Rome, Italy, Jul 2, 2010 / 06:43 am
The Holy Father met on Friday with the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid Antonio Maria Rouco Varela and sponsors working for the success of World Youth Day 2011. The Pope explained the importance of next August's encounter of youth during the audience after which WYD 2011's executive director briefed journalists on the planning process.
Many of the 55 people present for the audience with the Pope on Friday were from the "Madrid Vivo" Foundation, founded by the cardinal and local businessmen last year to "seek solutions to the moral roots of the economic crisis" and to make the city more aware of values.
Yago de la Cierva, executive director and spokesman for WYD 2011, explained to journalists in the Holy See's Press Office that the major aim of the foundation at the moment is collaboration with the organizers of the next World Youth Day, to be held in the Spanish capital.
During Friday's audience with them in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, Pope Benedict XVI invited the members of "Madrid Vivo" to continue their generous collaboration for this "beautiful initiative," saying that it's not just a simple meeting of the masses, "but a privileged occasion so that the young people of your country and of the entire world may let themselves be 'conquered' by the love of Christ Jesus..."