The St. Lawrence International Center and the Shalom Community held the “Festival of Hope” to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first youth meeting with Pope Wojtyla in St. Peter’s Square, the seed of World Youth Day.
On April 13 and 14, the “Festival of Hope” was held at the St. Lawrence International Youth Center (CSL) to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first meeting of young people in St. Peter’s Square, convened with St. John Paul II during the Holy Year of the Redemption in 1984.
In homage and remembrance of this moment that later gave rise to the World Youth Days (WYD), on Saturday, April 13, the Youth Cross, a gift of St. John Paul II, was once again carried in procession through St. Peter’s Square to the St. Lawrence Center by young people from different cultures who joyfully sang the hymns of the various editions of WYD.
“YOUNG PEOPLE IN LOVE WITH CHRIST”
At the St. Lawrence Center, the celebration of the Holy Mass was presided over by Card. Tolentino, of Portuguese origin, who emphasized the importance of World Youth Day in the life of the Church and the inspiration of St. John Paul II who dreamed of a youth in love with Christ.
“Living WYD is an indispensable moment in the life of the Church. In Lisbon we saw young people as protagonists of the missionary life of the Church. Christ is the center of history, falling in love with Christ is the center of Christianity. Christ makes the difference, he is decisive in people’s lives. St. John Paul II, when he convoked WYD, dreamed of a youth in love with Christ”, he affirmed.
“RISE UP”
After the celebration, all the participants had a moment of adoration and intercession with the protagonism of young people from the five continents who prayed for other young people and for peace. Afterwards, they were invited to approach the cross and touch it, renewing their response and adherence to the spirit of WYD.
“THE CROSS IS OUR PEACE”
On Sunday, April 14, the anniversary of the first meeting of young people in St. Peter’s Square, which took place on April 14, 1984, Holy Mass was presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy. Lazarus You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy and of Korean origin, host of the next WYD to be held in 2027 in Seoul.
“I convey to you the affectionate greetings of the Holy Father who asks for your prayers, that we pray for him and accompany him in his mission. Let us always be men of peace, let us pray together for peace in the world, being men and women of peace, living the word of God with the grace of the Holy Spirit, this is our vocation. St. John Paul II gave young people the cross because the cross is our peace”, stressed the Korean Cardinal who also asked for prayers for his native country, without distinction of north or south, so that the Korean people may live more and more union and fraternity.
A HISTORIC MOMENT
The CSL recalls that the International Youth Jubilee was included in the program of the Holy Year of the Redemption close to Palm Sunday: it was April 14, 1984 and, on that occasion, three hundred thousand young people from all over the world came to the city, welcomed by about six thousand Roman families for the first youth meeting.
The wooden cross given to them by John Paul II became the symbol of successive WYDs. Since 2003, the cross has been joined by an icon of the Salus Populi Romani, again donated by John Paul II. Both symbols are kept at the St. Lawrence Center and go on pilgrimage to Catholic dioceses all over the world on the occasion of international World Youth Days, where they are always present.
María José Aguilar