WYD 2019: ecological conversion in action

WYD 2019 Youth Manifesto for the Care of the Common Home – Panama

III Congresso internazionale sulla salvaguardia del Creato

19 gennaio 2019, Città di Panama

Noi, giovani cattolici della Giornata Mondiale della Gioventù a Panama, intendiamo elevare i nostri cuori e le nostre menti in lode, gioia e gratitudine a Dio per il bellissimo dono della nostra amata “sorella Madre Terra”, secondo la felice espressione usata da San Francesco. Come Papa Francesco ci ha ricordato, allo stesso tempo siamo dolorosamente consapevoli che c’è “un grande deterioramento della nostra casa comune” (Laudato Si’, 61).

Convinti che “possiamo cooperare come strumenti di Dio per la cura della creazione” (LS 14), chiediamo a tutti, e a noi stessi per primi, un’azione urgente per proteggere il nostro
pianeta e le persone più povere e vulnerabili.

1. L’ingiustizia verso i poveri di oggi e le generazioni future.

Il nostro futuro e il futuro di chi verrà dopo di noi sono in grave pericolo. L’umanità da tempo ha intrapreso un percorso irresponsabile di distruzione ambientale che rende già precario il presente e pregiudica il futuro. In primo luogo, a causa della crisi climatica stiamo già assistendo ad impatti devastanti in tutti i continenti, con l’aumento della temperatura media di 1°C. Il pianeta rischia poi di superare la soglia catastrofica di 1,5°C di riscaldamento globale, se l’accordo di Parigi non verrà attuato da tutti e in modo tempestivo. In secondo luogo, la crisi della biodiversità ci ha già condotti nel mezzo della sesta estinzione di massa, con specie animali e vegetali che scompaiono in modo irreversibile. A tale proposito, ci ricordano i vescovi latino-americani1 e il documento preparatorio del Sinodo sull’Amazzonia2 che le popolazioni indigene hanno un ruolo decisivo nel proteggere le proprie terre ancestrali dalle attività di sfruttamento indiscriminato. Inoltre, altre crisi correlate non meno importanti,
come la crisi idrica, rendono ancora più allarmante lo stato della nostra casa comune.

Nella Laudato Si’ si sottolinea che “le previsioni catastrofiche ormai non si possono più guardare con disprezzo e ironia. Potremmo lasciare alle prossime generazioni troppe macerie, deserti e sporcizia.”(LS 161). Inoltre, come hanno riconosciuto i vescovi di tutti i continenti [l’attuale] “generazione non sta facendo abbastanza per lasciare un pianeta sano. Essere così miopi è commettere un’ingiustizia inaccettabile”.3 Siamo consapevoli che la crisi ecologica non è solo un’ingiustizia intergenerazionale, ma
anche un’ingiustizia intragenerazionale nei confronti delle persone povere e più vulnerabili.

Come ha scritto Papa Francesco, “Tanto l’esperienza comune della vita ordinaria quanto la ricerca cientifica dimostrano che gli effetti più gravi di tutte le aggressioni ambientali li subisce la gente più povera” (LS 48). Così accade che la crisi migratoria è strettamente correlata alla distruzione ambientale: “Molti di quanti possono a malapena permetterselo sono già costretti ad abbandonare le loro case e a migrare in altri luoghi, senza sapere come verranno accolti.”4

Il tempo stringe e molti leader non hanno ancora intrapreso con convinzione quelle trasformazioni necessarie per proteggere la nostra preziosa casa comune e tutti i suoi abitanti.

2. Un’autentica e urgente conversione ecologica.

Riconosciamo che la crisi ecologica è sintomo di una crisi più profonda nel cuore umano, che ci ricorda la chiamata profetica di San Giovanni Paolo II a “stimolare e sostenere la ‘conversione ecologica’ che ha reso l’umanità più sensibile nei confronti della catastrofe verso la quale si stava incamminando.”5 Preghiamo che questo pellegrinaggio a Panama diventi un’importante pietra miliare nella conversione ecologica di tutti i partecipanti alla Giornata Mondiale della Gioventù, poiché, per noi cristiani, “Vivere la vocazione di
essere custodi dell’opera di Dio è parte essenziale di un’esistenza virtuosa, non costituisce qualcosa di opzionale e nemmeno un aspetto secondario dell’esperienza cristiana” (LS 217).

