their private conversation at GuanabaraPalace, the Brazilian President had expressed her admiration for Pope Francis’ speech on the island of Lampedusa two weeks before. Secondly that, during the flight from Rome to Rio, the Pope spent 15 minutes chatting to the pilots in the cockpit – long enough for journalists to begin wondering who was actually flying the plane.
4. Aparecida: knocking at Mary's door..
While Pope Francis inherited from Benedict XVI, now Pope Emeritus, most of the planned World Youth Day events, he also chose to add to the schedule a visit to the Marian Shrine of Aparecida which lies two hundred kilometres from Rio de Janeiro and is visited each year by over seven million pilgrims. Brief Video presentation: Click here
It took place on Wednesday, the 24th of July. The event began at the Basilica of the Shrine with a brief moment of prayer in the Chapel by the Hall of the 12 Apostles where an image of Our Lady is housed and it ended with an Act of Consecration to Our Lady of Apericida. A consecration which took place at the end of the Holy Mass celebrated in Portuguese with the local Bishops. During his homily on this occasion, Pope Francis highlighted in a special way his Marian devotion.
As we know right from the very start of his pontificate Pope Francis entrusted his ministry as Successor of Peter to Our Lady making a surprise visit to Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major on the day after his election. In Brazil Pope Francis chose to repeat this gesture of Marian devotion , during his first visit to Latin America, personally requesting it be added to his World Youth Day schedule. He did so at the Marian Shrine of Aparecida, on Wednesday 24th of July in the course of his homily during Holy Mass, at what he described as the house of the Mother of every Brazilian. It was here that he chose to place at her feet the future not just of the young pilgrims currently in Brazil for the XXVIII World Youth Day but also that of the people of the entire Latin American continent.
“When the Church looks for Jesus”, he said on this occasion, “she always knocks at his Mother’s door”. I too, he remarked , have come here to knock on the door of the house of Mary, so she may help us pass on to future generations those values necessary to build both a more just and fraternal nation and world. In order to do this Pope Francis indicated three simple attitudes to be adopted: to be hopeful, to allow ourselves to be surprised by God and to live joyfully.
To be hopeful, Pope Francis insisted forcefully, because despite the presence of evil in society with its attraction to idols that take the place of God such as money , success, power and pleasure , God always has the upper hand. To allow ourselves to be surprised by God because, even in the midst of difficulties, God can surprise us if we place our trust in him. And to live joyfully because Christians should never be gloomy as they always have at their side, the face of God as a loving Father.