Two Million Attend World Youth Day Vigil
ROME, AUGUST 19 (ZENIT.org).- Two million youths from around the world, representing hundreds of countries, races, and cultures, gave John Paul II the greatest surprise of this Jubilee of the Year 2000. They arrived to be with the Pope, after walking dozens of kilometers (some 800 needed medical attention), under an implacable sun, with temperatures that soared to 100 degrees in the shade, with at least 85% humidity. Without realizing it, each one became a protagonist of the largest mass meeting ever held in the Eternal City.
The delirium began when the Pontiff's helicopter landed in the immense Tor Vergata field, on the outskirts of Rome. The Pope wanted to travel the 300 hectares in the Popemobile, so that he could greet the youths from close up. Shouts and applause followed him for several minutes. When he went up to the platform and saw the spectacle of color and joy, tears came to his eyes. After drying them with his hand, he spurred the youths on by following the rhythm of their cries with his hand.
There were handicapped youths and young people from extremely poor nations and countries at war next to the Pope's platform. They were able to participate in this unique event thanks to the solidarity of World Youth Day participants, who donated $10 in solidarity, to cover the travel and accommodation expenses of the needy.
The vigil began with an invocation of the Apostles and martyrs. Short biographies were given of the various groups, some of which were only very recently canonized, such as the victims of the Spanish Civil War and of religious persecution in Mexico. A large group of youths from various countries carried flaming lights to the foot of the cross to invoke the memory of these witnesses of faith.
The cross, which was as tall as a 6-story building, became the symbolic witness of the testimonies of 4 youths, which alternated with the participation of great artists from around the world. The first person to speak was Domingos, an Angolan youth, who talked about his forgiveness of his brother's killers in the ongoing 25-year war in his country. His parents had died before he even knew them, so his older brother was the head of the family. Still Domingos found the strength to forgive his brother's killers, and to pray for them.
Domingos was followed by Romanian Aurora, of the Byzantine Catholic Church, persecuted by the Communist regime. Aurora described the difficulties faced in participating in underground prayer meetings and in attending University. In one dramatic moment, she described an underground priestly ordination - only the bishop, the priest to be ordained, and two others were present.
The Vigil also gave voice to those on death row, when Italian Stefania spoke about her friendship and spiritual help to those awaiting execution in U.S. prisons, for most of whom John Paul II has officially appealed for clemency. She described her touching meeting in person with one prisoner, who told her it was the longest anyone had ever talked to him.
Finally, Massimiliano from Rome said that he was born into a society "where everything can be bought," "where I have everything." However, in this very opulent setting, he heard the call to give all to the poor and follow Christ. Massimiliano will strive for sanctity in the year 2,000 through his work with Rome's poor.
"New Martyrdom"
In his address, John Paul II asked a question that touches many youths: "Is it hard to believe in the Third Millennium?" The Pope's answer was clear: "Yes! It is hard. There is no need to hide it."
"Dear Friends: to believe in Jesus today, to follow Jesus as Peter, Thomas, and the first Apostles and witnesses did, demands of us, just as it did in the past, that we take a stand for him, at times almost to the point of a new martyrdom: the martyrdom of those who, today as yesterday, are called to go against the tide in order to follow the divine Master," he said.
At the beginning of the Holy Father's address, the youths were very quiet, but their concentration was shattered when the Mexicans present interrupted him with their typical cheers. All joined in and the Pope agreed good naturedly: "You are right; I have already spoken too long." From that point on, various groups broke in with cheers: "Giovanni Paolo!", "John Paul II: We Love You!", "Juan Pablo II, te quiere todo el mundo!"
However, the Pontiff continued his discourse to describe what martyrdom means today in a consumerist and hedonist society. "Perhaps you will not have to shed your blood, but you will certainly be asked to be faithful to Christ! A faithfulness to be lived in the circumstances of everyday life: I am thinking of how difficult it is in today's world for engaged couples to be faithful to purity before marriage. I think of how the mutual fidelity of young married couples is put to the test. I think of friendships and how easily the temptation to be disloyal creeps in," the Pope explained.
"I think, too, of those who work for peace and who see new outbreaks of war erupt and grow worse in different parts of the world; I think of those who work for human freedom and see people still slaves of themselves and of one another. I think of those who work to ensure love and respect for human life, and who see life so often attacked and the respect due to life so often flouted," the Holy Father added.
Papal Gift
John Paul II wanted to give youths a gift so that they can be the Christians of the Third Millennium, and that gift is the Gospel. "The word that it contains is the word of Jesus. If you listen to it in silence, in prayer, seeking help in understanding what it means for your life from the wise counsel of your priests and teachers, then you will meet Christ and you will follow him, spending your lives day by day for him!"
"In fact, it is Jesus you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal," he said to the youths, who held lit candles in their hands.
"Dear young people: You are not alone in the struggle against sin: so many like you are struggling and through the Lord's grace are winning!" the Holy Father exclaimed forcefully.
This is the great success of World Youth Day: a planetary meeting of Christian youths, all with the same problems and ideals. Very obvious in the crowd was a huge group of Chilean youths, all waving their flag. The remarkable thing was that the Argentinean youths were right beside them, despite the history of conflict between these two nations. One young man waved a pole with both the Chilean and the Argentinean flags.
Several times, the Holy Father improvised jokes, departing from his prepared text. As the cheers drew on, the Holy Father reached the point where he said the youths reminded him of "morning watchmen," and added, "That's because it's almost midnight already!"
The Pontiff concluded his address by improvising: "I have waited a long time to give you this message, to be able to be with you this evening and, then, tomorrow."
The Holy Father said that this meeting proves a Polish proverb. " 'If you live with youths, you will become young yourself.' I have been rejuvenated!" he confided.
"Rome will never forget this noise," the Pope said, alluding to the cries and songs during the Vigil before bidding the youths good night. Fireworks burst in the skies as the Holy Father finished his last sentence, close to 11:30.
Most of the youth will remain to "sleep" in the immense Tor Vergata field. As night fell, the atmosphere was one of celebration, although exhaustion was knocking at many doors: the vast majority of youths have spent the last four days sleeping on the floors of schools, parishes, and barracks. They walked for miles during one of Rome's weeks of unbearable heat. However, some were able to spend time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, exposed in a number of tents.
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