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Apostolic Journe

Textos: © Copyri

Welcome ceremo

Your Majesties,

Your Eminence the Archbishop of Your Eminences,

Dear Brother Bishops and Priests,

Distinguished National, Autonomo

and Local Authorities,

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Madri

Spain,

I am grateful to Your Majesty for y

together with the Queen, and for th

deferential words with which you

reviving in me the unforgettable gekindness which I received during

Apostolic Journeys to Spain, and m

particularly during my recent Visit

Compostela and Barcelona. I greet

those of you gathered here at Baraj

of you following this event on radi

television. A very grateful greeting

those who, with such commitment

dedication, from the ecclesiastical

spheres, have contributed with thei

work so that this World Youth Daymight unfold well and bring forth a

fruits.

With all my heart I also wish to rec

hospitality so many families, parish

to Madrid on the ocassion of the 26th World Yout

18-21 de august 2011

ght 2011 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana / Fotos: Ismael Martínez Sánche

JUEVES

18 AGOSTO

2011

y International Airport of Madrid Bara

adrid,

s Regional

d and of all

our presence

kind and

elcomed me,

stures of y previous

ost

to Santiago de

very cordially

s and those

and

also goes to

nd

nd civil

efforts and

in Madridbundant

ognize the

es, schools

and other institutions

young people from all

various regions and cit

the great cosmopolitanMadrid.

I have come here to m

people from all over th

committed to Christ se

will give real meaning

as the Successor of Pet

the faith, with days of i

proclaiming that Jesus

and the life; to motivat

up the Kingdom of Goto exhort young people

as a friend and so, root

become faithful follow

Why has this multitud

Madrid? While they th

reply, it may be suppo

the word of God, as th

Youth Day proposed t

rooted and built upon

the strength of their fai

Many of them have he

perhaps only as a little

them to search for him

share with others the e

h Day

jas

hich have welcomed

ver the world, firstly in

ies of Spain, and now in

and welcoming city of

et thousands of young

e world, Catholics

arching for the truth that

to their existence. I come

er, to confirm them all in

ntense pastoral activity,

Christ is the way, the truth

the commitment to build

in the world among us;to know Christ personally

d in his person, to

ers and valiant witnesses.

of young people come to

mselves should give the

ed that they wish to hear

motto for this World

them, in such a way that,

hrist, they may manifest

th.

rd the voice of God,

whisper, which has led

more diligently and to

perience of the force



which he has in their lives. The discovery of the

living God inspires young people and opens their

eyes to the challenges of the world in which they

live, with its possibilities and limitations. They

see the prevailing superficiality, consumerism

and hedonism, the widespread banalization of

sexuality, the lack of solidarity, the corruption.

They know that, without God, it would be hard to

confront these challenges and to be truly happy,

and thus pouring out their enthusiasm in the

attainment of an authentic life. But, with God

beside them, they will possess light to walk by

and reasons to hope, unrestrained before their

highest ideals, which will motivate their

generous commitment to build a society where

human dignity and true brotherhood are

respected. Here on this Day, they have a special

opportunity to gather together their aspirations,to share the richness of their cultures and

experiences, motivate each other along a journey

of faith and life, in which some think they are

alone or ignored in their daily existence. But they

are not alone. Many people of the same age have

the same aspirations and, entrusting themselves

completely to Christ, know that they really have

a future before them and are not afraid of the

decisive commitments which fulfill their entire

lives. That is why it gives me great joy to listen

to them, pray with them and celebrate theEucharist with them. World Youth Day brings us

a message of hope like a pure and youthful

breeze, with rejuvenating scents which fill us

with confidence before the future of the Church

and the world.

Of course, there is no lack of difficulties. There

are tensions and ongoing conflicts all over the

world, even to the shedding of blood. Justice and

the unique value of the human person are easily

surrendered to selfish, material and ideologicalinterests. Nature and the environment, created by

God with so much love, are not respected.

Moreover, many young people look worriedly to

the future, as they search for work, or because

they have lost their job or because the one they

have is precarious or uncertain. There are others

who need help either to avoid drugs or to recover

from their use. There are even some who,

because of their faith in Christ, suffer

discrimination which leads to contempt and

persecution, open or hidden, which they endure

in various regions and countries. They are

harassed to give him up, depriving them of thesigns of his presence in public life, not allowing

even the mention of his holy name. But, with all

my heart, I say again to you young people: let

nothing and no one take away your peace; do not

be ashamed of the Lord. He did not spare himself

in becoming one like us and in experiencing our

anguish so as to lift it up to God, and in this way

he saved us.

In this regard, the young followers of Jesus must

be aided to remain firm in the faith and to

embrace the beautiful adventure of proclaiming it

and witnessing to it openly with their lives. A

witness that is courageous and full of love for

their brothers and sisters, resolute and at the

same time prudent, without hiding its Christian

identity, living together with other legitimate

choices in a spirit of respect while at the same

time demanding due respect for one’s ownchoices.

Your Majesty, as I reiterate my thanks for the

kind welcome which you gave to me, I in turn

wish to express my esteem for and nearness to all

the peoples of Spain, as well as my admiration

for a country so rich in history and in culture

through the vitality of its faith, which has borne

fruit in so many saints over the centuries, in

numerous men and women who, leaving their

native land, brought the Gospel to every cornerof the globe, and in people through all this land

who act with rectitude, solidarity and goodness.

It is a great treasure which should be cared for

constructively, for the common good of today

and in order to offer a bright horizon to future

generations. Although there are currently some

reasons for concern, the greatest one is the desire

for the betterment of all Spaniards with that

dynamism which characterizes them and to

which their deep and very fruitful Christian roots

have contributed so much down through thecenturies.

From this place I send very cordial greetings to

you all, dear friends of Spain and Madrid, and

those of you from other lands. During these days

I will be with you, thinking of all young people

in the world, in particular those who are going

through various kinds of trial. Entrusting this

Meeting to the most holy Virgin Mary, and to the

patron saints of this Day, I ask God always to

bless and protect the sons and daughters of

Spain. Thank you very much.



Welcome ceremony

Initial addr

Dear Young Friends,

It is a great joy for me to meet youheart of this lovely city of Madrid,

the Lord Mayor has kindly present

Today Madrid is also the capital o

young people, and the gaze of the

Church is fixed here. The Lord ha

together here so that during these

experience the beauty of World Y

Through your presence and your p

in these celebrations, the name of

echo throughout this great City. Le

his message of hope and love willin the hearts of those who are not

who have grown distant from the

Many thanks for the splendid welc

you gave me as I entered the City,

your love and closeness to the Suc

Peter.

I greet Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko,

the Pontifical Council for the Lait

staff in that Council, with gratitud

work which they have done. I also

Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Va

Archbishop of Madrid, for his kin

for the efforts made by his Archdi

with the other Dioceses of Spain, i

this World Youth Day; my thanks

those in so many other Particular

throughout the world who have ge

contributed to its preparation. I ex

appreciation to the national, the au

regional and the local authorities f presence and for their generous hel

the good organization of this great

thanks go also to my brother Bish

priests and seminarians, the conse

and women and all the faithful pre

today, who have helped to prepare

people to experience these intense

pilgrimage towards an encounter

offer all of you a heartfelt greeting

and I repeat that it is a great blessi

be here with you. May the flame olove burn always bright in your he

[French] Dear young French-spea

you have responded in great numb

Lord’s call to come and meet him

ith young people Plaza de Cibeles

ss of his holiness Benedict XVI

here in thewhose keys

ed me.

the world’s

hole

brought us

ays we can

uth Day.

articipation

hrist will

t us pray that

also resoundelievers or

hurch.

ome which

as a sign of

essor of

resident of

, and his

for all the

thank

rela, the

words and

cese, along

n preparing

also go to all

hurches

erously

ress

onomous

r theirp in ensuring

event. My

ps, the

rated men

ent here

the young

days of

ith Christ. I

in the Lord

g for me to

Christ’srts.

ing people,

rs to the

in Madrid. I

congratulate you for thi

Youth Day! You have b

profound questions, andanswers. It is always a

seeking. Above all, see

an idea or an ideology

Christ, God himself, wh

midst! You rightly wish

him, to ground your life

always loved you and h

anyone else. May these

teaching and encounter

this, so that you may lo

May Christ accompanytime when, all together,

praises and offer him o

[ English] I extend an af

the many English-speak

have come to Madrid.

prayer, friendship and c

closer to each other and

Make trust in Christ’s

your lives! Planted and

the faith and open to th

you will find your place

enrich the Church with

for one another, so that

witnesses to Christ, tod

bless you all!

[German] Dear German

greet all of you with gre

that you have come in s

During these days we wour faith in Jesus Christ

and to pass it on. Let us

Jesus is the one who gi

lives. Let us open our h

grant all of us a joyful a

Madrid.

