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ROMA August 25, 2005 – He had announced it since his first morning as pope, in the seminal address delivered in the Sistine Chapel on April 20: “The Eucharist will be the centre of the World Youth Day in Cologne in August.” And what he said, he did. To the million young people gathered from 197 countries for four days in the city that keeps the relics of the Magi – even to those of little faith and the non-baptized – Benedict XVI preached “the inconceivable greatness of a God who humbled himself even to appearing in a manger,...

Pope Benedict, wrapping up a triumphant return to his German homeland, on Sunday urged young people to shun a "do-it-yourself" concept of religion where they can choose what they want and disregard the rest.A crowd of up to a million young people cheered the Pope at the last major event of his trip -- an open-air mass outside the city to conclude the Catholic Church's World Youth Day.Most had spent the chilly night in tents and sleeping bags, singing and praying in a festive atmosphere before the Pope arrived to say the Mass along with some 800 bishops.Mostly in their...

RELATED NEWS: “God has given us the perfect Pope,” says Spanish archbishop Argentine bishop: “Benedict XVI’s challenges attract and captivate young people” Archbishop of Havana: WYD unlike any other youth event Pope and youth stop to adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament Pope recalls WYD, prays event may inspire more vocations Cologne, Aug. 24, 2005 (CNA) - Pope Benedict XVI recalled today the gathering of hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world in Cologne, Germany, for World Youth Day last week. “Young people from all cultures of the world gathered as pilgrims seeking Jesus Christ, whom...

Cologne, Aug. 16, 2005 (CNA) - World Youth Day (WYD) 2005 has recorded the highest number of registrations in WYD history. As of yesterday, 405,000 young Catholics from almost 170 countries have registered for the event.  Organizers were expecting 400,000 pilgrims, and some 800,000 are expected for the final Mass.Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, announced the latest statistics at a press conference today. There was a surge in registrations in the last week, said the cardinal. At press time, organizers reported that 105,000 German youth had registered, including the volunteers, making them the largest group represented at WYD 2005.The...

I'd like to back track for a moment to discuss the whole process of getting to the Vatican for the audience and some of the unique moments that you don't necessarily read about in books. As you'll recall, I arrived in Rome late on Tuesday (more on that story later -- I promise it's worth the wait). I didn't sleep well that night, never do when I'm in a strange place for the first time. I booked my "ticket" for the papal audience through Expedia.com when I bought my ticket. Expedia basically acted as a go-between for a day tour...

Moscow (AsiaNews) – Once again they will set off to go to the pope, once again they will meet him in a country which is not their own, but their joy anyhow is great, and their expectations multifold. Around 1000 youths from Russia have left to attend the twentieth World Youth Day in Cologne. They are aged between 18 and 24 years and they come from all the dioceses of the country. For many, it is the first time they will see the pope; others had the chance to do so already months ago when they went on pilgrimage to...

A free festival of faithImagine Woodstock, but with Catholic teenagers instead of rock fans.    That's what it was like Saturday, when thousands of international pilgrims gathered in a field in Marienfeld, a former coal mine on the outskirts of Cologne to listen to a message from their new pope, sleep under the stars, and for some, dance and sing throughout the night. The story • World Youth Day gallery: Previous Friday, August 19 Pope's arrival a 'beautiful moment'For two days, the murky Rhine River has been something Catholic pilgrims to this city rode over to get somewhere else: the...

Monday, August 15th: On on a boat on the Rhine -- the very boat that B16 will be taking to arrive in Koeln this week. St. Goarshausen was a beautiful and charming town. Very, very little English was spoken here. I met up with some of the Magis group when I got on the local train in Frankfurt that goes to St. Goarschausen. I would have never made the train at all if it weren't for the kindness of a German lady who, much like the kind Italian lady, helped me without even being asked. As I mentioned, I was...

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12th (from Roma): It's a beautiful day today. I spent about an hour at Termini. The trains do not move on time here! Public service is pretty much a nightmare. But the time went by quickly because I chatted with a charming Roman my age and we discussed politics. He works for an international consulting firm that specializes in urban planning. Boy did he have great things to say about why he loved visiting the USA. He stayed in LA (LA--the worst of the USA) and loved the low crime rate, the services, and free market. I'll have...

COLOGNE, Germany -- They slept in a dew-soaked field, packed head-to-toe, and awoke Sunday under heavy gray skies to hear Pope Benedict XVI urge his youthful followers to live a life of faith and to work to spread it. An estimated 1 million pilgrims from every corner of the planet attended Benedict's open-air Mass, culminating a weeklong World Youth Day and the new pontiff's international debut. Freedom granted by God "is not simply about enjoying life in total autonomy, but rather about living by the measure of truth and goodness, so that we ourselves can become true and good," he...

