"I ask everyone to pray with me in the apostolic pilgrimage I will start tomorrow to take part in the World Youth Day in Cologne. It is an important ecclesial event that we all hope will bear plenty of spiritual fruits for the whole Church, which relies a lot on the commitment and the evangelical testimony of the young". These are the words spoken by Benedict XVI this morning at the end of the catechesis held in the inner courtyard of the Bishops Palace in Castel Gandolfo, on the subject of freedom (Psalm 125). As he greeted the devotees in different languages, the Pope asked them "to pray for the young people of the world", and added: "On the eve of my departure for the World Youth Day in Cologne, I wish all of you, in the wake of the three Wise Men, may be the genuine worshippers of God and give him pride of place in your life and become the fervent witnesses of His love of all men".