[ Italian] Dear young Ita

great affection and I am

of you have come here,

faith. Experience theseintense prayer and frate

vitality of the Church in

associations and move

with everyone. Thank y

adrid

! Welcome to World

rought with you

you are seekingood thing to keep

the Truth, which is not

r a slogan, but a person:

o has come into our

to plant your faith in

in Christ. He has

knows you better than

days so rich in prayer,

help you to rediscover

e him all the more.

you during this specialwe shall sing his

r prayers!

ectionate greeting to

ing young people who

ay these days of

lebration bring us

to the Lord Jesus.

ord the foundation of

built up in him, firm in

power of the Spirit,

in God’s plan and

our gifts. Let us pray

we may be joyful

y and always. God

-speaking friends! I

at affection. I am happy

uch great numbers.

ant together to confess, to deepen that faith

realize ever anew that

es true meaning to our

arts to Christ. May he

nd blessed time here in

lians! I greet you with

delighted that so many

filled with the joy of

ays in a spirit of nity, and testify to the

Italy, its parishes,

ents. Share this wealth

u!



[Portuguese] Dear young people o

different countries whose official l

Portuguese, and all those who acc

welcome to Madrid! I greet all of

friendship and affection and I invit

draw close to the eternal source of

and to know the absolute protagon

World Youth Day and – I hope – o

lives: Christ the Lord. In these day

personally hear his word resound.

into your hearts, let it take root, an

foundation of your lives. Firm in t

will be a link in the great chain of

Welcome ceremony

Address

Dear Friends,

Thank you for the kind words addr

by the young people representing t

continents. And I salute with affec

you gathered here, young people f

Africa, America, Asia and Europe;

those unable to be here. I always k

much in my heart and pray for you

given me the grace to see and hearmyself and, as we gather together,

his word.

In the reading which has just been

we heard a passage from the Gosp

talks of welcoming the words of Je

putting them into practice. There a

which serve only to amuse, as flee

empty breeze; others, to an extent,

those of Jesus, on the other hand,

our hearts, take root and bloom thelives. If not, they remain empty an

ephemeral. They do not bring us t

a result, Christ stays remote, just o

among the many others around us

familiar. Furthermore, the Master

teaches, not something learned fro

that which he himself is, the only

knows the path of man towards G

he is the one who opened it up for

it so that we might have authentic

which are always worth living, incircumstance, and which not even

destroy. The Gospel continues, ex

things with the evocative image of

who builds on solid rock, resistant

onslaught of adversity, and in cont

f the

anguage is

mpany you,

ou with

e you to

your youth

ist of this

f your own

s you will

et this word

make it the

e faith, you

elievers. No

one can believe without

faith of others, and by

support others in the fai

you, and you need the C

[Polish] I greet the you

come from Poland, cou

Paul II, the founder of

delighted by your prese

pray that these will be g

prayer, in which you wi

relationship with Jesus.

you.

ith young people Plaza de Cibeles

f his holiness Benedict XVI

essed to me

he five

ion all of

om Oceania,

and also

ep you very

. God has

you forto listen to

proclaimed,

l which

sus and

re words

ing as an

inform us;

ust reach

re all ourbecome

him and, as

ne voice

hich are so

ho speaks

others, but

ne who truly

d, because

us, he made

ives, lives

veryeath can

laining these

someone

to the

rast to

someone who builds on

today in what appears a

collapses with the first

into ruins.

Dear young people, list

of the Lord, that they m

life” ( Jn 6:63), roots wh

a rule of life which like

thirsting for justice, melovers of peace - to the

regularly every day as i

who does not deceive, t

wish to share the path o

know that when we do

our guide, we get lost o

path of our blind and se

path of flattering but sel

deceiving and fickle, w

and frustration in their

Use these days to know

make sure that, rooted i

and happiness, your des

reach the heights, even

hold a sure future, beca

has already been placed

grow with divine grace,

half-measures, as you r

aim for holiness. And, i

weaknesses which som

we can rely on the mercalways ready to help us

pardon in the sacrament

If you build on solid ro

will be solid and stable,

being supported by the

y faith I also help to

h. The Church needs

hurch.

g people who have

trymen of Blessed John

orld Youth Day. I am

ce here in Madrid! I

ood days, days of

ll strengthen your

May God’s Spirit guide

adrid

sand - we would say

paradise - but which

ust of wind and falls

n closely to the words

ay be for you “spirit and

ich nourish your being,

s us - poor in spirit,

ciful, pure in heart,erson of Christ. Listen

he were the one friend

e one with whom we

f life. Of course, you

ot walk beside Christ

other paths, like the

lfish impulses, or the

f-serving suggestions,

ich leave emptiness

ake.

Christ better and to

him, your enthusiasm

ire to go further, to

od himself, always

se the fullness of life

within you. Let that life

generously and without

main steadfast in your

the face of our

times overwhelm us,

y of the Lord who isagain and who offers us

of Penance.

k, not only your life

but it will also help



project the light of Christ shining

your own age and upon the whole

presenting a valid alternative to all

have fallen short, because the esse

lives were inconsistent; to all thos

content to follow fashionable idea

shelter in the here and now, forgett

justice, or they take refuge in their

opinions instead of seeking the si

Indeed, there are many who, creati

gods, believe they need no roots o

other than themselves. They take it

themselves to decide what is true

good and evil, what is just and unj

should live and who can be sacrifi

interests of other preferences; leav

to chance, with no clear path, lettibe led by the whim of each mome

temptations are always lying in wa

important not to give in to them be

reality, they lead to something so e

like an existence with no horizons,

without God. We, on the other han

that we have been created free, in t

God, precisely so that we might be

forefront of the search for truth an

responsible for our actions, not me

executives, but creative co-workerof cultivating and beautifying the

creation. God is looking for a resp

interlocutor, someone who can dia

him and love him. Through Christ

succeed and, established in him, w

to our freedom. Is this not the grea

Meeting with young women

Dear Young Women Religious,

As part of the World Youth Day w

celebrating in Madrid, I am delight

this opportunity to meet you whoconsecrated your youth to the Lor

you for the kind greeting you have

also thank the Archbishop of Mad

arranged for this meeting in the ev

setting of the Monastery of San Lo

pon those of

f humanity,

those who

tials in their

who are

, they take

ing true

own

ple truth.

ng their own

foundations

upon

r not, what is

st; who

ed in the

ing each step

g themselvest. These

it. It is

cause, in

vanescent,

a liberty

d, know well

he image of

in the

goodness,

re blind

in the task ork of

nsible

logue with

we can truly

e give wings

reason for

our joy? Isn’t this the fi

to build the civilization

of humanizing all of us

Dear friends: be pruden

lives upon the firm foun

This wisdom and prude

steps, nothing will mak

will reign in your hearts

blessed and happy and

influence others. They

secret of your life is and

the rock which underpi

and upon which rests y

the very person of Chri

and Lord, the Son of G

meaning to all the unive

He died for us all, risin

life, and now, from theaccompanies all men an

continually over each o

I commend the fruits of

to the most holy Virgin

to the will of God, and t

example of fidelity to h

followed to his death u

meditate upon this morof the Cross. And let us

“Yes” to Christ today m

unconditional “Yes” to

the end of this Day and

lives. Thank you very

Friday

19 August

2011

religious Monastery of San Lorenzo

hich we are

ed to have

ave, and I thank

given me. I

id, who

cative

renzo de El

Escorial. Its famous lib

important editions of th

the monastic rules of va

yet your own lives of fi

have received is itself apreserving the word of t

resounds in your variou

Dear Sisters, every char

word which the Holy S

m ground upon which

of love and life, capable

and wise, build your

dation which is Christ.

ce will guide your

you fear and peace

. Then you will be

our happiness will

ill wonder what the

they will discover that

s the entire building

ur whole existence is

t, your friend, brother

d incarnate, who gives

rse.

that we might have

hrone of the Father, hed women, watching

e of us.

this World Youth Day

Mary, who said “Yes”

eaches us a unique

r divine son, whom she

on the Cross. Let us

deeply in the Stationspray that, like her, our

ay also be an

his friendship, both at

throughout our entire

uch.

El Escorial

rary preserves

sacred Scriptures and

rious religious families,

elity to the calling you

precious means of he Lord, which

s spiritual traditions.

ism is an evangelical

irit recalls to the



Church’s memory (cf. Jn 14:26). I

accident that consecrated life “is b

hearing the word of God and embr

Gospel as its rule of life. A life de

following Christ in his chastity, po

obedience becomes a living ‘exege

word… Every charism and every

from it and seeks to be an expressi

opening up new pathways of Chris

marked by the radicalism of the G

(Verbum Domini, 83).

This Gospel radicalism means bei

and built up in Christ, and firm in t

Col 2:7). In the consecrated life, t

going to the very root of the love o

Christ with an undivided heart, put

ahead of this love (cf. Saint Bened21) and being completely devoted

Bridegroom, as were the Saints, li

Lima and Rafael Arnáiz, the youn

this World Youth Day. Your lives

to the personal encounter with Chr

nourished your consecration, and t

transforming power of that encoun

all the more important today when

certain ‘eclipse of God’ taking pla

amnesia which, albeit not an outri

of Christianity, is nonetheless a detreasure of our faith, a denial that c

the loss of our deepest identity” (

the 2011 World Youth Day, 1). In

relativism and mediocrity, we nee

radicalism to which your consecrat

of belonging to the God who is lov

things, bears witness.