Consapevoli della nostra parte di responsabilità nell’attuale crisi ecologica, sentiamo un profondo bisogno di pentimento. Secondo le parole di Papa Francesco, “una sana relazione con il creato è una dimensione della conversione integrale della persona, che comporta il riconoscimento dei nostri errori, peccati, vizi o negligenze e conduce al pentirsi di cuore, a cambiare dal di dentro” (LS 218). La Chiesa ha un ruolo fondamentale nel promuovere questa conversione ecologica al suo interno e in tutte le realtà sociali, economiche, politiche, istituzionali. Siamo incoraggiati dal modo in cui la Laudato Si’ è fonte di un’efficace opera per sollecitare tutti a prendersi cura del Creato, con innumerevoli iniziative in tutto il mondo che stanno guidando l’azione di trasformazione per un’ecologia integrale. Ma l’urgenza è tale che deve essere fatto molto di più da tutti e con maggiore immediatezza.

3. Il ruolo dei giovani cattolici.

Come hanno riconosciuto i Padri sinodali, tra i giovani “c’è una forte e diffusa sensibilità per i temi ecologici e della sostenibilità, che l’enciclica Laudato Si’ ha saputo catalizzare”6.

In modo particolare, questa sensibilità si traduce in un appello a tutte le classi dirigenti ad agire, perché “I giovani esigono da noi un cambiamento “(LS 13). Infatti, c’è un vivace movimento di giovani che sta crescendo in tutto il mondo e chiede con forza alla generazione al potere di prendere sul serio il cambiamento climatico e la crisi ecologica.

Giovani attivisti stanno intraprendendo azioni senza precedenti, che vanno dal “climate strike” degli studenti alle azioni legali contro i governi per non aver fatto abbastanza per contrastare il cambiamento climatico.

In questo contesto, anche noi giovani cattolici ci stiamo facendo avanti come mai verificatosi prima. Prendiamo sul serio l’appello della Laudato Si’ che invita a prendere “decisioni drastiche per invertire la tendenza al riscaldamento globale ” (LS 175) e uniamo la nostra voce a quella profetica di tanti altri giovani impegnati per l’ambiente. Come ben espresso dai Padri sinodali, “I giovani desiderano mettere a frutto i propri talenti, competenze e creatività e sono disponibili ad assumersi responsabilità”, facendo tesoro dell’esperienza degli anziani e della ricca tradizione culturale e spirituale della nostra Chiesa.

4. I nostri impegni.

Siamo consapevoli che noi, giovani cattolici, non stiamo facendo abbastanza.
Nonostante gli impegni assunti nelle precedenti conferenze sulla salvaguardia del creato, in occasione della Giornata Mondiale della Gioventù 2013 e 2016, non ci stiamo ancora mobilitando abbastanza per la nostra casa comune. Concretamente:

I. Ci impegniamo a vivere la Laudato Si’ nella concretezza della nostra esistenza quotidiana, sviluppando una “spiritualità ecologica” (LS 216) e adottando stili di vita sostenibili. Il cambiamento è possibile anche tramite piccole azioni quotidiane come “evitare l’uso di materiale plastico o di carta, ridurre il consumo di acqua, differenziare i rifiuti, cucinare solo quanto ragionevolmente si potrà mangiare, trattare con cura gli altri esseri viventi, utilizzare il trasporto pubblico o condividere un medesimo veicolo tra varie persone, piantare alberi, spegnere le luci inutili, e così via” (LS 211).

II. Ci impegniamo a studiare e comprendere meglio la questione ecologica, con l’obiettivo di promuovere e attuare quei cambiamenti che sono necessari a tutti i livelli: nelle nostre famiglie, scuole, università, ambienti di lavoro, circoli sportivi, attraverso i media e la cultura, ecc..

III. Ci impegniamo a sollecitare con coraggio i Vescovi ed i responsabili della Chiesa a prendere maggiormente sul serio la crisi ecologica. Guidati dall’appello di Papa Francesco per noi giovani cattolici ad essere provocatori, fare “lío” (che in spagnolo significa “fare chiasso” e “mobilitarsi”), saremo dei disturbatori scomodi” ma creativi e positivi nelle nostre diocesi, parrocchie e comunità, per aiutare la Chiesa a uscire dall’indifferenza e da posizioni di comodo.

IV. Ci impegniamo a sostenere la Chiesa offrendo il nostro tempo e i nostri talenti per animare le nostre comunità ad avere una migliore cura del creato; a collaborare, anche ad un livello più ampio, per interpellare in modo profetico e spingere all’azione i leader politici, dato che la Chiesa “deve affermare questa responsabilità nella sfera pubblica [per] proteggere l’uomo contro la distruzione di se stesso” (Caritas in veritate, 51).

