Beyond Cologne” “

World Youth Day (WYD) was one of the issues discussed at this year’s Katholikentag, the congress of German Catholics, celebrated at Ulm from 16 to 20 June. The question was also testified by the presence of the WYD Cross in the nearby city of Baden-Württemberg during the event. Meanwhile preparations continue to make sure that Cologne 2005 is not a self-sufficient event and that its effects are enduring. The event is being prepared in close cooperation with organizations like BDKJ, the union of German Catholic youth, an umbrella organization representing all the Catholic youth associations in Germany. DAYS OF MEETING. A particular aspect of the next WYD, repeatedly underlined by its organizers, consists of the “Days of Meeting”, which will be held in the days preceding WYD itself in the places where foreign youngsters are to be given hospitality. It will be a form of hospitality combined with involvement in actual social projects, as explained to SIR by Father Georg Austen, WYD secretary in Cologne: “On the one hand, these days will be an opportunity not only to demonstrate hospitality but also to show the various general conditions in which our youth ministry works: there are dioceses where the Catholic presence is strong, others where we live in a “diaspora” situation, or where Christians are few. On the other hand, it’s important that the Mass, catechesis, liturgy and preaching be complemented with events that send out a strong signal to the outside world, with an invitation to get involved in social work, something that is already being done in our associations. If the project works, in a single day throughout Germany, the hosts and their guests will be able to give a sign by realizing thousands of social projects. In this way the role of the Church today will be made manifest for others to see. For us, an important objective of WYD is to demonstrate the task of contemporary Christians in the world, also as a challenge for the future”. On the problems of the youth ministry in Germany, Father Austen says: “What we often see is the indifference of many young people, indifferent also in their values. But WYD should also become an important occasion to tackle the question of young adults over the age of 25: for them does the faith mean something, are they involved in the Church? It’s a new task for us. So the WYD must not be an oasis. It must be referred to what already exists, and projected into the future. In preparing for WYD we cannot limit ourselves to these few days, which we hope will be wonderful, but must also think of others fields of life that will be touched by WYD – for example schools”. AN EVENT THAT LEAVES ITS MARK . During the Katholikentag in Ulm, Msgr. Franz—Josef Bode, chairman of the youth ministry commission of the German Bishops’ Conference, spoke at a forum held on 19 June about the potential of WYD to support the spiritual growth of the young. Bishop Bode admitted he was not particularly inclined to big rallies of this kind, but had changed his mind, because “the masses, the talks and the catechesis will ensure that something happens in the young”. He himself – he added – had noted that the young of his own diocese of Osnabrück had returned from the last WYD “more open towards the Church and more willing to speak of their religious experiences”. At the same time, Bode urged that Cologne 2005 should not be “merely a festivity round the Pope”: “the great event must have longer-term effects”. Only thus shall the WYD have positive consequences for the German youth ministry as a whole. EVERYONE HELPS. Also in Ulm, on 18 June, Bishop Bode, Heiner Koch, general secretary of WYD in Cologne, and FATHER Andreas Mauritz, federal president of the BDKJ, explained the role of cooperation in preparations for the event at a press conference. The various speakers at the colloquium emphasised, in particular, the close cooperation between the office of the WYD and the BDKJ and the common objective of ensuring that WYD becomes a lasting project and a good opportunity for youth ministry. Msgr. Bode said he was optimistic on this point, given the “great commitment of all the youth organizations, groups and associations participating”, and praised the liaison between diocesan leaders and delegates of German youth apostolate. In particular, he said, “the day of social commitment and the days of meeting demonstrate yet again that the liturgy and the realization of the faith as concrete action in society are indivisible”. Father Mauritz, for his part, praised “the great commitment made by Catholic youth associations in the preparation and realization of WYD”, especially as regards the “meeting centres” that will be set up by the associations and the BDKJ to provide social content and information. An appropriate initiative in preparation for WYD is the action “Magnifikat”, launched this summer: Mary’s hymn of praise in Luke’s Gospel will spiritually accompany the young on the road to WYD.