With the pace of the youth

“Each WYD disproves the myth that the youth are disinterested in the Church and in Christ”, said Msgr. César Franco, auxiliary bishop of Madrid and general coordinator of the World Youth Day 2011 (Madrid, August 16-21), in an interview released by the Social Communications office of the WYD in Madrid, which is less than a year away.The reasons to participate. For the prelate “there are many reasons to participate in the WYD. I would tell a young person that with his presence the Church is younger and that he is ‘more Church’. I would encourage him to participate in order to fully live his being ‘Catholic’, i.e. universal. If he is a believer I would encourage him to share his faith and his life with others; if he is a tepid believer, he will be more fortified when he leaves; if he has little faith, I am sure that he will encounter Christ, who will see him, love him and increase his faith. And if he is not a believer that he may open his doors to Christ that ceaselessly looks for us”. What will be the impact of the WYD on the Spanish Church? Msgr. Franco, says that although he is “not a prophet”, he believes that the Church in Spain “will emerge fortified and animated by the witness of the youth, who follow Christ despite environmental difficulties, they trust Him and remain faithful to Him. In all those places where the World Youth Day was celebrated the Church recovered faith in herself, vocations for priesthood and religious life were reborn while the myth that the youth are disinterested in Christ and his Church was disproved”.The future of the Church. “The youth – the prelate explained – are very dear to the Church. They represent the future in all areas of life; they are also the future of the Church. The Church believes in the potentials of the youth, in their potential of self-giving and their capacity to love Christ when they find Him”. Furthermore, the World Youth Days are “an occasion for world youth to meet, pray, share their faith and celebrate it in joy. The Days are the manifestation of the youth of the Church, a feast of faith around the Resuscitated Christ”. When asked why the WYD is itinerating, Msgr. Franco explained, “The Church is Catholic, universal. She is not confined to a Country, a culture or a language. With the Pentecost the Church became manifest to all populations. This is why it is encouraged for these encounters to take place in different dioceses. What is confessed in the faith becomes visible, namely, that the Church is called to be present in all populations and calling to unity in the single People of God. This is one of the special graces received when attending the Days. Catholic tradition. At the WYD “each Country contributes its own richness, its history, its tradition. Faith is one, with no doubt. But each people contributes with their own particularity, and its own background, to faith. In Spain, for example, the Holy Week is also lived in the streets; with processions. We have an important artistic heritage”, such as the so-called “passi” ( groups of sculptures portraying scenes from the Passion of Christ), which “we intend to put on view in the great Via Crucis the Pope will officiate. Spain is also marked by rich Eucharistic and Marian tradition. In the youth’s vigil the Monstrance of Arfe”, by concession of the diocese of Toledo, “will be displayed during the Eucarist”. These examples show that Spain “is a nation with a rich and thriving Catholic tradition that dates back to the origins of Christianity”. “The WYD Patron Saints are an example of this – pointed out the auxiliary bishop of Madrid – to acknowledge the contribution of Spain, in the past and for the future”.Everything is important. When asked whether it is not more important to invest the economic and human resources in the construction of Churches or in Church’s commitment for vocations, the WYD general coordinator replied, “In the Church we have to do everything. In Madrid, in concrete, we never ceased building churches over the past years and we will continue to do so provided it is necessary. We are also involved in pastoral vocational activity, in the evangelizing mission inside and outside our dioceses. We give thrust to the engagement in social communication media. And we carry out major work with the diocesan Caritas. The situation of Madrid is similar to that of all other dioceses. These encounters are necessary for the evangelizing mission of the Church and thus they are carried out with everyone’s help. Our people are aware of this”. Indeed, “everything that the Church does to develop her mission is important”. Odor Christi. According to Msgr. Franco the WYDs “leave the ‘fragrance of Christ’ in the venues where they are celebrated. It’s a common experience and everyone, even the non-believers, are impressed by the joy of the young, by their positive actions”. Initial diffidence “soon gives way to widespread happiness”. The youth arrive “as pilgrims in quest” of “God, Christ, and eternal life”. This is “the impact I hope the youth will have on Madrid, that of a youth on the way towards God, leaving the good fragrance of Christ behind them”.