V. Ci impegniamo ad essere solidali e a collaborare, senza perdere la nostra identità e visione integrale dei problemi, con tutti coloro che, come il movimento ambientalista e altre realtà, stanno operando per difendere e custodire la nostra casa comune. Per cambiare veramente, sarà importante operare assieme. L’unione fa la forza. È questo lo spirito con cui è nata la “Generazione Laudato Si”, una nuova rete di giovani cattolici per coordinare gli sforzi, imparare gli uni dagli altri e massimizzare il contributo di tutti7.

5. Le nostre richieste.

Chiediamo ai Vescovi e ai responsabili della Chiesa di accelerare l’attuazione della Laudato Si’:

I. Incoraggiando la conversione ecologica in corso attraverso programmi educativi e di formazione a tutti i livelli, accompagnati da iniziative speciali per coltivare la dimensione ecologica della nostra fede, anche attraverso la celebrazione annuale del Tempo del Creato8. Occorre quindi superare un interesse spesso marginale ed episodico per passare ad un impegno sistematico e organico.

II. Promuovendo una conversione degli stili di vita indirizzata alla semplicità e alla sostenibilità, attraverso l’impegno a passare nelle strutture ecclesiali al 100% di energia rinnovabile e raggiungere l’obiettivo di emissioni nette di carbonio pari a zero entro il 2030 o prima.

III. Adottando linee guida sugli investimenti etici che allontanino i capitali dai combustibili fossili (“divestment”), considerato che, se si svuole rispettare il limite dell’accordo di Parigi, dobbiamo “mantenere nel sottosuolo la maggior parte del carburante fossile”9; come indicato nel documento finale del Sinodo sui Giovani (153).

IV. Assumendo le indicazioni del Sinodo sui giovani e i lavori di preparazione del prossimo Sinodo sull’Amazzonia, occorre sostenere i giovani nella realizzazione di programmi di cura della casa comune e, in particolare, di favorire progetti di difesa di quel “polmone del pianeta” (LS 38) che è la foresta amazzonica con i suoi abitanti indigeni.

Chiediamo inoltre ai leader politici e alle istituzioni competenti di affrontare con decisione e in modo urgente le principali questioni evidenziate anche dagli scienziati:

I. Puntando al raggiungimento del 100% di energia rinnovabile, per “porre fine all’era dei combustibili fossili”10 in linea con l’obiettivo dell’accordo di Parigi di limitare il riscaldamento globale a 1,5 °C;

II. Attuando il Global Compact in ordine alle migrazioni, per affrontare il tema dei rifugiati ambientali affinché “nessuno sia lasciato indietro”;

III. Adoperandosi per proteggere almeno il 30% degli ecosistemi del pianeta entro il 2030, con attenzione speciale alle comunità indigene che vivono in queste regioni ad elevata biodiversità, in applicazione della Convenzione ONU sulla Diversità Biologica;

IV. Impegnandosi attivamente per un accesso universale ed equo all’acqua potabile entro il 2030, come previsto dall’obiettivo 6 degli SDGs (Sustainable Develompment Goals dell’Agenda 2030 ONU;

V. Adottando un modello di economia ‘circolare’, per superare il “mito moderno del progresso materiale illimitato” (LS 78) e il paradigma della “crescita illimitata” (LS 106).

Invitiamo tutti i giovani del mondo ad unirsi, oltre le differenze, per prenderci cura della casa comune.


Che San Francesco e i Santi Patroni della GMG 2019, ci benedicano e ci guidino in questo affascinante impegno.

