WYD History

THEME: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations (Mt

28:19)
The Holy Father Pope Francis brought the youth to "his" continent.
They came to a country full of contrasts. A country where a
boisterous carnival takes place in the districts of misery, and citizens
who constitute the biggest Catholic nation in the world fight every
day against a law which is hostile to the sanctity of life. Based on
the missionary theme of the meeting, the Days in the Dioceses
were called Missionary Week . In his teachings, the Pope reminded
the young that they cannot become missionaries without first
becoming followers of Christ. Parts of this meeting going down in
history include the testimonies of generous acceptance of the
pilgrims by poor favela residents; as well as the view of Copacabana
beach, which was filled with young people up to the edge of the
ocean. It is on this beach where Francis encouraged the young: "Go,
without fear, to serve" and invited them to the next meeting in
Krakow.

HYMN: Esperana do Amanhecer

Parts of this meeting going down in history include

World Youth Day in Rio was the first one attended by Pope Francis, as well as his first
foreign trip as Pope.
THEME: Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith
(cf. Col 2:7)
During the World Youth Day waves of protest swept through Spains
capital; illustrating not only social and economic difficulties, but also
a crisis of faith on the Old Continent. In response, Cardinal Stanisaw
Ryko insisted during the opening mass that young pilgrims are
invited to give lost Europe a testimony "of the faith, which is
possible." Pope Benedict has also encouraged young people to
struggle and hold onto their faith against the threats of the modern
world. "So do not keep Christ to yourselves! Communicate the joy of
your faith with others! Cuatro Vientos said during the Mass on the
airfield. That same airfield, over which swept a violent storm during
Saturday's Vigil, failed to cool down the enthusiasm of pilgrims who
prayed and cheered, until the rain and wind stopped just before the
start of the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
HYMN: Firmes en la Fe
At the end of the WYD in Madrid a Neocatechumenal vocational meeting was held,
attended by 200 thousand persons. During the meeting, Kiko Argello said to the young:
"If any of you brothers and sisters feels that God calls you to give your life for Christ
stand up." Then, about 5 thousand boys and 3 thousand girls stood up and approached
the bishops for a blessing on the way to their vocations.

THEME: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon
you,
and you will be my witnesses (Acts 1:8)
World Youth Day in Australia was a double challenge for the
organizers. Not only because of the great distance the pilgrims had
to go, but also because it took place in a country where only 26% of
the population identify as Catholics. Nearly a quarter of them are
Aborigines native inhabitants of Australia, living on the fringe of
Australian society. During the celebration of WYD their presence has
been repeatedly underlined. They welcomed both pilgrims and the
Holy Father in the traditional waterfront processions. The Pope also
mentioned them in his speeches. Although WYD in Sydney turned
out to be one of the smallest in the history of the Days, it resulted in
a great revival for the local church. It realized the invitation of Pope
Benedict XVI to the young, to become the "prophets of a new era"
and to also aspire to holiness: "Through the Spirits action, may the
young people gathered here for World Youth Day have the courage
to become saints! This is what the world needs more than anything
else.
HYMN: Receive the Power

Modern WYDs - featuring a strong multimedia presence including social media, a

Youtube channel and Facebook engagement - have their origin at Sydney.
Modern WYDs - featuring a strong multimedia presence including
social media, a Youtube channel and Facebook engagement - have
their origin at Sydney.
THEME: We have come to worship him (Mt 2:2)
It was called by Pope John Paul II, presided over by Pope Benedict
XVI - Cardinal Joachim Meisner named it "the first Youth Day with
two popes." After the death of John Paul II, many had wondered
whether the young would listen to the next successor of St. Peter
with equal care, and how the Pope would open the dialog with them.
However, many young people came to Cologne from 197 countries
around the world. There, in addition to participation in the
"traditional" WYD meetings, they made a pilgrimage to the
Cathedral, in which the relics of the Three Wise Men are kept. It was
in Cologne where Pope Benedict, inspired by the theme of the
meeting, presented the pilgrims a gift that henceforth is constantly
present during WYD: the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during
Saturday's vigil.
HYMN: Venimus adorare eum

Although it was the first WYD not actually presided by John Paul II, he was present not
only in the mind of the pilgrims, but also in the form of a great portrait exposed in front
of the Cathedral in Cologne. This portrait was made of hundreds of thousands of images
of young people from all over the world.
THEME: You are the salt of the earth
You are the light of the world (Mt 5:13-14)
The meeting in Canada was held in the shadow of the attacks on the
World Trade Center, located only 550 km away in New York. Half a
year after the event, young people brought the WYD cross to the
place of the tragedy, which for the first time went across all
Canadian dioceses, preparing the country for the Day. There were
innovations during the very days too: for the first time the name
"Youth Festival" had been used. And for pilgrims and residents of
Toronto, there was the unforgettable experience of the mystery of
the Way of the Cross, organized in the streets of one of the business
districts. The Holy Father not only explained to the pilgrims the
depth of the Evangelical blessings, but also, at the end of the
meeting, passed on the task: You are our hope, the young are our
hope. Do not let that hope die! Stake your lives on it! We are not the
sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Fathers
love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son.
HYMN: Light of the World

