Scottish Catholic Observer

Cardinal Keith O’Brien has asked young Catholics from Scotland attending World Youth Day in Madrid next week to return ‘better followers of Jesus Christ’ and more eager ‘to share in the mission of our Church in Scotland.’

More than 300 young Catholics from Scotland, representing each of the country’s eight Catholic dioceses, will join up to two million young Catholics in Madrid next week, where they will celebrate with Pope Benedict XVI during the six-day event.

Cardinal O’Brien will depart for Madrid next Tuesday to participate in the celebrations and Bishop Joseph Toal of Argyll and the Isles will also be in Spain representing the Scottish hierarchy.

Pilgrimage

Many of the Scottish pilgrims began their journeys to Spain this week and Cardinal O’Brien offered them words of encouragement on their departure.

“My prayer for you is that you enjoy to the full your time together in Madrid,” the cardinal said in his message to the young pilgrims. “I know that you realise that this is not just an elaborate ‘T in the Park’, but rather very much ‘JC (Jesus Christ), in the churches and chapels, the streets and the parks of Madrid.’

“May you benefit from your time in Madrid so that you will indeed return to Scotland as better followers of Jesus Christ and young people ever more loyal to our Church throughout the world and more eager in sharing in the mission of our Church in Scotland.”

Bishop Toal added: “I wish everyone who is going well and hope that World Youth Day will inspire them in the Faith and membership of the Church.”

Next week’s celebrations in Madrid will be the 26th World Youth Day (WYD), an event which was founded in the 1980s by Blessed John Paul II and observed each year at diocesan level. Every three years the Holy Father invites young Catholics from around the world to go on pilgrimage to WYD to join with him in prayer and in an even larger celebration of Faith.

Endeavours

Cardinal O’Brien paid tribute to the ‘many endeavours’ of young Scottish Catholics to fundraise, ensuring that ‘you and your companions will be able to represent Scotland at this worldwide gathering’ and highlighted the support the young people have received from their parents, families, friends, priests, parishes and schools.

“I proudly wish every blessing on all of our young people who have been and are travelling to Madrid at this time to share in the joys of this World Youth Day,” Cardinal O’Brien said. “The ‘days,’ inaugurated by Blessed John Paul II and continued under the leadership of Pope Benedict XVI, will bring together young people from all over the world.

“I know that there will be over 300 of our Scottish young people from each of our eight dioceses travelling together to be part of perhaps two million young people, who will be gathered in prayer together, deepening in their love of the Lord and in the appreciation of their own vocation as Catholics.”

Catholic Youth Service

Christine Riddoch, chairwoman of the Catholic Youth Service Scotland, commented that final preparations are underway in Scotland and Madrid itself and she believes the WYD programme—which includes concerts, exhibits, guided museum visits, plays and many more activities—will ‘form and shape’ the young pilgrims ‘for the years ahead.’

“With over 300 young people from Scotland attending the 26th WYD in Madrid next week, excitement is mounting across the dioceses,” Ms Riddoch said. “For the young pilgrims attending WYD this is an opportunity to experience their Faith in the context of an international gathering of so many others, just like them. Each young person will bring expectations, hopes, dreams, questions and perhaps also fears and uncertainties to Madrid. As the WYD programme unfolds this pilgrimage will form and shape them for the years ahead.

“Their Faith will be re-affirmed as they listen to the testimonies of others, participate in liturgies and take in all that the cultural programme has to offer.

“As the young people return home and share their experiences and their enthusiasm for their Faith with their families, parish, school and the wider community, the Catholic Church in Scotland benefits. These young pilgrims will be inspired and will be ready and willing to help inspire others.”

WYD events

The opening Mass of WYD 2011—which has the theme: Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the Faith—will be celebrated on Tuesday evening in Madrid’s Cibeles Square, presided over by the city’s archbishop, Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela and concelebrated by bishops and priests participating in World Youth Day.

The Holy Father will arrive in Madrid on Thursday and his itinerary will include a welcoming ceremony and vigil with young people ahead of the celebration of the event’s closing Mass on Sunday morning. Alongside Mass celebrations and Catechesis sessions, WYD pilgrims will have the opportunity to participate in a vast cultural programme whilst in Madrid.

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