The World Youth Day Cross
One of the legacies that Pope John Paul 11 has given to the world has
been his ability to dialogue with young people. He established the World
Youth Days as an occasion for young people to gather from different parts
of world and to celebrate their faith.
One of the most recognisable symbols of World Youth Day is the World Youth
Day Cross.Millions of young people have seen it at large Catholic youth
events. Hundreds of thousands have touched it, carried it and even kissed it.
During the Holy Year of 1983, Pope John Paul 11 felt that there should be
a Cross, the symbol of our faith, near the main altar in St Peter's Basilica
where everyone could see it. A large wooden cross, 3.8 metres high was placed
there for the whole year. At the end of the Holy Year, after the Pope had
closed the Holy Door, he gave this cross, as a gift to the youth of the world,
"My dear young people, at the conclusion of the Holy, Year, I
entrust to you the sign of this Jubilee Year: the Cross of Christ!
Carry it throughout the world as a symbol of Christ's love for
humanity and announce to everyone that only in the death and
resurrection of Christ can we find salvation and redemption."
Rome, 22 April 1984.
Young people from around the world accepted and responded to the Popes request.
It's first pilgrimage was to Germany for Katholikentag - Catholic Day. Over
the next couple of years young people took the Cross to Lourdes and Paray-le-Monial
in France. It was also taken to Prague, which was behind the Iron Curtain,
at the request of the Pope, carried by young people as a symbol of unity
with the Pope.
In 1986 the Cross was present at the Rome celebration of the First World
Youth Day. Over subsequent years it would travel to Poland, Spain, Argentina,
America for World Youth Day's. In 1996 it went to Manila in the Philippians.
Millions of people attended the final ceremony. At the vigil, the Pope said,
"The pilgrim Cross passes from one continent to another and young
people everywhere come to together to witness together that Jesus
Christ is the same for each one, and that his message is always
the same. In him there are no divisions, no ethnic rivalry no
social discrimination."
In each country that the Cross has visited, it travelled from cities to
towns, parish to prayer group. Young people took charge of the cross,
spending time in prayer with it and encouraging young people to do the
same. In 1996 the Cross was given to the young people of France in
preparation for World Youth Day in Paris 1997. During that year it
visited over 90 dioceses and visiting many more groups. It also visited
the Netherlands and Berlin. It also way carried through the streets of
Paris during the lead up to World Youth Day.
In 1998 when the young people from France handed over to the young people
of Italy for the Jubilee World Youth Day, Pope John Paul told the young
Italians,
"My dear young people, today the message of the Cross is being
given to you again. You who will be the adults of third millennium
are entrusted with this Cross. It will shortly be passed on by a
group of French youth to a delegation of youth from Rome and Italy.
From Rome to Buenos Aires, from Buenos Aires to Santiago do Compostela,
to Jasna Góra to Denver, from Manila to Paris. This Cross has gone
on pilgrimage with young people from one country to another from
once continent to another. Young Christians, your choice is clear,
to discover in the Cross of Christ the meaning of your existence
and the source of your missionary enthusiasm."
The Cross then proceeded to journey around Italy in the build up the Jubilee
World Youth Day where over 2.2 million young people attended the final event.
In 2001-2002 the Cross went to World Youth Day in Canada. It traversed one
of the most spectacular countries in North America. It travelled coast to
coast, travelled by dog sleigh, boat and plane. On Palm Sunday 2003 the
Canadians handed it over to the German young people in Rome. This began
the preparations for the next World Youth Day in 2005 in Cologne.
As part of the lead up to World Youth Day in Cologne, the Cross
visited Ireland in November 2003. It began its journey in Dublin and
then embarked on a trip around Ireland. Groups of young Irish people
helped to carry the Cross, prayed with it and celebrated their faith.
Thousand of young people over the last 20 years have attended World
Youth Day's. Thousands more have just participated in the build up to
the next World Youth Day by helping the Cross journey throughout the
countries of Europe.
The World Youth Day Cross has become a symbol and a rallying point for
young people in the Church. As the Pope said to young people,
"I entrusted to you a great wooden Cross, asking you to carry
it across the World as a sign of the love which the Lord Jesus
has for everyone. Since that day, carried by generous hands
and hearts, the Cross has made a long, uninterrupted pilgrimage
across the continents, to demonstrate that the Cross walks with
young people and young people walks with the Cross."
Ends
(Edited text from CYC)
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