Cologne, Germany, Aug 23, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Pope Benedict XVI recalled today the gathering of hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world in Cologne, Germany, for World Youth Day last week.
“Young people from all cultures of the world gathered as pilgrims seeking Jesus Christ, whom we adore in the Eucharist,” the Pope said during his general audience today. “Together, they made a journey of inner conversion, coming to embrace and to know our Lord more intimately, in order to bear witness to his light and joy,” he continued.
The Pope arrived for his general audience today at the Vatican from his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.
It was Divine Providence that his first foreign pastoral visit was in his native country, the Pontiff, a native of Bavaria, commented. He credited the location of the 20th WYD in Germany to the “prophetic intuition of my unforgettable predecessor.” The WYD theme, “We have come to worship him,” was significant as the Year of the Eucharist is coming to a close, said Pope Benedict.