Rome, Italy, Apr 1, 2004 / 22:00 pm
More than 50,000 young people gathered together with Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square yesterday, singing songs and waving flags, to entrust the World Youth Day Cross to the young people of Germany.
The Pope, who appeared in good health, arrived at St. Peter’s at sunset to meet with the young people who had spent the day enjoying music and entertainment in anticipation of the Pope’s arrival.
300 participants of the International Youth Forum who had been meeting together in Rome, under the direction of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, were also present.
During the meeting in preparation for the World Youth Day, which will be celebrated on Palm Sunday with the theme, “We want to see Jesus,” the Pope entrusted the WYD Cross to a group of young people from Germany, and he recalled the first WYD which took place 20 years ago with the theme, “Open wide the doors to the Redeemer.”