This Gospel radicalism proper to t

consecrated life finds expression i

communion with the Church, the hchildren of God, built by Christ: c

with her Pastors who set forth in t

name the deposit of faith received

apostles, the ecclesial Magisterium

Meeting with young uni

Your Eminence, My Brother Bishops,

Dear Augustinian Fathers,

Dear Professors,

Distinguished Authorities,

Dear Friends,

t is not by

rn from

acing the

voted to

verty and

sis’ of God’s

ule springs

n of it, thus

tian living

spel”

g “rooted

he faith” (cf.

is means

f Jesus

ting nothing

ict, Rule, IV,to him, the

e Rose of

patrons of

must testify

ist which has

all the

ter. This is

“we see a

e, a kind of

ht rejection

ial of theould lead to

essage for

a world of

that

ion, as a way

ed above all

e

filial

ome of themmunion

e Lord’s

from the

and the

Christian tradition; com

religious families as yo

their authentic spiritual

valuing other charisms;

other members of the C

who are called to make

calling a testimony to th

Lord.

Finally, Gospel radicali

the mission God has ch

from the contemplative

into its cloisters the wor

silence and adores his b

which he alone fills, to t

apostolic life, in whose

Gospel bears fruit in the

and young people, the celderly, the pastoral car

commitment to respect

truth and the proclamati

mission work and the n

so many other sectors o

apostolate.

Dear Sisters, this is the

which God is calling yo

Christ closely and unco

consecration, communiChurch needs your yout

built up in Christ. Than

generous, total and perp

of the Loved One. I pr

may sustain and accom

youth, with the lively d

challenge, nourish and i

people.

With these sentiments,

abundantly the generouconsecrated life has ma

Day. In his name, and

give you my affectionat

ersitary professors Basílica of the MLorenzo de El Escorial

I have looked forward t

young professors in theYou provide a splendid

truth, in circumstances t

I greet you warmly and

kind words of welcome

which has marvellously

magnificent monastery,

munion with your own

gratefully preserve

patrimony while

and communion with

urch, such as the laity,

heir own specific

e one Gospel of the

m finds expression in

sen to entrust to us:

life, which welcomes

d of God in eloquent

auty in the solitude

he different paths of the

furrows the seed of the

education of children

are of the sick andof families,

or life, witness to the

on of peace and charity,

w evangelization, and

the Church’s

itness of holiness to

u, as you follow Jesus

ditionally in

n and mission. Thehful fidelity, rooted and

k you for your

etual “yes” to the call

y that the Virgin Mary

any your consecrated

sire that it will

llumine all young

ask God to repay

contribution whiche to this World Youth

ith great gratitude, I

e blessing.

onastery of San

this meeting with you,

universities of Spain.service in the spread of

hat are not always easy.

I thank you for your

and for the music

resounded in this

for centuries an



eloquent witness to the life of prayer and study.

In this highly symbolic place, reason and faith

have harmoniously blended in the austere stone

to shape one of Spain’s most renowned

monuments.

I also greet with particular affection those of

you who took part in the recent World

Congress of Catholic Universities held in Avila

on the theme: “The Identity and Mission of the

Catholic University”.

Being here with you, I am reminded of my own

first steps as a professor at the University of

Bonn. At the time, the wounds of war were still

deeply felt and we had many material needs;

these were compensated by our passion for an

exciting activity, our interaction withcolleagues of different disciplines and our

desire to respond to the deepest and most basicconcerns of our students. This experience of a

“Universitas” of professors and students who

together seek the truth in all fields of

knowledge, or as Alfonso X the Wise put it,

this “counsel of masters and students with the

will and understanding needed to master the

various disciplines” (Siete Partidas, partida II,

tit. XXXI), helps us to see more clearly the

importance, and even the definition, of theUniversity.

The theme of the present World Youth Day –

“Rooted and Built Up in Christ, and Firm in the

Faith” (cf. Col 2:7) can also shed light on your

efforts to understand more clearly your own

identity and what you are called to do. As I

wrote in my Message to Young People in

preparation for these days, the terms “rooted,

built up and firm” all point to solid foundations

on which we can construct our lives (cf. No. 2).

But where will young people encounter those

reference points in a society which is

increasingly confused and unstable? At times

one has the idea that the mission of a university

professor nowadays is exclusively that of

forming competent and efficient professionals

capable of satisfying the demand for labor at

any given time. One also hears it said that the

only thing that matters at the present moment is

pure technical ability. This sort of utilitarian

approach to education is in fact becoming more

widespread, even at the university level,

promoted especially by sectors outside the

University. All the same, you who, like myself,

have had an experience of the University, and

now are members of the teaching staff, surely

are looking for something more lofty and

capable of embracing the full measure of what

it is to be human. We know that when mere

utility and pure pragmatism become the

principal criteria, much is lost and the results

can be tragic: from the abuses associated with a

science which acknowledges no limits beyond

itself, to the political totalitarianism which

easily arises when one eliminates any higher

reference than the mere calculus of power. The

authentic idea of the University, on the other

hand, is precisely what saves us from this

reductionist and curtailed vision of humanity.

In truth, the University has always been, and is

always called to be, the “house” where one

seeks the truth proper to the human person.Consequently it was not by accident that the

Church promoted the universities, for Christian

faith speaks to us of Christ as the Word through

whom all things were made (cf. Jn 1:3) and of

men and women as made in the image and

likeness of God. The Gospel message perceives

a rationality inherent in creation and considers

man as a creature participating in, and capable

of attaining to, an understanding of this

rationality. The University thus embodies an

ideal which must not be attenuated orcompromised, whether by ideologies closed to

reasoned dialogue or by truckling to a purely

utilitarian and economic conception which

would view man solely as a consumer.

Here we see the vital importance of your own

mission. You yourselves have the honour and

responsibility of transmitting the ideal of the

University: an ideal which you have received

from your predecessors, many of whom were

humble followers of the Gospel and, as such,became spiritual giants. We should feel

ourselves their successors, in a time quite

different from their own, yet one in which the

essential human questions continue to challenge

and stimulate us. With them, we realize that we

are a link in that chain of men and women

committed to teaching the faith and making it

credible to human reason. And we do this not

simply by our teaching, but by the way we live

our faith and embody it, just as the Word took

flesh and dwelt among us. Young people need

authentic teachers: persons open to the fullness

of truth in the various branches of knowledge,

persons who listen to and experience in own

hearts that interdisciplinary dialogue; persons

who, above all, are convinced of our human



capacity to advance along the path

Youth is a privileged time for seek

encountering truth. As Plato said:

while you are young, for if you do

later escape your grasp” (Parmeni

This lofty aspiration is the most pr

which you can give to your studen

and by example. It is more import

technical know-how, or cold and p

functional data.

I urge you, then, never to lose that

enthusiasm and concern for truth.

remember that teaching is not just

communicating content, but about

young people. You need to underst

them, to awaken their innate thirst

their yearning for transcendence.source of encouragement and stren

For this to happen, we need to real

first place that the path to the fulln

calls for complete commitment: it

understanding and love, of reason

cannot come to know something u

moved by love; or, for that matter,

something which does not strike u

reasonable. “Understanding and lo

separate compartments: love is ricunderstanding and understanding i

love” (Caritas in Veritate, 30). If t

goodness go together, so too do kn

Dear Young People,

We have celebrated this Way of th

fervour and devotion, following C

the path of his passion and death.

commentaries of the Little Sisters

who serve the poor and most need

helped us enter into the mystery of

glorious Cross, wherein is found G

wisdom which judges the world an

those who consider themselves wi

1:17-19). We have also been assis journey to Calvary by our contem

these wonderful images from the r

patrimony of the Spanish dioceses.

images, faith and art combine so a

our heart and summon us to conve

of truth.

ing and

Seek truth

not, it will

es, 135d).

cious gift

s, personally

nt than mere

urely

sense of

lways

about

forming

and and love

for truth and

e for them agth.

ize in the

ss of truth

is a path of

nd faith. We

less we are

love

as

ve are not in

ins full of

uth and

owledge and

love. This unity leads t

thought, that ability to i

every good educator.

In the second place, we

truth itself will always l

We can seek it and dra

cannot completely poss

possesses us and inspire

educational activity the

also indispensable, sinc

pride which bars the wa

draw students to oursel

path toward the truth w

The Lord will help you

to be plain and effective

lamp which quietly ligh

5:13).

