Thousands of peoples, mostly teenagers, from all over the world, including 50 delegates from Cambodia, gathered in Sydney, Australia to celebrate the Catholic Church’s 23rd

World Youth Day 2008 with Pope Benedict XVI from July 15-10, 2008. The theme of this WYD was “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). The Pontiff reminded the youth to be witnesses of “Christ”, since there are still so many people who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, while many others have not recognized in this Good News the saving truth that alone can satisfy the deepest longing of their hearts”, Said the Holy Father. On the arrival day of Pope Benedict XVI at the Royal Renwick Racecourse in the eastern side of Sydney City, about 200,000 peoples were waiting for him for a prayer session.

The Holy Father made a call to be “unity of faith in a divided world and in the middle of a growing secularism”. Unity is of the “essence of the Church”, emphasized the Pope while urging the young people to “resist any temptation to walk away “from it.

“You are already well aware the our Christian witnessing is offered to a world which in many ways is fragile”, the Pope said gave thanks to God for the “great gift” of the Catholic Youth faith.

On Thursday July 17, the Holy Father recommended to believers of all faiths to be concerned about the environmental problem of our planet, urging the young to reject this consumerisms society.”There are scars which mark the surface of the earth such as erosion, deforestation and ocean resources” the Pope said.

The 81 year-old pontiff also have dubbed violence, sexual exploitation and consumerism as “false idols”. He spoke out against the human exploitation and violence produced by the phonographic material made for amusement in movies and on the internet.

The Holy Father met privately at St. Mary’s Cathedral in central Sydney, four victims of sexual abuse by some members of the clergy in Australia, as sign of healing and forgiveness, before leaving Australia. The Pontiff listened to their stories and consoled them. He assured them of his spiritual proximity and proposed to continue to pray for them. He spoke individually with each victim in an atmosphere of “respect, spirituality and of intense emotions”. Pope Benedict XVI said with sorrow in his last homily at St. Mary’s Cathedral “I would like to pause to acknowledge the shame which we have all felt of the sexual abuse of minors by some clergy and religious in this country”. These sincere words of the Pope gave great encouragement to the thousands of youngsters gathered for this final celebration.

 

 

Young people meeting Pope Benedict XVI in Sydney, on July 15-10, 2008 at the World Youth Day celebrations .

Another WYDs took places in Rome, Italy: 1984 and 1985. Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1987. Antigo de Compostela, Spain in 1989. Czestochowa, Poland in 1991. Denver, U.S in 1993. Manila, Philippine in 1995. Paris, France in 1997. Rome, Italy in 2000. Toroto. Canada in 2002. Cologne, Germany in 2005. The next WYD will take place in Madrid, Spain, in the year 2011.

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