Following the star” “

The logo for 20th World Youth Day was presented in Cologne on 12 June, thus marking the start of an intense phase of preparations for that event, which is to be held in the same German city from 11 to 21 August 2005. According to early estimates more than 800 thousand young people will attend. The logo may be consulted at the site of the German Episcopal Conference (www.dbk.de), at the site of the diocese of Cologne (www.erzbistum-koeln.de), at the site promoted by the Italian Episcopal Conference’s national office for the pastoral care of youth (Giovani.org), and at old.agensir.it Wyd and European youth. “Cologne is a very important city for all Europe, especially in this period when there is such lively discussion about the future of the continent and its Christian roots. And youth has a fundamental role in this discussion, especially Christian youth. In 2005, we will have the opportunity to offer our sentiments to God as young Europeans for the future of Europe”. With these words, Cardinal Francis Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, presented the forthcoming WYD Cologne 2005 from the portal for young Catholics: www.korazym.org. “The pilgrimage to Cologne”, the Cardinal affirmed, “will give them an opportunity to reflect and to discuss the future of this great continent with its Christian past. Young people will be the leaders of the future and this event will give them a great opportunity for reflection”. Making reference to the debate concerning the Christian roots of Europe, mention of which is absent in the Preamble to the European Constitutional Treaty, Msgr. Stafford went on, “post-modern culture calls us to forget the past, but Christianity is a faith of memory.” And he concluded: “Cologne has a great tradition for Christian pilgrims and is an essential part of the birth and growth of European Christianity. Young people will carry the burden of the war in Iraq to Cologne. It will be a moment to reflect on the changes in the world, in the hope that such wars may cease”. The preparations. “Our 15-person team has been at work since 6 January this year. The first phase concluded in Rome on Palm Sunday when our Canadian friends delivered the World Youth Day cross to us. From Cologne, the cross is being taken through various European countries”. These are the words of Matthias Kopp, head of the WYD press office, explaining the preparations for 2005. “From next week,” he declared, “the WYD site (www.wjt2005.de) will be active, and will be regularly updated with all news concerning the preparations. For us, the experience of earlier Wyds in Paris, Rome and Toronto, as well as the recent Kirchentag in Berlin, represent a good starting point, especially as regards logistical matters. We have sent an e-mail to the more than 14 thousand German parishes, inviting them to welcome the young people who will arrive. We are relying heavily on the contribution of German families and their parishes. Furthermore, each of our 27 dioceses has appointed a Wyd delegate to participate in the quarterly organisational meetings. We are expecting more than 20 thousand Wyd volunteers, both from our dioceses and from abroad”. The logo. A cross and a star with the stylised images of a church, a boat and the letter ‘C’. These are the elements of the logo of the 20th Wyd of Cologne, the work of a young German designer, Jörg Zimmermann. In the logo, Jesus is represented “by the Cross. The colour red signifies love, passion and suffering. The star is a sign to indicate the fact that God guides us. The star aims to guide the youth of the world towards Wyd in Cologne in 2005. The tail represents the trajectory of the star which comes from God and bursts into the restricted horizon of earthly existence. The location of Wyd is represented by Cologne cathedral where the relics of the Three Wise Men are venerated. The red of the cathedral associates the Church with the Cross. Through the Church, the Crucified and Risen Christ is present in the history of the world”. Finally, the elliptical curve which, “with the stylised form of a ‘C’, stands for Christ and the universal communion of the Church ( communio)”. The curve opens towards the Cross to which Christians are called to turn, as suggested by the theme of 20th World Youth Day chosen by John Paul II: “We have come to adore him” (Mt 2, 2). The lower part of the arch leads one to think of the River Rhine and a boat: the idea of the Church as a boat recalls Noah’s saving Ark. The colour blue, symbolising water, recalls baptism”.