The Rio local committee, led by Archbishop Orani João Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro, told us of the great significance of WYD for the archdiocese of Rio and for the Church in Brazil and Latin America.

After hearing delegates from all over the world speak, we can say that the Rio WYD has begun, and not only in Brazil. We are not speaking only of the five days that will be spent in Rio, but also of the preparation. There is a pilgrimage that leads from one WYD to another and that moves so many young people, dioceses, parishes, communities and ecclesial movements.

WYD was really a prophetic intuition on the part of Blessed John Paul II that brought about a kind of revolution to the field of youth ministry. Pope Benedict, in his talk to the Roman Curia on 22 December, explained that WYD is opening up  new ways of being Christian. On the third day, we took the key words contained in this analysis by the Holy Father as a starting point for our reflection on the faith education that the Church is extending to young people today. It is a priority in the Church’s mission to prepare new generations of Christians who are capable of living the Gospel to the full and of transmitting it joyfully to others.

On Palm Sunday, the delegates and committees all attended Palm Sunday Mass in Saint Peter’s Square with the Holy Father, and they celebrated together World Youth Day 2012.

Taken from Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko’s presentation

at the press conference on WYD Rio 2013

Holy See Press Office

Vatican City, Monday 2 April 2012