brought the WYD cross to the place of the tragedy

This WYD is kept in memory of many of these young people as the last presided over by
John Paul II.
THEME: And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among
us (Jn 1:14)
When the Church experienced the Great Jubilee of the year 2000,
the Pope invited young people to Rome, and for the topic of the
meeting chose what what he described as: "the consise phrase with
which Saint John the Apostle describes the profound mystery of God
made man: The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us" He
spoke to the audience: Dear friends, at the dawn of the Third
Millennium I see in you the morning watchmen, and he reminded
them that it is impossible to be a witness to the faith without having
roots in it. Therefore, on the threshold of the new millennium, WYD
participants traveled through Rome following the footsteps of the
first Christians: they made pilgrimages to the tomb of St. Peter,
confessed in the "largest confessional in the world" at Circo Massimo
where Christians of the first centuries were dying for the faith, and
gathered in front of the Lateran Basilica the first Christian Temple
to listen to the personal testimony of faith given by the Pope
himself.
HYMN: Emmanuel
 and for the topic of the meeting chose what what he described as:
"the consise

During this WYD, pilgrims for the first time were accompanied by the icon of the Mother
of God Salus Populi Romani revered in Rome for over fifteen centuries. Also in the
year 2000, a catechesis on the way to the St Peters Basilica was given for the first time.

THEME: Teacher, where are you staying? He said to them, Come,

and you will see. (Jn 1: 38-39)
Though taking place only a year before France celebrated the Jubilee
of the 1500-anniversary of its baptism, this WYD was a symbol of
Europe's crisis of faith. Preparations for the meeting of the young
had been accompanied by the echo of a dramatic question, which
the Pope asked in Paris in 1985: "France, eldest daughter of the
Church, what have you done with your baptism?". Organizers feared
that few young people would respond to the invitation of the Pope.
However the central ceremonies were attended by almost three
times more pilgrims than expected. The view of young people
overcrowding the Hippodrome Longschamp and the 36 kilometers
long "chain of young", by which the pilgrims surrounded the entire
Paris were testimonies of faith that went down in history. Also, the
meeting in Paris included some innovations that are an important
part of WYD today: Days in the Dioceses initiated in order that the
pilgrims shared their faith with people all over the country; voluntary
service of young people helping prevent excessive
"professionalizing"of the meeting; and the pastoral-cultural program,
today called the Young Festival which allows the display of many
talents, spiritual and artistic, of the youth of the world.
HYMN: Matre et Seigneur, venu chez nous

helping prevent excessive"professionalizing"of themeeting;

During the Pope's meeting with young in Paris in 1997, more than half a million young
people holding hands created the so-called Chain of Brotherhood, embracing the
capital of France.
THEME: As the Father has sent me, so I send you. (Jn 20:21)
This time, WYD was a part of the papal visit to the largest and least
evangelized continent. For the place of meeting with the young
the Pope chose Philippines, the only Catholic country in Asia. This
country fights with great poverty and many social problems every
day. Among other moments kept in the memory of participants was
the welcome ceremony for the Pope, when the youth asked him four
questions: What have you been expecting from us, announcing the
WYD? Why do you order us to traverse the whole world? Have
we fulfilled your expectations? What else should we do?" Pope
John Paul II not only responded, but joined the young in a
spontaneous dialog, interspersed with singing, which continued the
next evening. And during the Mass of Mission, he assured them:
How does Jesus send you? () He gives you just grace and truth.
He sends you out with the powerful message of his Paschal Mystery,
with the truth of his Cross and Resurrection. That is all he gives you,
and that is all you need.
HYMN: Tell the World of His love

It was the most well attended WYD with over 4 million pilgrims.
THEME: I came so that the sheep might have life
and have it more abundantly (Jn 10:10)
During a time when many young people around the world dreamed
about the American dream and prosperous life, the Pope invited
them to a town in the center of the United States. For the young
people from politically unstable Europe, this seemed an "ideal
State". There, John Paul II reminded the pilgrims that the source of a
happy life is fidelity to Jesus, rather than material possessions. He
pointed out the current problems of the world, which in previous
years had experienced profound political and social changes. The
result of this meeting was, among other things, a beginning of the
Movement of Pure Hearts, proclaiming that "True Love Waits", and
including the Way of the Cross in the WYD scheme. The pilgrims
returned to their home countries inspired by the words of the Pope:
Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places, like
the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of
salvation in the squares of cities, towns and villages. This is no time
to be ashamed of the Gospel. It is the time to preach it from the
rooftops.
HYMN: One Body

It was in Denver where the large Way of the Cross for the first time was celebrated in
the city streets? In this way a new tradition of WYD had been established.

