World Youth Day Awarded
“For promoting peace, union and fraternity among the peoples and nations of the world, starting from the protagonism of young people, with an invitation to young people to build a more just and united world”. It was also emphasised that this World Youth Day provides “an experience of the universal Church, fostering an encounter with Jesus Christ and constituting for young people a birthplace of vocations to marriage and consecrated life”.
These are the motivations for the prize awarded on 23 January in Madrid by the Fundación Universitaria San Pablo, of the Universidad Cardenal Herrera, which has recognised the social, educational and research work of individuals or groups belonging to the different CEU centres every year since 1997.
About to celebrate its 40th anniversary, World Youth Day received this award for ‘Spreading Catholic Culture’. The president of the John Paul II Youth Foundation, Daniele Bruno, accepting the award expressed his gratitude for ‘the recognition of the importance of this meeting of young people in transmitting the Gospel and, at the same time, values such as dialogue and peace’ and also thanked ‘on behalf of His Eminence Card. Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, the President of the Asociación Católica de Propagandistas and the Fundación Universitaria San Pablo CEUProf. Alfonso Bullón de Mendoza y Gómez de Valugera, for the prestigious award”, recalling that the prize is to be shared with all those who are working with enthusiasm and dedication for the realisation of the next WYD in Lisbon in August: “the Local Organising Committee, chaired by His Excellency Mons. Américo Aguiar, and the Youth Area of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, directed by Fr. Joao Chagas, as well as the John Paul II Vatican Foundation for Youth, which I have the honour to preside over and which works in support of the Youth Area of the Dicastery”.