1 CELAM, Lettera pastorale “Discepoli missionari custodi della casa comune – Discernimento alla luce
dell’enciclica Laudato Si’”.
2 “Amazzonia: nuovi cammini per la Chiesa e per una ecologia integrale”: Documento Preparatorio del Sinodo dei
Vescovi per l’Assemblea Speciale per la Regione Panamazzonica, 08.06.2018.
3 Dichiarazione congiunta delle conferenze episcopali sulla giustizia climatica, Ottobre 2018: http://bit.ly/bishops-
statement.
4 Papa Francesco, Discorso del 9 Giugno 2018.
5 San Giovanni Paolo II, Catechesi, 17 Gennaio 2001.
6 Documento Finale del Sinodo dei Vescovi sul tema “I giovani, la fede e il discernimento vocazionale”, 46.
7 La "Laudato Si Generation" è una rete di giovani cattolici (tra cui reti come il Movimento Internazionale di Studenti Cattolici, Gioventù studentesca cattolica internazionale, Rete dei giovani cattolici per la sostenibilità ambientale in Africa, Don Bosco Green Alliance, Iniziative per i giovani della Caritas etc., coordinata dal Movimento Cattolico Mondiale per il Clima ) che sarà lanciata ufficialmente sul palco principale della GMG il 25 gennaio 2019.
8 Il Tempo del Creato, promosso dal Dicastero per lo Sviluppo Umano Integrale (http://bit.ly/letter-soc), si svolge ogni anno tra il 1° settembre, Giornata Mondiale di Preghiera per il Creato, ed il 4 ottobre, Festa di S. Francesco d'Assisi. Per maggiori informazioni: www.seasonofcreation.org
9 Papa Francesco, Discorso ai dirigenti delle principali imprese del settore dell'energia, 9 giugno 2018.
10 Appello dei vescovi continentali ai negoziatori della Conferenza COP 21, Ottobre 2015.

WYD 2019: ecological conversion in action

WYD 2019 Youth Manifesto for Care for our Common Home – Panama

3rd International Congress on Care for Creation

19 January 2019, Panama City

We, young Catholics attending World Youth Day in Panama, want to lift our hearts and minds in praise, joy and gratitude to God for the beautiful gift of our beloved “sister Mother Earth”, to use St Francis’ lovely expression. As Pope Francis reminded us, we are also painfully aware that “our common home is falling into serious disrepair” (Laudato Si, 61).

Convinced that “all of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation” (LS 14), we call on everyone, and ourselves first, for urgent action to protect our
planet and the most deprived and most vulnerable people.

1. Injustice done to today’s poor and those of future generations

Our future and the future of those who will come after us is in grave danger. Humanity has long since embarked on an irresponsible path of environmental destruction that already makes the here and now precarious and jeopardises the future. Firstly, due to the climate crisis, we are already witnessing devastating consequences on every continent, with the average temperature rising by 1°C. The planet risks exceeding the catastrophic 1.5°C global warming threshold if the Paris Agreement is not implemented by all in a timely manner. Secondly, the biodiversity crisis has already led us into the middle of the sixth mass extinction, with animal and plant species irreversibly disappearing. In this regard, the Latin American bishops1 and the preparatory document of the Synod on Amazonia2 remind us that indigenous peoples have a decisive role in protecting their ancestral lands from indiscriminate exploitation. Moreover, there are other related crises of no less importance,
such as the water crisis, which make the state of our common home even more alarming.

We are told in Laudato Si that “Doomsday predictions can no longer be met with irony or disdain. We may well be leaving to coming generations debris, desolation and filth” (LS 161). Moreover, as bishops across the continents [l’attuale] have acknowledged, “our generation is not doing enough to leave them a healthy planet. Being so short-sighted is an unacceptable injustice.” 3 We are aware that the ecological crisis is not only an intergenerational injustice, but
also an intra-generational injustice towards the poor and most vulnerable.

As Pope Francis wrote, “Both everyday experience and scientific research show that the gravest effects of all attacks on the environment are suffered by the poorest” (LS 48). This is why the migration crisis is closely related to environmental destruction: “Many of those who can least afford it are already being forced to leave their homes and migrate to other places that may or may not prove welcoming.” 4

Time is running out and many leaders have not yet embarked with conviction on the changes needed to protect our precious common home and all its inhabitants.

2. Genuine and urgent ecological conversion

We recognise that the ecological crisis is a symptom of a deeper crisis in the human heart. This reminds us of Pope John Paul II’s prophetic call to “encourage and support the ‘ecological conversion’ which in recent decades has made humanity more sensitive to the catastrophe to which it has been heading.”5 Let us pray that this pilgrimage to Panama will become an important milestone in the ecological conversion of all World Youth Day participants, since, for us Christians, “Living our vocation to
be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (LS 217).

Aware of our share of responsibility in the current ecological crisis, we feel a deep need for repentance. In the words of Pope Francis, “a healthy relationship with creation is one dimension of overall personal conversion which entails the recognition of our errors, sins, faults and failures, and leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change” (LS 218). The Church has a crucial role in driving this ecological conversion within the Church itself and in all social, economic, political, and institutional spheres. We are encouraged by the way in which Laudato Si is instrumental in urging people to care for Creation. There are countless initiatives around the world that are leading the way in transformative action for integral ecology. Yet, the urgency is such that much more needs to be done by all and with greater immediacy.