All these things, finally,gaze fixed on Christ, w

Truth which enlightens

Way which leads to last

constantly at our side a

love. Rooted in him, yo

guides to our young pe

confidence I invoke up

the Virgin Mary, Seat o

help you to cooperate wlife which is personally

brings forth rich fruits o

for your students. Than

The way of cross

Cross with

rist along

he

f the Cross,

, have

Christ’s

od’s true

d judges

e (cf. 1 Cor

ted on thislation of

ligious

In these

to penetrate

sion. When

faith’s gaze is pure and

itself at its service and imysteries of our salvati

move us profoundly an

as Saint Teresa of Jesus

while contemplating an

Christ (cf. Autobiograp

As we were making our

towards the place of his

Calvary, the words of S

“Christ loved me and g

(Gal 2:20). In the facelove, we find ourselves

wonder and gratitude:

What response shall we

puts it succinctly: “By t

he laid down his life for

consistency in life and

spire demanded of

need to recognize that

ie beyond our grasp.

near to it, but we

ss it; or put better, truth

s us. In intellectual and

virtue of humility is

it protects us from the

y to truth. We must not

es, but set them on the

ich we seek together.

in this, for he asks you

like salt, or like the

ts the room (cf. Mt

remind us to keep ourose face radiates the

us. Christ is also the

ing fulfilment; he walks

d sustains us with his

will prove good

ple. With this

n you the protection of

f Wisdom. May she

ith her Son by living asatisfying and which

f knowledge and faith

you very much.

authentic, beauty places

s able to depict then in such a way as to

transform our hearts,

herself experienced

image of the wounded

y, 9:1).

way with Jesus

sacrifice on Mount

aint Paul came to mind:

ve himself for me”

f such disinterestedasking, filled with

hat can we do for him?

give him? Saint John

is we know love, that

us; and we ought to lay



down our lives for the brethren” (1

Christ’s passion urges us to take u

shoulders the sufferings of the wor

certainty that God is not distant or

from man and his troubles. On the

became one of us “in order to suffein an utterly real way — in flesh a

hence in all human suffering we ar

one who experiences and carries t

with us; hence con-solatio is prese

suffering, the consolation of God's

compassionate love — and so the

rises” (Spe Salvi, 39).

Dear young friends, may Christ’s l

increase your joy and encourage y

search of those less fortunate. Yothe idea of sharing your lives with

sure not to pass by on the other sid

of human suffering, for it is here t

expects you to give of your very b

capacity for love and compassion.

different forms of suffering that ha

before our eyes in the course of thi

Cross are the Lord’s way of summ

spend our lives following in his fo

becoming signs of his consolation

salvation. “To suffer with the otheothers; to suffer for the sake of trut

justice; to suffer out of love and in

Eucharist with semionarians

Your Eminence the Archbishop of

Dear Brother Bishops,

Dear Priests and Religious,

Dear Rectors and Formators,

Dear Seminarians,

Dear Friends,

I am very pleased to celebrate Hol

you who aspire to be Christ’s pries

service of the Church and of man,

you for the kind words with which

welcomed me. Today, this holy cat

church of Santa María La Real de

is like a great Upper Room, where

greatly desires to celebrate the Pas

Jn 3:16).

on our own

ld, in the

far removed

contrary, he

r with mand blood ...

e joined by

at suffering

t in all

tar of hope

ove for us

u to go in

are open toothers, so be

e in the face

at God

st: your

The

ve unfolded

s Way of the

ning us to

tsteps and

and

r and forh and

order to

become a person who tr

fundamental elements o

abandon them would de

(ibid.).

Let us eagerly welcomethem into practice. Let

hanging on the harsh w

us ask him to teach us t

of the Cross, by which

was not a sign of failure

self-giving in love that

supreme sacrifice of on

wanted to show his love

embrace of his crucified

love. The Cross, by its

represents this love of bSon for men. Here we

supreme love, which te

God loves and in the w

the Good News that giv

Let us turn our gaze no

who was given to us on

Mother, and let us ask h

loving protection along

particularly when we p

suffering, so that we msteadfast, as she did, at

Thank you very much.

Saturday

20 August

2011

Carthedral of Santa María de la Real d

adrid,

Mass with

ts for the

and I thank

you

hedral

a Almudena

the Lord

sover with

you who wish one day t

the mysteries of salvati

again see proof of how

young disciples and to

thus keeping alive the

and the offer of the Gos

seminarians you are on

sacred goal: to continue

Christ received from th

you have followed his v

his loving gaze, you no

sacred ministry. Fix yo

through his incarnation

revelation of God to the

his resurrection faithfull

uly loves — these are

f humanity, and to

stroy man himself”

these teachings and putus look upon Christ,

od of the Cross, and let

is mysterious wisdom

an lives. The Cross

, but an expression of

xtends even to the

’s life. The Father

for us through the

Son: crucified out of

shape and its meaning,

oth the Father and theecognize the icon of

ches us to love what

y that he loves: this is

s hope to the world.

to the Virgin Mary,

Calvary to be our

er to sustain us with her

the path of life,

ss through the night of

y be able to remainhe foot of the Cross.

e la Almudena

o preside in his name at

n. Looking at you, I

hrist continues to call

ake them his apostles,

ission of the Church

pel to the world. As

he path towards a

the mission which

Father. Called by him,

oice and, attracted by

advance towards the

r eyes upon him who

is the supreme

world and who through

y fulfills his promise.



Give thanks to him for this sign of favour in

which he holds each one of you.

The first reading which we heard shows us

Christ as the new and eternal priest who made

of himself a perfect offering. The response to

the psalm may be aptly applied to him since, at

his coming into the world, he said to the Father,

“Here I am to do your will” (cf. Ps 39:8). He

tried to please him in all things: in his words

and actions, along the way or welcoming

sinners. His life was one of service and his

longing was a constant prayer, placing himself

in the name of all before the Father as the first-

born son of many brothers and sisters. The

author of the Letter to the Hebrews states that,

by a single offering, he brought to perfection

for all time those of us who are called to sharehis sonship (cf. Heb 10:14).

The Eucharist, whose institution is mentioned

in the Gospel just proclaimed (cf. Lk 22:14-20),

is the real expression of that unconditional

offering of Jesus for all, even for those who

betrayed him. It was the offering of his body

and blood for the life of mankind and for the

forgiveness of sins. His blood, a sign of life,

was given to us by God as a covenant, so that

we might apply the force of his life whereverdeath reigns due to our sins, and thus destroy it.

Christ’s body broken and his blood outpoured –

the surrender of his freedom – became through

these Eucharistic signs the new source of

mankind’s redeemed freedom. In Christ, we

have the promise of definitive redemption and

the certain hope of future blessings. Through

Christ we know that we are not walking

towards the abyss, the silence of nothingness or

death, but are rather pilgrims on the way to a

promised land, on the way to him who is ourend and our beginning.

Dear friends, you are preparing yourselves to

become apostles with Christ and like Christ,

and to accompany your fellow men and women

along their journey as companions and servants.

How should you behave during these years of

preparation? First of all, they should be years of

interior silence, of unceasing prayer, of

constant study and of gradual insertion into the

pastoral activity and structures of the Church. A

Church which is community and institution,

family and mission, the creation of Christ

through his Holy Spirit, as well as the result of

those of us who shape it through our holiness

and our sins. God, who does not hesitate to

make of the poor and of sinners his friends and

instruments for the redemption of the human

race, willed it so. The holiness of the Church is

above all the objective holiness of the very

person of Christ, of his Gospel and his

sacraments, the holiness of that power from on

high which enlivens and impels it. We have to

be saints so as not to create a contradiction

between the sign that we are and the reality that

we wish to signify.

Meditate well upon this mystery of the Church,

living the years of your formation in deep joy,

humbly, clear-mindedly and with radical

fidelity to the Gospel, in an affectionate relation

to the time spent and the people among whom

you live. No one chooses the place or thepeople to whom he is sent, and every time has

its own challenges; but in every age God gives

the right grace to face and overcome those

challenges with love and realism. That is why,

no matter the circumstances in which he finds

and however difficult they may be, the priest

must grow in all kinds of good works, keeping

alive within him the words spoken on his

Ordination day, by which he was exhorted to

model his life on the mystery of the Lord’s

cross.

To be modeled on Christ, dear seminarians, is

to be identified ever more closely with him

who, for our sake, became servant, priest and

victim. To be modeled on him is in fact the task

upon which the priest spends his entire life. We

already know that it is beyond us and we will

not fully succeed but, as St Paul says, we run

towards the goal, hoping to reach it (cf. Phil

3:12-14).

That said, Christ the High Priest is also the

Good Shepherd who cares for his sheep, even

giving his life for them (cf. Jn 10:11). In order

to liken yourselves to the Lord in this as well,

your heart must mature while in seminary,

remaining completely open to the Master. This

openness, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit,

inspires the decision to live in celibacy for the

sake of the kingdom of heaven and, leaving

aside the world’s goods, live in austerity of life

and sincere obedience, without pretence.

Ask him to let you imitate him in his perfect

charity towards all, so that you do not shun the

excluded and sinners, but help them convert

and return to the right path. Ask him to teach



you how to be close to the sick an

simplicity and generosity. Face thi

without anxiety or mediocrity, but

beautiful way of living our human

gratuitousness and service, as witn

made man, messengers of the supr

of the human person and therefore

unconditional defenders. Relying

do not be intimidated by surroundi

would exclude God and in which

and pleasure are frequently the ma

ruling people’s lives. You may be

along with others who propose hig

who unmask the false gods before

now bow down. That will be the m

a life deeply rooted in Christ will c

seen as something new and it will

attract those who truly search for justice.