THEME: You received a spirit of sonship (Rm 8:15)

This was the first Youth Day in a part of Europe that was freed from
communism. For the Holy Father, the meeting with the young was a
part of his fourth pilgrimage to his homeland. For many young
pilgrims it was the culmination of the pilgrimage by foot to Jasna
Gra, which was a Polish tradition dating back to the seventeenth
century. It was a sign of political change that about 100,000 people
young people from Eastern Europe were for the first time able to go
"to the West" and take part in WYD. Therefore, looking at the
pilgrims gathered at the foot of the shrine of our Lady, Queen of
Poland, John Paul II said: At last the Church in Europe can freely
breathe both lungs. In the message for this meeting, the Pope
explained that he chose Jasna Gra because at the foot of the
Mother of Jesus, the youth are able to experience what "sonship" is,
and at the end of the WYD in their presence he announced an act of
entrusting young from the whole world to the Mother of God.
HYMN: Abba Ojcze

The anthem of this meeting "Abba Father" became a popular song sung by successive
generations of the faithful around the world.

THEME: I am the way and the truth and the life. (Jn 14:6)
When Europe was experiencing political transformations and its
inhabitants were confronted with questions about its future and
identity, John Paul II took the young from all over the world to the
oldest European pilgrimage route. He said to the pilgrims At the
tomb of St James we want to learn that our faith has historical
foundations; it is not something vague and transient. One of the
symbolic events was a spontaneous decision of young during the
Sunday mass to collect money to help the residents of Bolivia, India,
and Tanzania.
HYMN: Somos los jvenes del 2000

The Pope, with a walking stick and cape, did the last segment of the pilgrimage Way of
St. James on foot.

THEME: We have come to know and to believe

in the love God has for us (1Jn 4:16)
The second World Youth Day was also the first held outside Italy and
outside Europe. Pope John Paul II chose Argentina struggling with
the consequences of the bloody rule of the military junta and
liberation theology, and many elements of this meeting were
symbolic explanations of the essence of the World Youth Day. First of
all was the time. Although the meeting in Buenos Aires was the last
to be held on Palm Sunday, it was a reminder that the papal plan is
to invite young people to explore the Mystery of Redemption.
Secondly, the definition of youth: explaining the meeting motto the
Pope said: "In those words resonates poignant testimony of what we
refer as to Christian youth of spirit, which is a constant preserving
fidelity to God's love. Union with God allows us every day to grow in
this youth." Thirdly was the form. The meeting in Buenos Aires in its
entirety was based on a dialog between the Pope and the young.
HYMN: Un nuevo sol

The Papal speech was based on 21 questions posed by the, a youth, and the
celebrations were accompanied by numerous performances in which young expressed
difficulties, concerns and hopes of everyday life.
THEME: May you give an account of the hope that is within you

(1 Pt 3:15, Pope John Paul IIs wishes for the young people for the
International Youth Year)
Although the first meeting had a diocesan dimension, it was it was
the first "numbered" World Youth Day. In his homily, John Paul II
explained to young what according to his plan the World Youth Day
should be, both in diocesan and international dimension. He said:
"Today you are here again, dear friends, to begin in Rome, in St.
Peters Square, the tradition of World Youth Day, the celebration to
which the entire Church is invited. (...) World Youth Day means just
this, going to encounter God, who entered into the history of man by
means of the Pasqual Mystery of Jesus Christ. He entered in a way
that cannot be undone. And he desires to meet you above all.

This was the year when WYD officially started.

The establishment of the World Youth Day was another example of

John Paul II's concern for young people, expressed from the first
moments of his pontificate. As soon as during the inauguration of his
pontificate, he said to the young: "You are the future of the world,
you are the hope of the Church, you are my hope. 13 March 1983 he
opened the youth Center of San Lorenzo at the Vatican, and when
two weeks later he inaugurated the Extraordinary Holy Year of
Jubilee of Redemption, he accepted from the young from the center
the wooden cross, which has become a symbol of the Holy Year. At
the end of the celebrations of Palm Sunday, April 22, 1984, he asked
the youth to carry this cross all over the world as a sign of
redemption and the testimony of their faith. The young accepted
this request. Also, they responded to the invitation of the Pope, who
called them to Rome in 1985 to a meeting on the occasion of the
International Year of Youth, established by the United Nations.
Among other factors, these events inspired the Holy Father to
engage in regular meetings with the young. He explained their
importance to employees of the Roman Curia during the Christmas
Eve: All young people must feel the care that the Church has for
them. Therefore, the whole Church, in union with the successor of
Peter, must be more and more engaged at a global level in caring
for youth, in responding to their anxieties and concerns and to their
receptiveness and hopes. We must try to match their expectations,
and we must communicate the certainty that is Christ, the Truth that
is Christ, and the love that is Christ. And in this privileged concern,
which the Church directs toward them, young people need to find a
proof that they matter very much, because they are worth very
much. Their life is valuable to the Church."