Thursday, August 25, 2011

Update #5 for WYD: Aug. 18-21, 2011

AMDG

Good morning class,

Here's a simple snapshot-outline of the Successor of Peter's agenda and teachings at WYD:

A.) THURSDAY, AUG. 18, 2011

1.) To reporters on the airplane to Madrid from Rome: Looking at Church's social doctrine, man is center of economy, not just profits.  Economy works well with respect for good of everyone.


2.) Beatitudes: "...behavioral patterns from which we resemble the person of Christ: being poor in spirit, hungering for righteousness, merciful, pure of heart, peace loving..." (@ Plaza de Cibeles)

"say 'Yes' to God..."

"do not listen to promises of artificial and passing paradises..."

3.) Planted an olive tree (@ Puerta de Alecla).  The last time His Holiness did this was in the Holy Land.

This planting seemed to be a quiet ceremony with about 600,000 present.

 


B.) FRIDAY, AUG. 19, 2011

1.) Met with 1,600 young religious (nuns): "The Church needs your youthful fidelity rooted and built up in Christ..."

2.) Met with 1,500 university professors (most, if not all, under age 40): "Young people need authentic teachers..."

“As Plato said: ‘Seek truth while you are young, for if you do not, it will later escape your grasp’. This lofty aspiration is the most precious gift which you can give to your students, personally and by example."

3.) Stations of the Cross: 14 young adults carried the famous WYD Cross.  These 14 were from countries known for persecution of Christians.  The Pope said, “Christ’s passion urges us to take upon our own shoulders the sufferings of the world, in the certainty that God is not distant or far removed from man and his troubles. On the contrary, he became one of us "in order to suffer with man in an utterly real way — in flesh and blood.”

Prayers were made for victims of war, AIDS, sexual abuse as well as immigrants, the unemployed and Christians who are ashamed of their faith.

"...in the face of human suffering...it is here that God expects you to give of your very best: your capacity for love and compassion.”



4.) The Pope and many priests heard Confessions.  In fact, priests were granted faculties to remove censure incurred through abortion and welcome them back to the Church.  This is a great act of mercy at WYD where particularly in Madrid, the "abortion mecca of Europe," it is estimated that 1 out of 5 pregnancies end with a direct abortion.

5.) Lunch with youth representatives.



6.) The Extraordinary Form of the Mass was celebrated for 1,500 youth.  This is different from the Ordinary Form of the Mass which is what I grew up with.  The Extraordinary Form is also known as the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM).  Here's a local example of the TLM from a friend of mine who is up to date with his blog site here: http://sanctamargaritamaria.blogspot.com/


C.) SATURDAY, AUG. 20, 2011

1.) Met w/5,000 of 6,000 seminarians.  He said, "We should be saints..."

2.) Declared St. Juan de Avila a new Doctor of the Church.

San Juan de Avila (1500-1569) reformed the Spanish clergy, contributed to the Council of Trent, and was a friends with St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.  He is the 34th official Doctor (or "Teacher") of the Church.

3.) Met w/physically and mentally disabled youth.  Pope Benedict XVI taught, “Dear friends, our society which too often questions the inestimable value of life, of every life needs you: in a decisive way you help to build the civilization of love.”

4.) The Holy Father met with 12,000 of the 40,000 official volunteers.  He said that the Successor to Peter is asking even more of the volunteers in giving their life to Christ because that is the mission of the Pope.

5.) At the Saturday Vigil, like Peter and the first Apostles who were buffeted by rain in their boat, Pope Benedict as the 266th Successor of St. Peter and the 1.5 million were interrupted by the rain.  He paused a few minutes shielded by umbrellas.  The youth sang and were joyful in the rain.  He then exclaimed,

"Thank you for your joy and resistance. Your strength is stronger than the rain. Thank you. The Lord is sending us his blessings with the rain. With this, you're leading by example.”

6.) Adoration: Thousands of the young Catholics knelt in prayer before their Eucharistic Jesus.


D.) SUNDAY MASS, AUG. 21, 2011 (for 2 million participants)

This is the 3rd largest World Youth Day in 26 years, the largest being in Manila in 1995, and the second largest being in Rome in 2000.

1.)"We can not follow Jesus on our own."  To do so would be to follow a "Counterfeit Jesus":

“Let me also remind you that following Jesus in faith means walking at his side in the communion of the Church. We can not follow Jesus on our own. Anyone who would be tempted to do so 'on his own', or to approach the life of faith with kind of individualism so prevalent today, will risk never truly encountering Jesus, or will end up following a counterfeit Jesus.”

I think the Pope here went on the offensive against the "dictatorship of relativism" as seen in an individualistic "me and Jesus only" spirituality that neglects the community of the Church.



I think this dictatorship or tyranny is a great challenge to the Benedict Generation of today's youth and young adults.  This challenge was not as notable during the era of the JP2 Generation.  Sure, there were forms of moral relativism during the time of the great JP2 Generation, but it is not as severe as it is now for this new generation of young Catholics who will carry the Gospel to the next generation.

2.) Next World Youth Day 2013 will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!  The Pope announced a few days later that the theme will be "Go and make disciples of all nations."



3.) As His Holiness departed, he said to His Majesty the King of Spain,

“Spain is a great nation whose soundly open, pluralistic and respectful society is capable of moving forward without surrendering its profoundly religious and Catholic soul."

4.) Secular commentators noted the secular media blackout for WYD but the continual coverage of the London Riots and protesters.  How can one not take notice of 2 million young adults and youth?  When the United Nations put on a conference for youth and young adults, it generated a handful at the most.

5.) WYD Madrid was expected to bring in around $130 million to Spain, but first estimates showed that it brought $230 million to a country which has the highest unemployment rate in the industrialized world.

6.) This was Papa Benny's second visit to Spain.

7.) Viva il Papa!  What an exciting weekend!

HW: None.  T'was a busy class today.

Dismissed.



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