Under the guidance of your format

your hearts to the light of the Lord

path which demands courage and

for you. Approach the priesthood

are firmly convinced that God is c

be his ministers, and if you are co

determined to exercise it in obedie

Church’s precepts.

With this confidence, learn from h

described himself as meek and hu

leaving behind all earthly desire fo

that, rather than pursuing your ow

build up your brothers and sisters

you live, as did the patron saint of

clergy of Spain, St John of Avila.

example, look above all to the Vir

Mother of Priests. She will know h

your hearts according to the model

her divine Son, and she will teach

Meeting with the organiz

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to welcome you to th

Nunciature, and to thank you war

that you have done for the organiz

World Youth Day.

I know very well that, from the m

was made public that the Archdioc

Madrid had been chosen as the cen

initiative, His Eminence Cardinal

the poor in

s challenge

rather as a

life in

esses of God

me dignity

its

n his love,

ngs that

ower, wealth

in criteria

shunned

her goals or

whom many

oment when

learly be

owerfully

od, truth and

ors, open

, to see if this

uthenticity is

nly if you

lling you to

pletely

nce to the

im who

ble of heart,

r his sake so

good, you

y the way

the diocesan

oved by his

in Mary,

ow to mould

of Christ,

you how to

treasure for ever all that

for the salvation of the

Announcement o

Dear Brothers and Sist

With great joy, here in t

Santa María La Real de

announce to the People

acceded to the desire ex

Antonio María Rouco

Madrid and President o

Conference of Spain, to

members of the Spanish

Archbishops and Bishoworld, as well as many

shortly declare Saint Jo

the universal Church.

In making this announc

hope that the word and t

outstanding pastor will

those who look forward

priestly ordination.

I invite everyone to looand I commend to his i

of Spain and those of th

as all priests and semin

persevere in the same f

may they model their h

Christ the good Shephe

and honour for ever. A

ers of the WYD Apostolic Nunciature

Apostolic

ly for all

tion of this

ment that it

ese of

tre for this

ntonio

María Rouco Varela lau

Local Organizing Com

responsible for the diffe

an undertaking of this si

coordinated by Bishop

Martínez, with a deep sbelonging and an extra

Vicar of Christ. Only lo

zeal to evangelize youn

this generous commitm

which will bear much a

he gained on Calvary

orld. Amen.

the Holy Father

rs,

his Cathedral Church of

la Almudena, I

of God that, having

pressed by Cardinal

arela, Archbishop of

the Bishops’

ether with the

episcopate and other

s from throughout thef the lay faithful, I will

n of Avila a Doctor of

ment here, I would

he example of this

nlighten all priests and

to the day of their

to Saint John of Avilatercession the Bishops

e whole world, as well

rians. As they

ith which he taught,

arts on that of Jesus

d, to whom be glory

en.

f Madrid

nched the work of the

ittee in which all those

rent areas involved in

ze worked together,

ésar Augusto Franco

nse of ecclesialrdinary affection for the

ve for the Church and

people can explain

nt of time and energy,

ostolic fruit. Over the



months you have offered your best

service of the Church’s mission. M

reward you for it a hundredfold, a

you but your families and your ins

which with self-sacrifice have sup

dedication and care. Since Jesus te

even a cup of water given in his na

without reward, how much more

rewarded the daily and unceasing

to the organization of a church eve

importance as the one we are now

Thank you to each one of you.

Similarly, I wish to offer my thank

members of the Mixed Commissio

the Archdiocese of Madrid and the

Government offices, the Communi

and the City Hall which, since thethis World Youth Day, was set up

fixed upon the hundreds of thousa

pilgrims coming to Madrid, a city

beautiful and welcoming. Certainl

this diligent cooperation, it would

been possible to realize an event o

complexity and importance. In thi

Visit

Your Eminence,

Dear Brother Bishops,

Dear Priests and Religious of the

Order of Saint John of God,

Distinguished Authorities,

Dear Young People, Family Memb

Volunteers,

I thank you most sincerely for you

greeting and heartfelt welcome.

This evening, just before the Praye

the young people from throughout

gathered in Madrid for this World

we have this chance to spend time

way of showing the Pope’s closen

esteem for each of you, for your fa

for all those who help and care for

Foundation of Saint Joseph’s Instit

Youth, as I have said more than onwhen life discloses itself to us wit

possibilities, inspiring us to seek t

which give it meaning. So when s

appears on the horizon of a young

shaken; perhaps we ask ourselves:

to the

ay God

d not just

itutions

orted your

lls us that not

me will go

ill be

ontribution

nt of such

celebrating!

s to the

n formed by

national

ty of Madrid

beginning of with its gaze

ds of young

pen,

, without

ot have

such

regard, I

know that many groups

the disposal of the Loca

Committee, sparing no

atmosphere of friendly

credit to this noble nati

known spirit of hospital

people.

The effectiveness of the

that cooperation betwee

authorities is possible, a

work together on an init

significance, like the pr

principle that good thin

this reason, I would like

representatives of the v

have worked boldly for

World Day, my warm athe name of the Church

people who are now enj

and diligence.

Upon all of you, as well

and institutions, I invok

blessings. Thank you ve

o the San José Foudation

ospitaller

ers and

kind

r Vigil with

the world

Youth Day,

together as a

ss and

milies and

you in this

ute.

ce, is the ageall its rich

e lofty goals

ffering

life, we are

“Can life

still be something grand

unexpectedly enters it?”

Christian Hope, I obser

measure of humanity is

in relationship to sufferi

… A society unable to

members and incapable

suffering and to bear it i

passion’ is a cruel and i

Salvi, 38). These words

of humanity which arisself-offering on the Cro

redemption. Jesus and, i

Sorrowful Mother and t

who shows us how to e

suffering for our own g

salvation of the world.

These witnesses speak t

of the dignity of all hu

image of God. No suffe

divine image imprintedhumanity. But there is

God wanted freely to e

death, we are also capa

image in the face of tho

preferential love of the

placed themselves at

l Organizing

ffort and in an

ooperation, which is a

n and to the well-

ity of the Spanish

Commission shows

n the Church and local

nd not only when they

iative of such great

sent one, proving the

s bring us together. For

to express to the

rious institutions that

the success of this

nd heartfelt thanks inand of the young

oying your welcome

as upon your families

the Lord’s abundant

ry much.

, even when suffering

In my Encyclical on

ed that “the true

essentially determined

ng and to the sufferer

ccept its suffering

of helping to share their

nwardly through ‘com-

human society” (Spe

reflect a long tradition

s from Christ’s ownss for us and for our

n his footsteps, his

he saints, are witnesses

perience the tragedy of

od and for the

o us, first and foremost,

an life, created in the

ring can efface this

in the depths of ourore: because the Son of

brace suffering and

le of seeing God’s

se who suffer. This

ord for the suffering



helps us to see others more clearly

them, above and beyond their mat

demands, the look of love which t

this can only happen as the fruit of

encounter with Christ. You yourse

religious, family members, health

professionals and volunteers who

work with these young people – k

Your lives and your committed ser

proclaim the greatness to which ev

being is called: to show compassio

concern to the suffering, just as G

did. In your noble work we hear a

words found in the Gospel: “just a

one of the least of these my brothe

to me” ( Mt 25:40).

At the same time, you are also witimmense goodness which the lives

young people represent for those

them, and for humanity as a whole

mysterious yet real way, their pres

awakens in our often hardened hea

Prayer vigil with yo

Dear Young Friends,

I greet all of you, especially the yo

who have asked me their question

them for the sincerity with which t

their concerns, that express the lon

all of you have to achieve somethi

life, something which can bring yo

and happiness.

How can a young person be true t

yet continue to aspire to high ideal

society? In the Gospel we have ju

Jesus gives us an answer to this ur

question: “As the Father has loved

have loved you; abide in my love”

Yes, dear friends, God loves us. T

great truth of our life; it is what m

everything else meaningful. We a

product of blind chance or absurdiour life originates as part of a lovi

God. To abide in his love, then, m

life rooted in faith, since faith is m

mere acceptance of certain abstrac

an intimate relationship with Chris

and to give

rial

ey need. But

a personal

lves – as

are

aily live and

ow this well.

vice

ery human

n and loving

d himself

echo of the

you did it to

rs, you did it

esses of theof these

ho love

. In a

nce

rts a

tenderness which opens

lives of these young pe

hearts and for that reaso

Lord for having known

Dear friends, our societ

questions the inestimabl

life, needs you: in a dec

build the civilization of

play a leading role in th

and daughters of the Ch

your lives, with all their

cooperating with him a

“part of the treasury of

needed by the human ra

With great affection, an

intercession of Saint Joand Saint Benito Menni

God our Lord: may heyour reward. As a pledg

impart to you, and to yo

my Apostolic Blessing.

ng people Cuatro Vientos Air Base M

ung people

, and I thank

hey set forth

ging which

g great in

u fulfilment

the faith and

s in today’s

t heard,

ent

me, so I

( Jn 15:9).

his is the

kes

e not the

y; insteadg plan of

eans living a

re than the

truths: it is

t, who

enables us to open our h

love and to live as men

of being loved by God.

