Bishop of Madrid thanks Pope for choosing Spain for next WYD

Sydney, Australia, Jul 20, 2008 / 06:18 am

Expressing his thanks for his city being chosen as site for the 2011 World Youth Day, Juan Antonio Martinez, Auxiliary Bishop of Madrid spoke at a press conference today at the Radisson Plaza Hotel after the announcement was made.

 

“I would like to express my gratitude in the name of the diocese of Madrid for choosing our city,” began the bishop.  “We greatly appreciate this gesture of the Holy of Father and we give thanks to the Providence and the God of history that made it possible for the next WYD to be celebrated in Madrid.”

 

“We are ready to prepare it and we know what is needed to organize a WYD. We have experience from organizing the WYD in Santiago, the 4th WYD, which was the second to be celebrated outside of Rome.”

 

“We see the WYD as a significant event in the life of the Church with a pastoral meaning and consequences in the cultural life of the State, and we are sure that those will be very positive lasting impacts,” he told reporters in Spanish.”

 

The cardinal said that WYD activities will take place in the third week of August in 2011.