” “More than 110 thousand Italian young people are arriving in Cologne to participate in the 20th World Youth Day, of these 80 thousand registered through the National Service for the Pastoral for Youth of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, while the others registered through the various associations and movements. A press release issued today by the Social Communications Office of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI) reports that 20% of the Italians (20,000 young people) have established a twinning relationship with German dioceses. Of the 800 thousand who have registered through the SNPG almost 16 thousand come from Lombardy, in particular from the Archdiocese of Milan. Then comes the Triveneto group (9600), Emilia Romagna (around 8 thousand), Tuscany (almost 4 thousand) and Sicily (some 2400). 12% (about 9600) is represented by Italians who are members of associations and movements. A fifth of the participants has found accommodation with families. As the National Service, around 63 thousand will remain in Cologne for at least seven days, while almost 17 thousand will be taking part in the vigil and Mass with the Pope. More than a hundred Italian bishops are at the WYD, while 43 will be leading the catechesis in Cologne, Bonn, Dusseldorf, Grevenbroich and other towns in Germany. The Italian volunteers are some 800, of whom 250 have found accommodation at the Casa Italia, the "headquarters" of the Italians, that have been set up in collaboration with the Civil Protection Department.
