“In Greece, it’s as if we were living in an island. The mass media don’t speak of this World Youth Day explains Bishop Francesco Papamanolis of Syros, Santorini and Crete and head of the youth apostolate in Greece but perhaps when the Pope arrives in Toronto some television channel, some news bulletin, will devote a few seconds to reporting the event”. In effect, continues Bishop Papamanolis, interviewed by SirEurope, “only the Catholic Church is speaking about the WYD in Toronto and more particularly those involved in youth apostolate. We don’t even have the facilities to make our voice heard by Catholic youth, who are scattered all over Greece. The risk is that for many young people the great event of the world meeting of youth with the Pope will be passed over in silence”. However this situation does not entirely discourage Catholic youngsters in Greece or the animators of the youth apostolate. “We’ve translated into Greek the Pope’s message for WYD points out the bishop and had it distributed to all youth last year, on the occasion of the feast of Christ the King, patron of Catholic youth in Greece. This message was reflected and commented on in the various youth communities. Ever since last November all youngsters have been invited to take part in WYD in Toronto. Unfortunately only twenty of them were able to depart for Canada, accompanied by a priest from Syros”. But the reason for the scarce participation is largely economic: “Although they were economically helped by the Pontifical Council for the Laity and by our dioceses he explains the costs of travel remain prohibitively high for our youth”. On their return what will those who succeeded in participating in the Toronto event do? “On previous occasions replies Bishop Papamanolis the young who participated in WYD have translated the Pope’s addresses and prepared comments which were published by our papers. They animated prayer groups, and recounted their experiences”.
