Vatican City, Oct 5, 2010 / 14:19 pm
Preparations are being made with the possibility that more than two million young people might be in Madrid for World Youth Day next August. The week-long event will be divided between time for prayer and festivities.
During a press conference to present World Youth Day (WYD) 2011 at the Holy See's Press Office on Tuesday, Auxiliary Bishop of Madrid Cesar Franco Martinez provided statistics compiled by organizers to prepare for logistical matters during the celebration.
While it is still too early to tell how many people will be in attendance for the event, which will take place from Aug. 15-21, 2011, Bishop Franco said in his written remarks that "WYD 2011 promises to be one of the most numerous among those held in Europe." By way of comparison, the 2005 celebration of WYD in Cologne, Germany brought in 1.7 million people, while WYD 2000 in Rome saw 2.1 million attendees.
The average numbers for delegations from countries that have provided preliminary figures to WYD 2011 organizers, Bishop Franco wrote, are now 15 percent more than at these previous encounters.