3. The role of young Catholics

The Synod of Bishops 2018 recognised that young people show that “there is strong and widespread sensitivity to ecological themes and sustainability that the encyclical Laudato Si has galvanised.”6.

In a particular way, this sensitivity translates into an appeal to all the ruling classes to act, because “young people demand change” (LS 13). In fact, there is a vibrant youth movement growing all over the world, strongly calling on the generation in power to take climate change and the ecological crisis seriously.

Young activists are taking unprecedented action, ranging from student climate strikes to legal action against governments for not doing enough to combat climate change.

It is against this backdrop that we young Catholics are also stepping up as never before. We take seriously the call of Laudato Si to take “drastic decisions to reverse the trend of global warming” (LS 175) and join our voice to the prophetic voice of so many other young people committed to the environment. n the words of the synod 2018 final document, “many young people wish to offer the fruits of their talents, skills and creativity and they are ready to assume responsibility” as they draw on the experience of their elders and the rich cultural and spiritual tradition of our Church.

4. Our commitments

We are aware that we, young Catholics, are not doing enough.
Despite commitments made at previous conferences on the protection of creation, at World Youth Day 2013 and 2016, we are not yet doing enough to mobilise others to care for our common home. In practical terms:

I. We commit ourselves to implementing Laudato Si in our daily lives, and to develop ecological spirituality (LS 216) and to adopt sustainable lifestyles. Change is also possible through small daily actions such as “avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings, using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices” (LS 211).

II. We commit ourselves to studying and gaining a better understanding of the ecological issue, with the aim of promoting and implementing the changes that are needed at all levels: in our families, schools, universities, workplaces, sports clubs, through the media and culture, etc.

III. We commit ourselves to making a strong appeal to the bishops and Church leaders to take the ecological crisis more seriously. Guided by Pope Francis’ call for us young Catholics to be provocative, to make a “lío” (which in Spanish means “to raise a racket” and “to mobilise”), we will be inconvenient “troublemakers”. We will be creative and positive in our dioceses, parishes and communities in order to help the Church to move beyond indifference and comfortable positions.

IV. We commit ourselves to assisting the Church by offering our time and talents to motivate our communities to take better care of creation; to collaborate, also at a broader level, to challenge and urge political leaders to take action, since the Church “must assert this responsibility in the public sphere [per] … and must above all protect humankind from self-destruction.” (Caritas in Veritate, 51).

V. We commit ourselves to standing in solidarity and collaborating with others, without losing our identity and integral vision of the problems. We will work with all those who, like the environmental movement and others, are working to defend and preserve our common home. To really make a change, it will be important to work together. Unity is strength. This is the spirit in which the Laudato Si Generation was born, a new network of young Catholics seeking to coordinate efforts, learn from each other and maximise everyone’s contribution.7.

5. Our requests

We ask the bishops and Church leaders to speed up the implementation of Laudato Si:

I. By encouraging ongoing ecological conversion through educational and training programmes at all levels, accompanied by special initiatives to cultivate the ecological dimension of our faith, including through the annual celebration of the Season of Creation8. t is therefore necessary to move beyond what is often marginal and sporadic interest to consistent and organised commitment.

II. By advocating for a conversion in lifestyles geared towards simplicity and sustainability through a commitment to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy in church facilities and achieve zero net carbon emissions by 2030 or sooner.

III. By adopting ethical investment guidelines that shift capital away from fossil fuels (divestment), considering that if we are to meet the Paris Agreement limit, we must “keep most fossil fuel in the ground”9. This is stated in the final document of the Synod on Youth (153).

IV. By taking on board the indications of the Synod on Young People and the preparatory work for the next Synod on Amazonia, it is necessary to support young people in the implementation of programmes to care for our common home and, in particular, to foster projects for the defence of the “lungs of the planet” (LS 38) that include the Amazonian forest with its indigenous inhabitants.

We also call on political leaders and relevant institutions to decisively and urgently address the main issues also highlighted by scientists:

I. By aiming to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy, in order to ‘end the age of fossil fuels’10 in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C;

II. By implementing the Global Compact on Migration, to address the issue of environmental refugees so that “no one is left behind”;

III. By working to protect at least 30 per cent of the planet’s ecosystems by 2030, with special attention to the indigenous communities living in these regions of high biodiversity, in implementation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity;

IV. By actively striving for universal and equitable access to safe drinking water by 2030, as stipulated in Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda;

V. By adopting a ‘circular’ economy model, to overcome the ‘modern myth of unlimited material progress’ (LS 78) and the ‘unlimited growth’ paradigm (LS 106).

