Every three years, the pope and hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world gather in a chosen city to celebrate and deepen their faith at a World Youth Day pilgrimage. This year World Youth Day takes place in Madrid, Spain. The theme for the event is "Rooted and built up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith". Lasting from August 16 to 21, 2011, World Youth Day will give pilgrims the opportunity to celebrate Mass with Pope Benedict XVI, listen to though- provoking reflections from great theologians, process through the Stations of the Cross, learn about their brothers and sisters from around the planet, and more.
On this webpage we will give you daily updates from World Youth Day in Madrid (with photos and videos whenever possible). We hope that you enjoy them and that they give you a sense of what it is like to be a part of this great pilgrimage.
August 15, 2011
Over the last few days and also today, young men and women from many countries around the planet have been arriving in Madrid and settling into their lodgings. Tomorrow is the first day of World Youth Day. For many of the pilgrims this will be their first World Youth Day experience ever. If you are also just learning about World Youth Day, the above video will give you a sense of the pilgrimage's history and what it is like to be there in person.
Many World Youth Day pilgrims have been landing at Madrid's Barajas Airport over the last few days
Young men and women from Franciscan parishes around the planet
will also join the World Youth Day celebrations
(Source of photographs on webpage and homepage: wikipedia.org; St. Bonaventure Parish, Toronto; and WYD 2011.)
August 16, 2011
The British Broadcasting Corporation has estimated that at a minimum 1 million pilgrims have come to Madrid for World Youth Day. Pope Benedict XVI will arrive in Madrid on Thursday. Today, however, the pilgrims celebrated Opening Mass in the Plaza de Cibeles. Hundreds of thousands were in attendance. Also, hundreds of bishops, archbishops, and cardinals as well as thousands of priests led the celebration. The entire Mass was dedicated to Blessed Pope John Paul II. Cardinal Antonio Rouco Varela of Madrid pointed out that the late pontiff had been a pope for the young and that the young are the future of the Church.
You can view the Opening Mass in the video above.
Today, we also have a Franciscan event to let you know about. Pilgrims staying at the Colegio San Buenaventura had the opportunity this evening to participate in an event called Witness of the Life of St. Francis. Francis like all the WYD pilgrims was very excited about his faith.
August 17, 2011
The Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid
After breakfast, World Youth Day pilgrims headed to various locales in Madrid for catechesis sessions in their own languages. Bishops from many different countries spoke to the pilgrims. The sessions focused on our relationship with the Lord. We must continue reaching out to Him. Live music and the celebration of Mass only added to the excitement of the catechesis sessions.
World Youth Day in Madrid also has a cultural component. Today pilgrims had a chance to take in plays, concerts, and tours of museums. The Museo Nacional del Prado and the Museo Reina Sofía hold some of the world’s most amazing art treasures. The Teatro Real de Madrid puts on renowned and beautiful operas, ballets, and other performances. It is also a short walk across the Plaza de Oriente from the Palacio Real.
Friar Marco Tasca (centre)
Pilgrims from Franciscan parishes finished today off with the Festival of Joy. On the schedule was a meeting with Ministers General from the entire Franciscan family, including Friar Marco Tasca, the Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual.
(Sources of all related images on webpage and homepage: www.francescani.net and http://upload.wikimedia.org.)
August 18 and 19, 2011
On Thursday, August 18, Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Madrid by airplane, landing at Barajas Airport. King Juan Carlos I of Spain and his wife Queen Sofia met the pontiff as he disembarked his Alitalia aircraft. Pope Bendict XVI will be in Spain for four days. In the above video you can watch a report on his address to thousands of young World Youth Day pilgrims in the Plaza de Cibeles. The address took place on Thursday in the evening and encouraged the eager pilgrims to embrace God.
Today - Friday, August 19 - Pope Benedict XVI visited the Monastery of St. Lorenzo de El Escorial - not far from Madrid - and spoke with a gathering of women religious and academics. Here he stressed the importance of faith in an age of relativism.
August 20 and 21, 2011
On Saturday morning - the second last day of the World Youth Day pilgrimage - Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass with seminarians at the Almudena Cathedral. As the day progressed thousands upon thousands of pilgrims made their way to Madrid's Cuatro Vientos Airport. They occupied the open field at the airport and listened to live music and faith testimonials from the stage. The pilgrims also prayed to the Virgin. Later that day, they participated in Eucharistic Adoration with Pope Benedict XVI. His Holiness also spoke to the pilgrims.
On the final day of the World Youth Day pilgrimage - Sunday, August 21 - Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass at Cuatro Vientos. Thousands of bishops and priests concelebrated with the pontiff. At Cuatro Vientos, after the Mass finished, Pope Benedict XVI announced that the next World Youth Day will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2013.
Before returning to Rome from Barajas Airport this evening, Pope Benedict XVI traveled to the IFEMA Fairgrounds and met with many World Youth Day volunteers. At Barajas Airport, Spain held a departure ceremony for pope. You can watch this ceremony in the video for this diary entry.