If you abide in the love

faith, you will encounte

and suffering, the sourc

joy. Faith does not run

ideals; on the contrary, i

those ideals. Dear youn

satisfied with anything lLove, do not be content

Christ.

Nowadays, although th

relativism all around us

search for truth, even if

aspiration of the human

with courage and humil

significance of Christ a

humanity and the sourc

He who took upon himswell acquainted with th

suffering and manifests

those who suffer. They

the passion of Christ, sh

of redemption. Further

us to salvation. The

ple surely touch human

n we are grateful to the

them.

, which all too often

e value of life, of every

isive way you help to

love. What is more, you

at civilization. As sons

urch, you offer the Lord

ups and downs,

d somehow becoming

ompassion so greatly

ce” (Spe Salvi, 40).

through the

eph, Saint John of God, I commend you to

e your strength ande of his love, I cordially

ur families and friends,

Thank you very much.

drid

earts to this mystery of

and women conscious

of Christ, rooted in the

r, even amid setbacks

of true happiness and

counter to your highest

t elevates and perfects

g people, do not be

ess than Truth andwith anything less than

dominant culture of

has given up on the

it is the highest

spirit, we need to speak

ity of the universal

the Saviour of

of hope for our lives.

elf our afflictions, ismystery of human

his loving presence in

in their turn, united to

are closely in his work

ore, our disinterested



attention towards the sick and the forgotten will

always be a humble and warm testimony of

God’s compassionate regard.

Dear friends, may no adversity paralyze you.

Be afraid neither of the world, nor of the future,

nor of your weakness. The Lord has allowed

you to live in this moment of history so that, by

your faith, his name will continue to resound

throughout the world.

During this prayer vigil, I urge you to ask God

to help you find your vocation in society and in

the Church, and to persevere in that vocation

with joy and fidelity. It is a good thing to open

our hearts to Christ’s call and to follow with

courage and generosity the path he maps out for

us.

The Lord calls many people to marriage, in

which a man and a woman, in becoming one

flesh (cf. Gen 2:24), find fulfilment in a

profound life of communion. It is a prospect

that is both bright and demanding. It is a

project for true love which is daily renewed and

deepened by sharing joys and sorrows, one

marked by complete self-giving. For this

reason, to acknowledge the beauty and

goodness of marriage is to realize that only asetting of fidelity and indissolubility, along

with openness to God’s gift of life, is adequate

to the grandeur and dignity of marital love.

Christ calls others to follow him more closely

in the priesthood or in consecrated life. It is

hard to put into words the happiness you feel

when you know that Jesus seeks you, trusts in

you, and with his unmistakable voice also says

to you: “Follow me!” (cf. Mk 2:14).

Dear young people, if you wish to discover and

to live faithfully the form of life to which the

Lord is calling each of you, you must remain in

his love as his friends. And how do we

preserve friendship except through frequent

contact, conversation, being together in good

times and bad? Saint Teresa of Jesus used to

say that prayer is just such “friendly contact,

often spending time alone with the one who we

know loves us” (cf. Autobiography, 8).

And so I now ask you to “abide” in the

adoration of Christ, truly present in the

Eucharist. I ask you to enter into conversation

with him, to bring before him your questions

and to listen to his voice. Dear friends, I pray

for you with all my heart. And I ask you to

pray for me. Tonight let us ask the Lord to

grant that, attracted by the beauty of his love,

we may always live faithfully as his disciples.

Amen.

Dear Friends: I thank you for your joy and your

resistance. Your strength is greater than the

rain. Thank you. With rain the Lord has sent

us many blessings. In this also, you are an

example.

[French] Dear young French-speakers, be

proud of the gift of faith which you have

received, as it will illumine your life at every

moment. Draw strength from the faith of your

neighbours, from the faith of the Church!

Through faith we are grounded in Christ.Gather with others to deepen it, be faithful to

the celebration of the Eucharist, the mystery of faith par excellence. Christ alone can respond

to your aspirations. Let yourselves be seized by

God, so that your presence in the Church will

give her new life!

[ English] Dear young people, in these moments

of silence before the Blessed Sacrament, let us

raise our minds and hearts to Jesus Christ, the

Lord of our lives and of the future. May hepour out his Spirit upon us and upon the whole

Church, that we may be a beacon of freedom,

reconciliation and peace for the whole world.

[German] Dear young Christians from the

German-speaking countries! Deep in our hearts

we yearn for what is grand and beautiful in

life. Do not let your desires and aspirations

dissipate, but ground them in Jesus Christ. He

himself is the sure foundation, the point of

reference, for building up your life.

[ Italian] I now turn to the Italian-speaking

young people. Dear friends, this vigil will

remain as an unforgettable experience in your

lives. Guard the flame which God has lit in

your hearts tonight. Never let it go out, renew

it each day, share it with your contemporaries

who live in darkness and who are seeking a

light for their way. Thank you! Until

tomorrow morning!

[Portuguese] My dear friends, I invite each of

you to enter into a personal dialogue with

Christ, sharing with him your hesitations and

above all listening to his voice. The Lord is

here and he is calling you! Young friends, it is



good to hear within us the word of

follow in his footsteps. Ask the L

you to discover your vocation in li

Church, and to persevere in it with

fidelity, knowing that he never aba

betrays you! He remains with us u

of the world.

[Polish] Dear young friends from

prayer vigil is filled with the prese

Christ. Grounded in his love, dra

with the flame of your faith. He w

hearts with his life. Build your liv

and on his Gospel. I willingly ble

* * *

Final Mass: Wods of the Hol

Dear Young Friends:

I have been thinking a lot about yo

time in which we have been separyou have been able to get some sle

the weather. I am sure that since d

have raised up your eyes more tha

not only your eyes but above all y

turning this occasion into prayer.

things into good. With this confid

trusting in the Lord who never aba

us begin our Eucharistic celebratio

enthusiasm and strong in our faith.

***

HOMILY

Dear Young People,

In this celebration of the Eucharist

reached the high point of this Worl

Day. Seeing you here, gathered in

numbers from all parts of the worl

heart with joy. I think of the speci

which Jesus is looking upon you.

loves you and calls you his friends

15:15). He goes out to meet you a

to accompany you on your journey

Jesus and to

rd to help

e and in the

joy and

ndons you or

ntil the end

oland! This

ce of

near to him

ill fill your

s on Christ

s all of you.

Dear Young Friends,

We have lived together

Strengthened by your f

resisted the rain. Befor

good night. Have a goo

the sacrifice that you ar

doubt that you will offe

Lord. We shall see one

willing, in the celebrati

am expecting all of you.

fine example that you h

tonight, you can always

trials of life. Do not for

all.

Sunday

21 August

2011

Father at the beginning of the eucha

u during this

ted. I hopeep in spite of

awn you

once, and

ur hearts,

od turns all

nce and

ndons us, let

n, full of

we have

d Youth

such great

, fills my

al love with

es, the Lord

(cf. Jn

nd he wants

, to open the

door to a life of fulfilm

share in his own closen

our part, we have come

of his love and we wantto his love by sharing w

have received. Certainl

people today who feel a

Christ and want to kno

realize that he is the ans

deepest concerns. But

can someone who lived

ago have anything in co

The Gospel we have jus

20) suggests two differeChrist. The first is an i

one based on current op

asks: “Who do people s

is?”, the disciples answ

Baptist, but others Elija

Jeremiah or one of the

words, Christ is seen as

figure, like those who c

Jesus turns to the discip

who do you say that I a

with what is the first coare the Messiah, the So

Faith is more than just e

facts; it is an ability to g

Christ’s person in all its

an adventure.

ith in Christ, you have

leaving I wish you all

d rest. I thank you for

making and I have no

it generously to the

another tomorrow, God

n of the Eucharist. I

I thank you for the

ve given. As happened

, with Christ, endure the

get this. I thank you

ristic celebration

nt and to give you a

ss to the Father. For

to know the immensity

to respond generouslyith others the joy we

y, there are many

ttracted by the figure of

him better. They

wer to so many of our

ho is he really? How

on this earth so long

mmon with me today?

t heard (cf. Mt 16:13-

nt ways of knowingpersonal knowledge,

inion. When Jesus

y that the Son of Man

r: “Some say John the

, and still others

rophets”. In other

yet another religious

me before him. Then

les and asks them: “But

?” Peter responds

fession of faith: “Youof the living God”.

mpirical or historical

rasp the mystery of

depth.



Yet faith is not the result of human effort, of

human reasoning, but rather a gift of God:

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For

flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but

my Father in heaven”. Faith starts with God,

who opens his heart to us and invites us to

share in his own divine life. Faith does not

simply provide information about who Christ

is; rather, it entails a personal relationship with

Christ, a surrender of our whole person, with all

our understanding, will and feelings, to God’s

self-revelation. So Jesus’ question: “But who

do you say that I am?”, is ultimately a

challenge to the disciples to make a personal

decision in his regard. Faith in Christ and

discipleship are strictly interconnected.