We invite all young people of the world to stand together and transcend all differences to care for our common home.


May St Francis and the Patron Saints of WYD 2019 bless us and guide us in this challenging endeavour.

1 CELAM, Lettera pastorale “Discepoli missionari custodi della casa comune – Discernimento alla luce
dell’enciclica Laudato Si’”.
2 “Amazzonia: nuovi cammini per la Chiesa e per una ecologia integrale”: Documento Preparatorio del Sinodo dei
Vescovi per l’Assemblea Speciale per la Regione Panamazzonica, 08.06.2018.
3 Dichiarazione congiunta delle conferenze episcopali sulla giustizia climatica, Ottobre 2018: http://bit.ly/bishops-
statement.
4 Papa Francesco, Discorso del 9 Giugno 2018.
5 San Giovanni Paolo II, Catechesi, 17 Gennaio 2001.
6 Documento Finale del Sinodo dei Vescovi sul tema “I giovani, la fede e il discernimento vocazionale”, 46.
7 La "Laudato Si Generation" è una rete di giovani cattolici (tra cui reti come il Movimento Internazionale di Studenti Cattolici, Gioventù studentesca cattolica internazionale, Rete dei giovani cattolici per la sostenibilità ambientale in Africa, Don Bosco Green Alliance, Iniziative per i giovani della Caritas etc., coordinata dal Movimento Cattolico Mondiale per il Clima ) che sarà lanciata ufficialmente sul palco principale della GMG il 25 gennaio 2019.
8 Il Tempo del Creato, promosso dal Dicastero per lo Sviluppo Umano Integrale (http://bit.ly/letter-soc), si svolge ogni anno tra il 1° settembre, Giornata Mondiale di Preghiera per il Creato, ed il 4 ottobre, Festa di S. Francesco d'Assisi. Per maggiori informazioni: www.seasonofcreation.org
9 Papa Francesco, Discorso ai dirigenti delle principali imprese del settore dell'energia, 9 giugno 2018.
10 Appello dei vescovi continentali ai negoziatori della Conferenza COP 21, Ottobre 2015.

WYD Magazine, a tribute to John Paul

This special issue of the magazine pays tribute to John Paul II by commemorating his World Youth Days. They cover twenty years of history – from 1984 to 2004 – during which time the Foundation has followed and promoted the Days, just as it continues to follow and promote them today.

The magazine, produced with the contribution and testimonies of some of the directors in charge of youth ministry in various countries, aims at giving an account of St. John Paul II’s intuition concerning the pastoral care of young people and the opportunities for encounter and experience of faith realized through World Youth Days.

We have witnessed many young people come out of this experience with a renewed spirit. The WYD has been an opportunity for many young people to meet, but also amongst themselves and their Pastors and, above all, with the Pope. They also provided an opportunity for the Bishops to meet with young people and to listen to their concerns, problems and desires. For many, the Days were a chance for a more sincere and profound encounter with Christ, an opportunity to renew their faith and to feel like active members of the Church; some discovered their vocation to a special consecration, and new families were formed.

In short, through the use of many images, the magazine, now available on line on this site, provides an account of all this.

25th anniversary of the EurHope95 gathering of European youth

Twenty-five years ago (9-10 September, 1995), the European Youth meeting, EurHope 95, was held in Loreto. The inspiration for this meeting was an appeal for peace in the Balkans. At the time, I was working in the Youth Section of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, which was in charge of organizing this event, and therefore I was very much involved. I remember many things from that gathering, but I will point out three which made a particular impression on me.

First of all, there were the words of Cardinal Eduardo Pironio who, in greeting the Pope at the end of the Mass, stated: “Holy Father, these young people are not afraid of holiness—they are afraid of mediocrity and sin.” This was a true and proper vision of life which expressed the strength of what was experienced.

During the Saturday evening vigil, the connection with Sarajevo was the most anticipated event. The second memory is linked with this connection: the image of the young woman of Sarajevo crying and laughing at the same time, just as pain and the home that comes from God go together on the same path.

The final memory is of a great gesture of humanity on the part of John Paul II. Although by that time he could only walk with great difficulty, he did not hesitate to approach a group of young Poles who had had an accident during their journey to Loreto.

Yet the strongest memory is of how the youth from different areas of the Balkans were able to sit together, pray together for peace, exchange gestures of peace, and together commit themselves to do everything possible to realize this peace.

