"Now I’ve understood"” “

We have just returned from Cologne and it is difficult to control or order our emotions, because the event was so great that it will remain unforgettable, lodged forever in our memory. Probably the youth coming from Eastern Europe were less numerous, but they had a greater need than others to meet the Pope and their contemporaries from all over the world. One Bulgarian youngster said he was profoundly moved: never in his whole life had he seen such a diversity of religious groups and movements. “Now – he said – I’ve understood what the Church is” . Like him, all the Bulgarian youth at Cologne yearned to form part of a large family that leaves no one on his own, because it is founded on the love of He who gave his life for others. It was wonderful to look at those exhausted faces of the young returning from Marienfeld: no matter how exhausted, as soon as they met another group they found the strength to greet them and exchange smiles and flags. Undoubtedly the Pope’s words will remain impressed in our hearts and all of us will have a far clearer idea of what it means to worship. We won’t let ourselves be deceived by facile illusions. The days in Cologne, though characterised in part by the precariousness that forms part of every genuine pilgrimage, have made us understand that the difficulties of life need to be tackled with patience, serenity and faith. “Freedom does not mean enjoying life”, Benedict XVI pointed out. And we were reminded of the words of John Paul II at WYD in Rome in 2000: “It’s Jesus you seek when you dream of happiness”. Strong and demanding words that touched the heart of the young. This sense of communion with the Pope and with the Church also increased the faith of the youth of Eastern Europe who live in situations of minority. An important contribution to this growth in faith was also made by the bishops during the catechesis. The idea of united Europe also found a place in the thoughts of the youth of Eastern Europe, since Cologne is at the heart of the Old Continent and close to the institutional seats of the EU. They understood that Europe can be a beacon of peace and justice if they too, the youth of Eastern Europe, in helping to construct it, be able like the Magi to follow the star that leads to Christ, who is truth, freedom and happiness.