Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb 12, 2013 / 12:50 pm
Amid news of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, the archbishop of Rio de Janeiro said the new Pope elected in the upcoming conclave will attend World Youth Day this summer.
During Mass at a parish in Rio, Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta said that when he spoke with Benedict XVI about the event, the Holy Father told him, "The Pope will go to World Youth Day. Me or my successor."
The archbishop confirmed that plans are proceeding normally to prepare for the 27th World Youth Day, which will be held in Rio on July 23-28.
Begun by Pope John Paul II in 1985, the event is hosted in different cities throughout the world and includes prayer, catechesis and cultural activities, along with an overnight vigil and messages from the Pope.