Carmen Aparicio, President of the John Paul II Youth Foundation

The witness of generosity

The usual Saturday evening Mass which took place at the San Lorenzo International Youth Center this past 28 September was the occasion for a very special moment: a commemoration in thanksgiving for the work of Marcello Bedeschi and his team, for his nearly thirty years of service as the president of the John Paul II Youth Foundation; and the beginning of the work of the Foundation’s new Board of Directors with the new president, Carmen Aparicio Valls.

In the homily of the Mass, the Secretary of our Dicastery, Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello, dwelt at length on the theme of generosity, stating, “Marcello and his collaborators have led the Foundation since its beginning, thirty years ago, at the request of St. John Paul II. Through your service in World Youth Day,” he continued, “you were especially concerned with the young ‘Lazaruses’ who needed a ‘Father Abraham’ to welcome them ‘into his bosom,’ and who could help them discover the joy of feeling loved and welcomed in the heart of God, the joy which is a foretaste of the eternal life promised to them.” This same generosity, he went on to add, “characterizes the commitment assumed by the new Board, which gives continuity to this valuable service to young people all over the world.”

The purpose of the Foundation is to promote the evangelization of young people and to support youth ministry throughout the world, collaborating with the Youth Office of our Dicastery, particularly in the organization of World Youth Day. Since 1991 the Foundation, established at the wish of Pope John Paul II originally as “Fondazione Gioventù Chiesa Speranza” (“Youth, Church, Hope Foundation”), has carried out this work above all through the commitment and selfless generosity of Marcello Bedeschi and those who worked with him, as was recalled by Fr. João Chagas, head of the Youth Office, in a brief but poignant moment of thanks.

It is now for the new Board to take up the torch and continue this important service in the same spirit.

Leadership Transition for the John Paul II Youth Foundation

A significant meeting took place this past 17 September in the main hall of the Dicastery: Marcello Bedeschi, the president of the John Paul II Youth Foundation since the foundation’s beginning—a foundation orginally established as the “Fondazione Gioventù Chiesa Speranza” (“Youth, Church, Hope Foundation”)—stepped down from his role and greeted the new Board of Directors, who were appointed in June by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life. The new president, Carmen Aparicio Valls, engaged the new Board of Directors in their first meeting.

The Foundation was created to support the activities of the Dicastery which concern young people, in order to “help put into practice the teaching of the magisterium of the Catholic Church regarding the priority of the pastoral care of youth, particularly as manifested in World Youth Day,” and to “promote the evangelization of young people and to support youth ministry throughout the world.” (Statues, art. 1, 2.1)

Marcello Bedeschi, who has participated in all of the World Youth Days, from Buenos Aires (1987) to Panama (2019), now concludes an impassioned term of service, one which has led him to become an international point of reference for the organizational aspects of World Youth Day.

Carmen Aparicio Valls, a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, worked for a decade in the 1990s within the Youth Section of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and therfore knows well the complex logistics involved in coordinating a World Youth Day celebration.

The next upcoming event for the new Board of Directors, and for all the friends of World Youth Day, is a Mass of Thanksgiving set for Saturday, 28 September at 7:00 pm at the San Lorenzo International Youth Center in Rome.

Madrid, Spain (2011)

Date: 16-21 August 2011

Pontificate: Benedict XVI

Theme: “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith” (cf. Colossians 2:7) 

Song: Firmes en la Fe (Firm in the faith)

We must not keep Jesus for ourselves alone. The message emphasises how in some cultures, despite having endorsed the values of the Gospel, God is eclipsed, the faith received is rejected, and this leads to a loss of identity. The theme speaks of being planted like trees, to have strong foundations like buildings, and to have firm faith and moral strength.  These will help young people to open a personal dialogue with Jesus. The pope tells them that “if you believe, and if you are able to live out your faith and bear witness to it every day, you will become a means of helping other young people like yourselves to find the meaning and joy of life, which is born of an encounter with Christ!” During the vigil, the pope said to the young people, “I urge you to ask God to help you find your vocation in society and in the Church, and to persevere in that vocation with joy and fidelity. It is a good thing to open our hearts to Christ’s call and to follow with courage and generosity the path he maps out for us. (…) Dear young people, if you wish to discover and to live faithfully the form of life to which the Lord is calling each of you, you must remain in his love as his friends. And how do we preserve friendship except through frequent contact, conversation, being together in good times and bad? Saint Teresa of Jesus used to say that prayer is simply ‘friendly contact, often spending time alone with the one who we know loves us’.”