And, since faith involves following the Master,

it must become constantly stronger, deeper andmore mature, to the extent that it leads to a

closer and more intense relationship with

Jesus. Peter and the other disciples also had to

grow in this way, until their encounter with the

Risen Lord opened their eyes to the fullness of

faith.

Dear young people, today Christ is asking youthe same question which he asked the Apostles:

“Who do you say that I am?” Respond to him

with generosity and courage, as befits young

hearts like your own. Say to him: “Jesus, I

know that you are the Son of God, who have

given your life for me. I want to follow you

faithfully and to be led by your word. You

know me and you love me. I place my trust in

you and I put my whole life into your hands. I

want you to be the power that strengthens me

and the joy which never leaves me”.

Jesus’ responds to Peter’s confession by

speaking of the Church: “And I tell you, you

are Peter, and on this rock I will build my

Church”. What do these words mean? Jesus

builds the Church on the rock of the faith of

Peter, who confesses that Christ is God.

The Church, then, is not simply a human

institution, like any other. Rather, she is

closely joined to God. Christ himself speaks of

her as “his” Church. Christ cannot be separated

from the Church any more than the head can be

separated from the body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12). The

Church does not draw her life from herself, but

from the Lord.

Dear young friends, as the Successor of Peter,

let me urge you to strengthen this faith which

has been handed down to us from the time of

the Apostles. Make Christ, the Son of God, the

centre of your life. But let me also remind you

that following Jesus in faith means walking at

his side in the communion of the Church. We

cannot follow Jesus on our own. Anyone who

would be tempted to do so “on his own”, or to

approach the life of faith with that kind of

individualism so prevalent today, will risk

never truly encountering Jesus, or will end up

following a counterfeit Jesus.

Having faith means drawing support from the

faith of your brothers and sisters, even as yourown faith serves as a support for the faith of

others. I ask you, dear friends, to love the

Church which brought you to birth in the faith,which helped you to grow in the knowledge of

Christ and which led you to discover the beauty

of his love. Growing in friendship with Christ

necessarily means recognizing the importance

of joyful participation in the life of your

parishes, communities and movements, as well

as the celebration of Sunday Mass, frequent

reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation,and the cultivation of personal prayer and

meditation on God’s word.

Friendship with Jesus will also lead you to bear

witness to the faith wherever you are, even

when it meets with rejection or indifference.

We cannot encounter Christ and not want to

make him known to others. So do not keep

Christ to yourselves! Share with others the joy

of your faith. The world needs the witness of

your faith, it surely needs God. I think that thepresence here of so many young people,

coming from all over the world, is a wonderful

proof of the fruitfulness of Christ’s command to

the Church: “Go into all the world and proclaim

the Gospel to the whole creation” ( Mk 16:15).

You too have been given the extraordinary task

of being disciples and missionaries of Christ in

other lands and countries filled with young

people who are looking for something greater

and, because their heart tells them that more

authentic values do exist, they do not let

themselves be seduced by the empty promises

of a lifestyle which has no room for God.

Dear young people, I pray for you with heartfelt

affection. I commend all of you to the Virgin



Mary and I ask her to accompany

by her maternal intercession and t

how to remain faithful to God’s w

you to pray for the Pope, so that, a

Successor of Peter, he may always

brothers and sisters in the faith. M

Angelus Cu

Dear Friends,

You are now about to go back ho

friends will want to know how you

changed after being in this lovely

Pope and with hundreds of thousa

young people from around the wor

you going to tell them? I invite yo

bold witness of Christian living to

way you will give birth to new Ch

will help the Church grow strongl

of many others.

During these days, how often I hav

the young people at home who are

your return! Take my affectionate

them, to those less fortunate, to yo

and to the Christian communities t

from.

Let me also express my gratitude t

and priests who are present in such

numbers at this Day. To them all I

deepest thanks, encouraging themto work pastorally among young p

enthusiasm and dedication.

[Spanish] I greet the Archbishop o

affectionately and I warmly thank

Air Force, which very generously

Cuatro Vientos Air Base on this, t

of the foundation of the Spanish A

place all Spanish Air Force person

families under the maternal protect

Lady of Loreto.

In this context, I recall that yesterd

the third anniversary of the grave

Barajas Airport which caused man

injuries, and I express my spiritual

ou always

teach you

rd. I ask

the

confirm his

ay all of us

in the Church, pastors a

closer to the Lord each

holiness of life and be e

truth that Jesus Christ is

the Saviour of all manki

source of our hope. A

tro Vientos Air Base Madrid

e. Your

have

ity with the

ds of other

ld. What are

to give a

them. In this

istians and

in the hearts

e thought of

waiting for

reetings to

r families

hat you come

the Bishops

great

extend my

o continueople with

f the Forces

he Spanish

ermitted

e centenary

ir Force. I

nel and their

ion of Our

ay marked

ccident at

y deaths and

closeness

and my deep affection f

that unfortunate event,

families of the victims,

commend to the mercy

I am pleased now to an

World Youth Day will

de Janeiro. Even now, l

assist all those who will

the journey there of you

the world, so that they

that beautiful city of Br

Dear friends, before we

while the young people

World Youth Day cross

Brazil, as Successor of

present with this task:

love of Jesus Christ kno

He wants you to be the

first century and the me

not let him down! Than

[French] My dear younspeaking world, today

rooted in him and with

upon him who is our ro

be his witnesses, courag

anxiety, authentic and c

afraid to be Catholic, an

those around you in sim

Let the Church find in y

youthfulness joyful mis

News of salvation!

[ English] I greet all the

people present here tod

take back with you the

love which we have ex

unforgettable days. Fix

nd faithful alike, draw

ay. May we grow in

ffective witnesses to the

indeed the Son of God,

nd and the living

en.

r all those touched by

nd well as for the

whose souls we

f God.

ounce that the next

e held in 2013, in Rio

t us ask the Lord to

organize it, and to ease

ng people from all over

ill be able to join me in

zil.

say good-bye, and

of Spain pass on the

to the young people of

eter I entrust all of you

ake the knowledge and

wn to the whole world!

postles of the twenty-

ssengers of his joy. Do

you very much.

people of the French-hrist asks you to be

im, to build your lives

k. He sends you out to

eous and without

redible! Do not be

d to be witnesses to

plicity and sincerity!

ou and in your

ionaries of the Good

English-speaking young

y! As you return home,

ood news of Christ’s

erienced in these

your eyes upon him,



deepen your knowledge of the Go

forth abundant fruit! God bless all

we meet again!

[German] My dear friends! Faith i

theory. To believe is to enter into

relationship with Jesus and to live

with him in fellowship with others

communion of the Church. Entrust

your lives to Christ and bring your

find their way to the source of life,

the Lord make you happy and joy-

witnesses of his love.

[ Italian] My dear young Italians!

all of you. The Eucharist that we h

celebrated is the risen Christ prese

in our midst: through him, your livand built upon Christ, strong in fai

confidence, depart from Madrid aneveryone what you have seen and

Respond with joy to the Lord’s cal

and remain always united to him:

much fruit!

Meeting with wy

Dear Volunteers,

As the events of this unforgettable

Youth Day draw to a close, I want

here, before my return to Rome, to

personally for all your invaluable

both a matter of justice and a heart

matter of justice because, thanks t

cooperation, the young pilgrims enwarm welcome and were assisted i

need. Your service gave World Yo

face of kindness, friendship and ne

concern.

My gratitude is also a heartfelt dut

because you were so attentive to th

but also to the Pope, to me! At eve

which I took part, you were there:

highly visible, while others stayed

background, helping to ensure that

took place in an orderly fashion. I

mention all the effort that went int

for these days. All the sacrifices, a

Everybody did his or her best, by

prayer, to weave, stitch by stitch, t

pel and bring

of you until

not a

personal

in friendship

, in the

the whole of

friends to

to God. May

filled

reetings to

ave

t and living

es are rootedh. With this

d telleard.

l, follow him

ou will bear

[Portuguese] Dear Port

people and friends, you

You will be swimming

society with a relativisti

neither to seek nor hold

was for this moment in

challenges and opportu

you, so that, through yo

of Jesus might continue

the earth. I hope to see

time at the nest World

Janeiro, Brazil. Till the

other, witnessing to the

life, rooted in and built

meet again, my dear yo

you all!

[Polish] Dear young Porooted in Christ! May t

received from God duri

you abundant fruit. Be

others the message of th

prayers and example of

rediscover its Christian

volunteers Pavilon 9 of Fair if Madri

World

d to come

thank you

elp. It is

felt duty. A

your

joyed an their every

uth Day a

ighbourly

y, not only

e pilgrims,

ry event in

some were

in the

everything

lso want to

preparing

l the love.

ork and

e

magnificent, colourful t

Youth Day. Many than

service. I am grateful fo

love.

