Between faith and culture” “

The official announcement of the journey to Pope BenedICT XVI to Germany between 18 and 21 August to participate in WYD in Cologne came just two months before the start of the event. Meanwhile, the official website of WYD – www.wjt.de – is being filled with information for the participants. Details of the rich programme of events planned from 15 to 21 August are also published on the site, though these are subject to variations due to the tireless work of the organizers to ensure that this will be an unforgettable WYD. And to commemorate the man who was the promoter of WYD, JOHN PAUL II , a gigantic collage is being prepared with the message “Thank You JPII!”: composed of photos of people from all over the world, it will be displayed in front of Cologne Cathedral during WYD. Anyone may send in their own digital photo and receive a link to identify his/her own contribution to the mosaic. “With this collage we want to demonstrate that love is stronger than death and that the message of John Paul II continues to live in countless people”, declared Ingo Brüggenjürgen, Lutz Langel and Ralf Walter , who thought up the idea. The aim is also to recall the spiritual father of WYD. The collage, which will portray the Pope who recently died, will be composed of a mosaic of photographs of people from all over the world. Anyone who wants to contribute his/her own photograph to the mosaic can follow the instructions on the Web page: http://www.thank-you-jpii.net/. CULTURAL WYD. The various offers arranged for the participants are described on the official website of WYD. Apart from the spiritual aspect, expressed by wide-ranging liturgical programme comprising moments of song and prayer, occasions to celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation, catechesis and Masses, Cologne 2005 will be the occasion for cultural exchange, mutual enrichment, dialogue and meeting, not only in Cologne, but in various other cities of the region, such as Düsseldorf and Bonn, to ensure the involvement of those youth who cannot be offered accommodation in Cologne itself. “Building bridges between people and continents, overcoming the constraints of languages and frontiers, and showing the host country, Germany, in all its cultural variety”: these are the objectives of the German WYD, enunciated by the organizers on the official website. To this end, numerous cultural festivals are on the programme: first, the “ Welcome! Festival“, planned in Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bonn on the evening of 15 August, which intend to present the host region to the young from all over the world with performances by famous and not so famous artists. The international festival “ Bridging the World” will be held on the evening of 18 August to welcome the arrival of the Pope and will include performances by artists from all over the world as a sign of solidarity: the festival was in fact organized in collaboration with Germany’s leading aid organizations Misereor, Missio, Renovabis, Adveniat, the German Association of the Holy Land, the mission-aid society for children “Die Sternsinger” and the Federal Association of the BDJK. Nor is that all: on 17 August, in Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bonn, the young visitors are invited to participate in “ musical picnics“, staged in the meadows along the banks of the Rhine, in the parks and other green areas. The selection of music at these al fresco concerts is wide: from classical to rock. The important thing is to be together. The three main cities hosting the main events of WYD will also be the venues of another important cultural event “ Culture in the City“: over 200 persons of all ages are offering their services gratis as guides to enable the young to get to know their own city. There will also be open-air film shows in Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bonn, including an evening devoted to the screening of films emphasizing themes close to the heart of the young and inseparably bound up with the spirit and aims of WYD – justice, peace, faith, ecumenism. But the cultural WYD will especially be a myriad different exhibitions and performances in various places and situations: from the big stage to the small theatre, from church halls to city squares, where not only famous artists, but the young themselves will be called to participate and make their own contribution. WYD AND dialogue. Numerous events dedicated to debate and the analysis of social issues are also planned during WYD in Cologne. The young have been invited to propose themes for discussion and to make their own contribution by enrolling on begegnung@wjt2005.de. And to meet religious belonging to various communities, and get to know the aims and actions of Christian associations and movements, the religious orders will invite the young to visit the centres set up in Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf from 16 to 19 August.