The Whole World
Catholic means universal .... that's the wonder of it ... and it's because ... Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
"The Church is like a human family, but at the same time it is also the great family of God, through which he establishes an overarching communion and unity that embraces every continent, culture and nation. ...
Here at WYD we discover the joy of belonging to a family as vast as the world, including Heaven and earth, the past, the present, the future and every part of the earth. In this great band of pilgrims we walk side by side with Christ, we walk with the star that enlightens our history." - Benedict XVI, WYD Cologne 2005
"Dear Young People, You are the hope of the Church and of the world. You are my hope." - Blessed John Paul II
The World Youth Days are a great witness to the faith, hope and love that is all around the world, especially among young people. There have been 11& international World Youth Days at Buenos Aires (Argentina in 1987), Santiago de Compostela (Spain in 1989), Czestochowa (Poland in 1991), Denver (USA in 1993), Manila (Philippines in 1995), Paris (France in 1997), Rome (Italy in the Jubilee Year 2000), Toronto (Canada in 2002), Cologne (Germany in 2005), Sydney (Australia in 2008) & Madrid (Spain - this August).
You can listen by country to responses to Totus2us's podcasts. Plus you can check out when John Paul II, the Pilgrim Pope, and Benedict XVI have visited which countries when, watch video footage of their travels, read their words and prayers.
The countries included so far on Totus2us podcasts are:
Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, DR Congo, Ecuador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Lucia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Zambia & Zimbabwe.
The countries not included above which Pope John Paul II visited are:
Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkino Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Cuba, Curaçao, Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Fiji Islands, Finland, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Guam, Guinea, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Papua-New Guinea, Puerto Rico, La Réunion, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey & Uruguay.
Dear Young People - Queridísimos Jóvenes - Chers Jeunes - Carissimi Giovani - Droga Młodzieży - Kedves Fiatalok - Caríssimos Jovens - Meine Lieben Jugendlichen - Beste Jonge Mensen - Αγαπητοί Νέοι και Νέες - 親愛的青年朋友 - Dragi Prijatelji - Të Dashur Të Rinj - Dragi Prieteni - Дорогие друзья - Các Bạn Trẻ Thân Mến - Дорогі друзі
John Paul II 's Apostolic Letter Dilecti Amici to the Youth of the World
- in English, French, German, Italian, Latin & Spanish
"So, my young friends, I hand you this Letter which continues the Gospel conversation of Christ with the young man - and flows from the testimony of the Apostles and of the first generations of Christians. I give you this Letter in International Youth Year, as we approach the end of the 2nd Christian millennium. I entrust it to you in the 20th year since the close of the Second Vatican Council, which called young people "the hope of the Church", and which addressed to the young people of that time - as also to those of today and of all time - a "closing Message" in which the Church is described as the real youth of the world, as the one who "possesses what constitutes strength and the charm of youth, that is to say, the ability to rejoice with what is beginning, to give oneself unreservedly, to renew oneself and to set out again for new conquests". This I do on Palm Sunday, the day on which I am meeting many of you, pilgrims in Saint Peter's Square, here in Rome. Precisely on this day the Bishop of Rome prays together with you for all the young people of the world, for each and every one. We are praying in the community of the Church, so that - against the background of the difficult times in which we live - you "may always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you". Yes, precisely you, because on you depends the future, on you depends also the end of this millennium and the beginning of the next. So do not be passive; take up your responsibilities - in all the fields open to you in our world! "
On being announced Pope back in 1978, John Paul II said:
"Do not be afraid. Christ knows 'what is in humans'. He alone knows!"
The song composed for the beatification of Giovanni Paolo reiterated
"Non abbiate paura!"
For, as another song goes,
"He's got the whole world in His hands ... He's got you and me, He's got everybody, He's got the whole world in His hands."
and my, what a wonderful world!
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