All of the Holy Father’s speeches at WYD in Madrid: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/travels/2011/outside/documents/madrid.html

Summary based on the data sheet published by frontierarieti.com, organ of the Diocese of Rieti.

Sydney, Australia (2008)

Date:  15-20 July 2008

Pontificate: Benedict XVI

Theme: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses ” (Acts 1:8)

Song: Receive the Power

The pontiff’s message evoked the relationship between the Holy Spirit and believers which is characterised by personal witness to the truth. Pope Benedict XVI expressly asked young people to be “prophets of a new era”, and to be aware of the continuous and active presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. He invited them to measure the quality of their faith in the Holy Spirit, and he drew their attention to Pentecost and to the “Comforter” who was promised by Jesus before his death on the cross.  There are two main references to the Holy Spirit in the message for the 23rd WYD: source of communion and revealer of truth. The first is expressed in prayer together which is essential for a community to have “one heart and one soul”. The second refers to the Holy Spirit as “teacher of the interior life” who alone can open us up to faith and allow us to live each day to the full. “The Spirit impels us forward towards others, enkindles in us the fire of love and makes us missionaries of God’s charity.” Our faith is born and strengthened through the three sacraments of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.

All of the Holy Father’s speeches at WYD in Sydney: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/travels/2008/outside/documents/australia.html

Summary based on the data sheet published by frontierarieti.com, organ of the Diocese of Rieti.

Cologne, Germany (2005)

Date:  16-21 August 2005

Pontificate: Benedict XVI

Theme: “We have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2)

Song: Venimus Adorare Eum (Come let us worship him)

This WYD theme is linked to the host city because the relics of the Magi are in Cologne Cathedral. Just as these wise men set out to meet Jesus and worship him, so young people were called to imitate their example by seeking Jesus on a pilgrimage to the place of the Magi’s relics. The young people were told to look to the example of the Magi and their humility, tenacity, intelligence and perseverance, and also to their shrewdness in recognising the need to return by a different route. During the vigil, the pope pointed out that the Magi learned that “God’s ways are not as we imagine them or as we might wish them to be. God does not enter into competition with earthly powers in this world. (…) God is different − this is what they now come to realise. And it means that they themselves must now become different, they must learn God’s ways.” “The Magi from the East are just the first in a long procession of men and women who have constantly tried to gaze upon God’s star in their lives, going in search of God who has drawn close to us and shows us the way.”

All of the Holy Father’s speeches at WYD in Cologne: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/travels/2005/outside/documents/cologne-wyd2005.html

Summary based on the data sheet published by frontierarieti.com, organ of the Diocese of Rieti.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2013)

Date: 23-28 July 2013

Pontificate: Pope Francis

Theme: “Go and make disciples of all nations!” (cf. Matthew 28:19)

Song: Esperança do Amanhecer (Hope at dawn)

WYD 2013 provided an occasion for the world to get to know Pope Francis, the new head of the Catholic Church. He immediately emphasised the availability and welcome that Jesus reserves for everyone, as long as their heart is open and willing. A life defined by love, patience and expectation is the key to building a different and better society, the kind called for by Pope Paul VI at the close of the Vatican Council. The message was written by Pope Benedict XVI, and he quoted from Pope Paul VI’s message to young people in 1965 when closing the Council. “… it is you who are to receive the torch from the hands of your elders (…). It is you who, taking up the best of the example and the teaching of your parents and your teachers, will shape the society of tomorrow. You will either be saved or perish with it.” The invitation is therefore to build a better society, capable of giving due and limited weight to materialism and recognising the absolute value of love, the only way on which to build union between people, for “the salvation of humanity depends on this, as well as the salvation of each of us”. He concludes by saying, “never forget that the first act of love that you can do for others is to share the source of our hope (…) do not be afraid to suggest an encounter with Christ to people of your own age. Ask the Holy Spirit for help. The Spirit will show you the way to know and love Christ even more fully, and to be creative in spreading the Gospel.” During the vigil, Pope Francis encouraged the young people there by saying, “Dear young people, please, do not be observers of life, but get involved. Immerse yourselves in the reality of life, as Jesus did”.

All of the Holy Father’s speeches at WYD in Rio de Janeiro: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/travels/2013/outside/documents/papa-francesco-gmg-rio-de-janeiro-2013.html

Summary based on the data sheet published by frontierarieti.com, organ of the Diocese of Rieti.