In his audience of 11 January Benedict XVI met a delegation of eight Dutch youth who presented to him a letter on behalf of all the Catholics of the country. The Pope expressed his esteem and his enthusiasm: “I am delighted by the renewal that’s taking place among Dutch youth”, he said, imparting his blessing to the youngsters in conclusion. Apart from the letter, the youth delegation also presented the Pope with a DVD with the images of the 1st Catholic Youth Day held at Niewegein in the Netherlands on 27 November. To mark the occasion Benedict XVI had sent a telegram in which he wrote that the Day was a fine signal for Dutch society, signifying that “you are not afraid of saying that you are Christians and that you wish to come out into the open”. In their reply, the young people said they were happy about initiatives like that of Niewegein or that of WYD in Cologne that “enable them to deepen their own faith and also to adapt it with enthusiasm to their own environment. The meeting of 27 November represented a sign of the conviction and sincerity of the growing number of young people within the Catholic Church in Holland”. The group, led by Monsignor de Jong, delegate of the Dutch Bishops’ Conference for youth ministry, represented a delegation of the organization and representatives of the two youth days in 2005. After the audience the delegation was received by the Dutch ambassador to the Holy See, Monique Frank, participated in a celebration in St. Peter’s and paid a visit to the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