Pope Benedict XVI, during the closing Mass for World Youth Day in Cologne, announced that Sydney, Australia will be hosting World Youth Day in 2008. He made the announcement in the English language.

by Kishore Jayabalan Other Articles by Kishore Jayabalan Benedict and World Youth Day: Becoming Adults in Christ 08/20/05 Pope Benedict XVI is back in the international media spotlight this week, gracing the covers of Time and Newsweek, as he makes his first trip outside of Italy, to Cologne, Germany for the 20th World Youth Day. That a Catholic youth gathering is now a global event worthy of such attention is a testament to Pope John Paul II; now the trip is presented as a sort of “test” for Benedict. In This Article...Absolute RelativistsA Heritage with ObligationsWhat Endures? Absolute Relativists World Youth...

DUSSELDORF, Germany -- Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus in Mel Gibson's blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ," presented the film yesterday to 25,000 youth delegates at 2005 World Youth Day. He also addressed the youth and led them in a decade of the rosary. The event was held at the UTL Arena, an outdoor stadium in Dusseldorf, one of the three German cities hosting World Youth Day activities, last Tuesday through tomorrow. . The others are Cologne and Bonn. The activity was sponsored by Holy Cross Family Ministries of Easton, Mass., which is composed of ministries furthering the mission of...

Rome is the first leg of a pilgrimage of 10 Catholic youths coming from Cambodia; they will reach Cologne on 16 August with high hopes of “finally feeling part of the universal Church”. Rome (AsiaNews) – Feeling part of the universal Church through an exchange of faith and culture with youths from all over the world who witness to Christ, as well as praying for those who – like Italian young people – appear to have forgotten their faith. Such are the expectations of 10 Cambodian youths traveling to Cologne in a pilgrimage via Rome, Assisi and Milan. The...

Beirut (AsiaNews) – Around 6,000 Lebanese youths are headed for the World Youth Day in Cologne. Among them are 25 young Mexicans of Lebanese-Maronite origin. Their participation in the grand meeting in Germany is part of a wider program entitled “A return to our roots” which features moments of prayer, silence, activities and an encounter with Lebanese culture. The entire programme, including the pilgrimage to Cologne, is unfolding in the company of several Maronite bishops: Mgr Bechara Rahi, Bishop of Byblos; Mgr Mansour Hobeika of Zahle; Mgr Paul Matar, Archbishop of Beirut; Mgr George Iskandar, President of the Episcopal Commission...

Castel Gandolfo (AsiaNews) – Martyrs are examples for our times, because of their patience in “not losing heart”, their perseverance in prayer and their lives led in close relationship with the sacrifice of Christ. Benedict XVI called on youths going to Cologne to attend World Youth Day, as well as all Christians, to follow in the footsteps of and imitate the example of martyrs, from those of ancient times, like Roman martyrs, to modern-day martyrs who died in Nazi concentration camps like Edith Stein and Maximilian Kolbe. Speaking before the Angelus to a crowd of pilgrims at Castel Gandolfo, he...

From Cologne to the Conquest of Europe: How the Muslim Brotherhood is Challenging the PopeAt World Youth Day in Cologne, Benedict XVI is also meeting with Muslims. Here are the leaders and organizations of radical Islam in Germany, with their plans for expansion by Sandro Magister ROMA, August 18, 2005 – The penultimate event of Benedict XVI's visit to Cologne, before the vigil and Mass with the young people of World Youth Day XX, will be a Saturday, August 20 meeting with the "representatives of some of the Muslim communities." The meeting will take place at the residence of the...

Cologne, Germany, Aug. 13 (CNA/CWNews.com) - In an in interview on the preparations for World Youth Day, the hosting archbishop, Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne, said the event is a gathering for young people, not for "the people of yesterday" such as dissident theologians Eugen Drewermann or Hans Kung. In an interview granted to the Bonn newspaper General-Anzeiger , Cardinal Meisner noted that Hans Kung and Eugen Drewermann are not welcome at the event. "The entire event is oriented to be an encounter for young people and not for 'seniors'," he said. "There is nothing for them (Kung and Drewermann)...

Cologne, Aug. 17 (CWNews.com/LifeSiteNews.com) - The 20th World Youth Day (WYD) celebrations, which Pope Benedict XVI will join on Thursday, August 18, already involve 405,000 registered participants. Organizers expect 800,000 or more to attend the final weekend sessions on August 20 and 21 at Marienfeld, outside Cologne.At the time of the opening ceremonies, 193 different countries were represented at WYD: a record for the event. "The entire world has arrived in Germany," observed Bishop Franz-Josef Bode, who heads youth ministry for the nation's Episcopal conference.   There were 120,000 young people on hand before the opening ceremonies, to participate in...

Sorry for not posting sooner. It's been pretty hectic here. I'll try to settle down tonight and send a long one explaining the events of the last few days. Right now I'm sitting in the street just to the side of Koeln's Cathedral, behind a barricade waiting for the Pope to arrive. I've been made an honorary daughter of Eire today because I am traveling with a group of four young Irishmen with two large Irish flags. We've been taking turns holding it, and I was amused when a young Brazilian woman asked me if I am Irish. Right now...