Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Sydney (Agenzia Fides) – “They are days to remember. This is a good time to be Catholic. Tens of thousands of happy young people make the rest of the population happy too. All Sydney, and not just Catholic Sydney, has taken the pilgrims to their hearts. I see a city that has re-flourished”: These were the words of Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, in making a preliminary evaluation of the 23rd World Youth Day which has recently concluded.
The Archbishop showed his great joy and satisfaction for an event that has been met with success, that has made Sydney “the center of the world” for a few days, and that has given a substantial boost to the Christian message in Oceania.
Cardinal Pell thanked the pilgrims, volunteers, and members of the Australian Government, who have supported the WYD event and made it possible, as well as the people of Sydney, for their welcome to Benedict XVI and the youth from all over the world. All have given of themselves so that “the hand of God could write another chapter in Australia’s history.”
Even the weather, in spite of the predictions that called for rain all week, “has been perfect.” He mentioned that the police “have done a great job,” using “common sense and tact,” even with the special legislation adopted during such events as WYD and the Olympics. Certain events, he says, will remain imbedded in the city’s memory: “the Pope’s welcoming on the shores of Barangaroo, the Way of the Cross, the Vigil, the Closing Mass, and especially, the joy expressed in so many ways by so many youth.”
Among the numeric statistics mentioned by the Cardinal were: 400,000 pilgrims attended the Closing Mass at the Randwick Racecourse; youth from 170 nations participated in WYD; 8,000 volunteers worked on logistics and organization. The Archbishop mentioned that the event in Randwick had been the largest gathering of people in the history of Australia.
Another record was set in the transmission of the event: in addition to the official site available in 4 languages, www.wyd2008.org, which was among the most visited sites worldwide, there were other video-web services that offered images from the Vatican Television Center (CTV) of the Pope and other major international agencies, in addition to those in the news updates. The website www.wydcrossmedia.org, a joint media venture offering media coverage from several Catholic sources, has likewise offered a significant contribution with its many links. WYD was even given coverage on “YouTube” where, with over 3,000 active pages, has shown itself to be a worthwhile means of evangelization among the new forms of media. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 22/7/2008)
