World Youth Day and new media
“The one in Krakow will be a social WYD. We are expecting two million young people. But when we think that each of them has at least 500 friends on social networks, reaching out to one billion people no longer appears as a utopia. Hundreds of millions of people can be reached by the message of mercy transmitted from Poland.” Fr Pawel Rytel Adrianik, spokesperson of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, thus described the upcoming World Youth Day scheduled to take place in the hometown of Saint John Paul II next July 26 – 31. Preparations are at full speed and for the first time the event will be attended by young people from South Sudan and Kosovo. Catecheses will be held for the first time also in Armenian and Cambodian
From the Salesian seminary, on the outskirts of Krakow, where a meeting dedicated to the WYD, promoted by the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) is under way, with over 50 participants, including journalists and delegates of European bishops’ conferences, the spokesperson of the Polish bishops Fr Pawel Rytel Adrianik, pointed out that “never before was there such a global diffusion on social networks, more than Madrid and Rio de Janeiro, where the last two WYD were held.
Thanks to social networks we will reach out to one billion people from Krakow.”
Large numbers. It is confirmed by numbers. The followers of the WYD in Madrid, in 2011, amounted to 400 thousand, one million for Rio de Janeiro in 2013.
Less than three months ahead of the event, Krakow’s WYD page in the world’s most famous social network, available in 20 world languages, counts over one and a half million followers.
And it’s not all. The Polish WYD Youtube channel counts 3. 2 million. In fact, the WYD-video has been viewed by over 3 million users to date. Twitter followers amount to 215 thousand, while those on Instagram and other social networks are growing. “It’s a hard job, coordinated by 250 volunteers who work 24 hours running to bring the message of the Day across the world, covering all time zones”, said Gustavo Huguenin, Brazilian, now living in Poland, coordinator of the social media sector. Next Thursday, May 19, will be launched the “app of the pilgrim” in nine languages, enabling participants to have at hand all useful information regarding logistics, organization, along with a tourist guide on the history of Krakow available on their smartphones. Polish organizers as well as several Bishops’ Conferences appear to have been also infected by the “social-network” dimension of the WYD. “The bishops of England and Wales – made known Fr Rytel Adrianik –are training 60 young people who will eventually post on social networks everything they will see and experience here in Poland in the days of the WYD. They will be witnesses of mercy, and thanks to the new technologies, they will travel beyond geographic and language borders. Free Wifi will be available throughout the City of Krakow.”
Registered participants, Italians lead the way. While the Polish City is polishing up in view of the arrival of Pope Francis and his young people, the local organizing Committee is busy preparing the areas for the reception of pilgrims across 44 Polish dioceses as well as the remaining initiatives that crown the papal program. “At present, 260 thousand reception centres are still available, 140 thousands have already been booked by groups of youths from 135 Countries taking part in the ‘Days in the dioceses’”, said WYD spokesperson Dorota Abdelmula. “During the days prior to the arrival of Pope Francis young pilgrims will be taking part in meetings, prayers, cultural initiatives, and for the first time in a WYD also sport events. We organized mini- football, basket and rugby tournaments, with over 100 registered teams to date.” The highlight of the Days remain the papal events, as shown, once again, by the numbers: 500 thousand young people are expected for the opening Mass; 800thousand will welcome the Pope upon his arrival; 1 million at the Via Crucis, while two million pilgrims are expected to participate in Saturday’s prayer vigil and in the final Mass on Sunday. From July 26 to 31 Krakow will become the heart of Catholicism, with 283 areas for catecheses held in 31 languages, which include, for the first time, Armenian and Cambodian. In those days there will also be 1200 bishops, including all the members of the Slovakian Bishops’ Conference, 14 thousand priests and 25 thousand volunteers in charge of coordinating the pilgrims. 573 thousand have registered to date. Italians are the largest group, with 79.456 youths accompanied by 128 bishops. But here in Krakow 120 thousand more are expected to arrive. The Spaniards trail behind with 37.909 young pilgrims and 53 bishops, followed by France, 34.226 with 79 bishops, and US, 23.234 and 87 bishops. Among the groups participating for the first time figure South Sudan and Kosovo. Significant presence of Palestinian pilgrims – not new to the World Youth Day – for the first time recorded under the heading “State of Palestine”, as underlined by the spokesperson.
Spiritual preparation. Logistic preparations go hand in hand with spiritual ones. “Next week – said Abdelmula –the pilgrimage of WYD symbols will arrive in Krakow, after having covered 12 thousand kilometres. The cross and icon of Mary will remain here until the end of July. In these months of progress and meetings in homes, parishes, schools, hospitals and prisons, we have witnessed many confessions and conversions.
The WYD will be the Jubilee of young people, following the invitation of Pope Francis. It will be a mirror that will reflect the merciful face of the Father” and, added Fr Rytel Adrianik “also the smiling and courageous face of the young generations.”
As accurately explained by Fr Emil Furtak, representative of the Organizing Committee: “the WYD is meant to be a personal encounter with Jesus, with his Mercy. Reconciliation will be central. The people of Mercy are the brave ones, capable of serving and opening up to the poor, to those who are excluded. Today’s Europe, indifferent to the cry of the poor, of the migrants, needs mercy. And most of all, Europe needs God.”
