Madrid (Fides Service) - Pope John Paul II will make his fifth visit, to Spain, Madrid May 3 and 4. The main events of the visit will be a meeting with young Spaniards on Saturday 3 May and the celebration of Mass with the canonisation of five new Saints on Sunday 4 May. The five saints are: Pedro Poveda Castroverde, José María Rubio y Peralta, Genoveva Torres Morales, Sister Angela of the Cross and Mother of the Wonders of Jesus.
The motto chosen to prepare Spain's Catholics for the visit is "You will be my witnesses" (Acts 1,8). The Standing Commission of the Bishops' Conference explains the choice: "Twenty years after his first visit to Spain the Pope, with his example of life put at the service of the Gospel and humanity, comes to remind us of the Lord's commandment to be his witnesses in the world". In preparation for the event the Spanish Bishops' Conference has issued a hand book with a Message in view of the visit, four themes for adult and youth catechesis, a model for a prayer vigil, information on the five new Saints and also on the Papal visit.
The archdiocese of Madrid has issued a Message for Young People calling them to take part in the meeting with the Pope. The Archbishop says: "The Pope wants to take part in a prayer vigil with you…come to the appointment…Christ relies on you to help the Church, of which you are members, to walk towards the future animated with your generous self-giving". The Bishops' Conference expects that some 300,000 young people will attend the meeting in Madrid, already 1,500 volunteers have applied to help during the event.
The Bishops' Conference has a web page www.sereimistestigos.com for information and another site www.conelpapa.com run by Fr Javier Cremades, head of the visit's Commission for Welcome and Accommodation. Initiatives organised by the commission include: a 12 hour "Super Marathon for the Pope" from 10am to 10pm on April 12; on May 3, the day of the Pope's arrival, a relay race from the airport to the Nunciature where the Pope will stay the night; groups of volunteers are going from house to house to tell people about the Papal visit and to encourage everyone, especially the sick, to pray and offer little sacrifices so that the visit may bear fruit.
In view of the visit the Pontifical Mission Societies in Spain have also opened a special web page www.omp.es/Secciones/Juanpablo.htm with various testimonies on the Pope. One of them is by Fr Vicente Jimenez Zamora vicar general of Osma Soria diocese: "The thing that strikes me most about Pope John Paul II is his affirmation of the truth about humanity and important questions such as defence of life from its beginning to end, human rights, justice, peace today threatened by wars, the person, whose foundation is in God. Today the voice of Pope John Paul II is the most authoritative in the world in favour of the cause of man". SR (Fides Service 14/4/2003 EM lines 38 Words: 518)