WYD registrations on the increase since election of Pope Benedict

Lima, Peru, May 16, 2005 / 22:00 pm

The Undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Guzman Carriquiri, announced this week that registration for World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany, have increased significantly since the election of Pope Benedict XVI.

Carriquiri, who is attending a conference in Lima marking the 50^th anniversary of the creation of the Latin America Bishops Conference (CELAM), told CNA that “since Benedict was elected Pope, the number of subscriptions for the next WYD has jumped spectacularly.”

He said the greatest increase was among German youth, “whose subscriptions have tripled during these first few days of the pontificate.”

Carriquiri said WYD Cologne would be “an amazing and unforgettable historical event” as the number of subscriptions has “far surpassed expectations.”

“It will definitely be an infusion of a new spirit into Europe and especially into Germany, with repercussions throughout the world,” he added.

Carriquiri underscored that WYD would be “an event of faith that no young Catholic should miss participating in, whether physically or spiritually.”