Many of you had to giv

directly in the events, b

engaged in the work of

sacrifice was itself a be

way to take part in the cyourselves to others, as

real way sense you brou

words: “Whoever want

last of all and servant o

certain that your experi

enriched all of you in y

in the end is a service t

turn all the weariness, t

burdens of these days in

the Christian virtues: pa

self-giving and eagerne

love means to serve, an

For me, this is one of th

contribution to World Y

not be the only ones wh

whole Church, as a mys

guese-speaking young

have met Jesus Christ!

gainst the tide in a

c culture which wishes

on to the truth. But it

history, with its great

ities, that the Lord sent

ur faith, the Good News

to resound throughout

ou again in two years’

outh Day in Rio de

, let us pray for each

joy that brings forth

pon Christ. Until we

ng people! God bless

les, strong in the faith,e gifts you have

g these days bear in

is witnesses. Take to

e Gospel. With your

life, help Europe to

roots.

- IFEMA

apestry of this World

s for your dedicated

r this great sign of your

up participating

cause you were

rganization. But this

utiful and evangelical

elebrations: you gaveJesus tells us to do. In a

ght to life the Lord’s

to be first must be the

all” ( Mk 9:35). I am

nce as volunteers has

ur Christian life, which

love. The Lord will

e worries and the

to a source of growth in

tience, meekness, joy in

s to do God’s will. To

service increases love.

e finest fruits of your

outh Day. But you will

o reap this harvest: the

tery of communion, is



enriched by the contribution of eac

members.

As you now go back to your every

ask you to treasure this joy-filled e

your hearts and to grow each day i

yourselves to God and to others. P

of you felt a very simple question

your hearts, faintly or forcefully as

may be: What is God asking me to

his plan for my life? Is Christ aski

follow him more closely? Should I

my whole life in the mission to pr

world the greatness of his love thr

priesthood, or the consecrated life,

If this question has surfaced, let th

your guide and become volunteers

service of the One who “came notbut to serve, and to give his life a r

many” ( Mk 10:45). Your life will

fulfilment in ways you cannot ima

some of you are thinking: the Pope

thank us and here he is asking us f

more! You are right. But that is th

the Pope, the Successor of Peter.

Peter, in his First Letter, reminds

they were ransomed at a great pric

blood of Christ (cf. 1 Pet 1:18-19).

look at their lives from this perspethat Christ’s love can only be met

That is what the Pope is asking yo

farewell: to respond in love to the

love gave himself up for us. Once

all of you. May God be ever at yo

relationship with Jesus and to live

with him in fellowship with others

communion of the Church. Entrust

your lives to Christ and bring your

find their way to the source of life,

Departure certemony

Your Majesties,

Distinguished National, Autonom

and Local Authorities,

Your Eminence the Archbishop of

President of the Spanish Episcopa

Your Eminences and Dear Brothe

Dear Friends,

The time has come for us to say g

These days spent in Madrid, in the

so many young people from Spain

h of her

ay lives, I

xperience in

n giving

rhaps many

orming in

the case

do? What is

g me to

not spend

claim to the

ugh the

or marriage?

Lord be

in the

to be servedansom for

chieve

ine. Perhaps

came to

r something

mission of

fter all,

hristians that

: that of the

Those who

tive knowith love.

to do in this

ne who for

gain, I thank

r side!

in friendship

, in the

the whole of

friends to

to God. May

the Lord make you hap

witnesses of his love.

[ Italian] My dear youn

all of you. The Euchari

celebrated is the risen C

in our midst: through hi

and built upon Christ, st

confidence, depart from

everyone what you hav

Respond with joy to the

and remain always unit

much fruit!

[Portuguese] Dear Port

people and friends, you

You will be swimming

society with a relativistineither to seek nor hold

was for this moment inchallenges and opportu

you, so that, through yo

of Jesus might continue

the earth. I hope to see

time at the nest World

Janeiro, Brazil. Till the

other, witnessing to the

life, rooted in and built

meet again, my dear yoyou all!

[Polish] Dear young Po

rooted in Christ! May t

received from God duri

you abundant fruit. Be

others the message of th

prayers and example of

rediscover its Christian

International Airport of Madrid Baraja

us Regional

Madrid and

l Conference,

Bishops,

od-bye.

company of

and from

throughout the world, wi

in my mind and heart.

Your Majesty, the Pope

And the young people w

this World Youth Day f

here and in the many citi

country, which they wer

days before these celebr

I thank Your Majesty fo

and for your presence at

y and joy-filled

Italians! Greetings to

t that we have

hrist present and living

m, your lives are rooted

rong in faith. With this

Madrid and tell

seen and heard.

Lord’s call, follow him

d to him: you will bear

guese-speaking young

have met Jesus Christ!

gainst the tide in a

c culture which wisheson to the truth. But it

history, with its greatities, that the Lord sent

ur faith, the Good News

to resound throughout

ou again in two years’

outh Day in Rio de

, let us pray for each

joy that brings forth

pon Christ. Until we

ng people! God bless

les, strong in the faith,

e gifts you have

g these days bear in

is witnesses. Take to

e Gospel. With your

life, help Europe to

roots.

s

ll remain deeply etched

elt at home in Spain!

ho were the heart of

und a warm welcome

es and towns of the

able to visit in the

tions.

your gracious words

my arrival in Spain and



now at my departure. I thank the national,

autonomous regional and local authorities for

the helpfulness and understanding which they

showed before this international event. I also

thank the thousands of volunteers who ensured

the orderly unfolding of the many activities of

this meeting: the various literary, musical,cultural and religious events of the Festival

joven, the catecheses given by the Bishops and

the main events in the presence of the Successor

of Peter. I thank the police and security forces,

and all those who helped by providing a wide

variety of services: from the music and the

liturgy to the details of transportation, health

care and meals.

Spain is a great nation whose soundly open,

pluralistic and respectful society is capable of moving forward without surrendering itsprofoundly religious and Catholic soul. In these

days, it once more made this clear, revealing its

technical and human resources in the service of

an undertaking of immense consequence and

promise: that of helping young people to

become more deeply rooted in Jesus Christ, our

Saviour.

A particular word of gratitude is due to the

organizers of World Youth Day: to the CardinalPresident of the Pontifical Council for the Laity

and all the personnel of that Office, to the

Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio María

Rouco Varela, his Auxiliary Bishops and the

whole Archdiocese, and in particular to the

General Coordinator, Monsignor César Augusto

Franco Martinez, and the many generous

members of his staff. The Bishops worked

generously and diligently in their Dioceses to

prepare for the celebrations, together with their

priests, consecrated persons and the lay faithful.

To all I express my gratitude and I pray that the

Lord will bless your apostolic labors.

Nor can I fail to offer heartfelt thanks to the

young people for having come to the World

Youth Day and for their joyful, enthusiastic and

intense presence. To them I say thank you, and I

congratulate you for the witness which you

gave in Madrid and in the other cities of Spain

in which you stayed. Now I ask you to spreadthroughout the world the profound and joyful

experience of faith which you had here in this

noble country. Share your joy especially with

those who would have liked to come but were

unable to do so for various reasons, with all

those who were praying for you and with all

those whose hearts were touched by these

celebrations. By your closeness and your

witness, help your friends to discover that

loving Christ means living life to the full.

I leave Spain very happy and grateful to

everyone. But above all I am grateful to God,our Lord, who allowed me to celebrate these

days so filled with enthusiasm and grace, so

charged with dynamism and hope. The feast of

faith which we have shared enables us to look

forward with great confidence in Providence,

which guides the Church across the seas of

history. That is why she continues to be young

and full of life, even as she confronts

challenging situations. This is the work of the

Holy Spirit, who makes Jesus Christ present in

the hearts of young people in every age andshows them the grandeur of the divine vocationgiven to every man and woman. We were also

able to see how the grace of Christ tears down

the walls and overcomes the barriers which sin

erects between peoples and generations, in order

to make all mankind a single family which

acknowledges its one Father and which

cultivates, by work and respect, all that he has

given us in creation.

Young people readily respond when oneproposes to them, in sincerity and truth, an

encounter with Jesus Christ, the one Redeemer

of humanity. Now those young people are

returning home as missionaries of the Gospel,

“rooted and built up in Christ, and firm in the

faith”, and they will need to be helped on their

way. So I urge Bishops, priests, Religious and

Christian educators in particular, to care for

those young people who want to respond

enthusiastically to the Lord’s call. There is no

reason to lose heart in the face of the various

obstacles we encounter in some countries. The

yearning for God which the Creator has placed

in the hearts of young people is more powerful

than all of these, as is the power from on high

which gives divine strength to those who follow

the Master and who seek in him nourishment

for life. Do not be afraid to present to young

people the message of Jesus Christ in all its

integrity, and to invite them to celebrate the

sacraments by which he gives us a share in hisown life.

Your Majesty, before returning to Rome, I

would like to assure the people of Spain of my

constant prayers, especially for married couples

and families who are facing various kinds of



difficulties, the needy and the infirm, the elderly

and children, as well as those who have no

work. I pray in particular of the young people of

Spain. I am sure that they will contribute the

best they have to offer through their faith in

Christ, so that this great country can face the

challenges of the present hour and can continuealong the paths of peace, solidarity, justice and

freedom. Along with these intentions, I entrust

the sons and daughters of this noble land to the

intercession of the Virgin Mary, our heavenly

Mother, and to them all I willingly impart my

blessing. May the joy of the Lord always fill

your hearts. Thank you.

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