(from our correspondents in Sydney) "The massive Italian presence at Sydney is a significant sign, given the distance, of the enthusiasm typical of our young compatriots", said the President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, on meeting the journalists of the Italian media that are following WYD at a news conference in Sydney today. "Their joy declared Bagnasco is not superficial and testifies to a world of strong and genuine values. I have seen a city in which the atmosphere is heating up in view of the imminent arrival of Benedict XVI". Referring to WYD, the Cardinal emphasized "the surprising continuity that this event, ever since the wonderful intuition of John Paul II, whose brainchild it was, has on the young, since it leaves values that have long-term repercussions on their lives. WYD he concluded has a positive strength in proposing values that are expressed in everyday life and also in the Church".
