Salutations

His excellency The Apostolic Nuncio, in the name of the Pope has given the cross and
Cardinal Raymundo, Archbishop of Aparecida and President of the CNBB [Brazilian Bishop’s Conference]
Bishop Orani Tempesta, Archbishop of Rio, seat of next World Youth Day
Bishop Educardo Pinheiro, President of the Pastoral Episcopal Mission for the Youth
Archbishops and Bishops

His Excellency Gilbert Caravalho, Representative of President Dilma Rousseff
His Excellency Gerarld Alckmin, Governor of the State
His Excellency Gilberto Kassab Municipal Prefect of são Paulo
His Excellency Brigadeiro Commandant of Park of Material Aeronautics
Civil, Military and Academic Authorities

Esteemed priests, deacons and religioius
Dear youth,
Dear brothers and sisters here in São Paulo
and that accompany us through MCS.

WELCOME OF THE CROSS AND OF THE ICON
OF WORLD YOUTH DAY RIO-2013
IN SAO PAULO 18.09.2011

”We glory in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ; In it is our life and resurrection; it was this that saved us and freed us. “

In the responsorial psalm of the Mass, a little of what we sang: The works of the Lord, Oh my people, do not forget!” Why to we glory in the cross of Christ? What are the works of the Lord that we should not forget?

For us, the cross reminds us always of Jesus Christ, the Son of God that was made man that on it died for our love, in order that we may know mercy and pardon and life. In fact, God did not send His Son to the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world may be saved through Him.

The cross reminds us that God so loved the world to the point of giving his only Son, in order that “all that believe in him would not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The cross reminds us thus that Jesus Christ, being equal to God, let go of his glory to come to us, making himself humble and in solidarity with humanity.He put himself to the side of each man, especially of those that suffer and of those that appear not have any more value in the eyes of the world. Christ makes himself servant to wash their feet, cure their wounds, share with them, comfort their anguish, Jesus Christ went to encounter the least, making himself servant of them and for all handing himself over to the cross, to rescue and restore their dignity and their hope.

The cross reminds us of a greater love, that gives life for those loved. Jesus Christ did all for us, for every person in this world, also for those that do not know Him or who reject His love. Therefore, we sing: Blessed and Praised be the wood of the cross of Christ!

The cross reminds us that Jesus Christ died on the cross because of the sins of humanity, triumphed over sin and death and now He is living and present among us, giving us life and hope! Therefore, on the cross also is the hope for all those that are prostrated under the weight of such great evils. On the cross of Christ is the sense of the mystery of the pain and of the crosses of humanity!

We glory in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ for looking at it, we see The One that loves us the most. Therefore, we make the sign of the cross of Christ in our holy Baptism, later at the beginning of our Christian life. We put the cross of Christ in our Churches, our houses and places of life and work, as a sign that we belong to Jesus Christ.

Therefore, also we trace on our forehead the holy sign of the cross and we bring the cross with us over our heart, in testimony of our belonging to Christ and of our Love of Him.

Dear young people, today we have the joy and priviledge of welcoming here, in são Paulo in the name of all Brazil, the pilgrim cross of the World Youth Day that Blessed John Paul II gave to the youth in 1984, in order that they may bring it through the world as a sign of Jesus Christ and around it reunite the youth of all the communities preparing for the days. And he recommended that they announce that only in the cross of Christ exists the hope of redemption and life.

With the Cross, Pope John Paul II gave also this beautiful icon of Our Lady to accompany the pilgrim cross. Yes, because, joined to the cross of Jesus always is the Mother of Jesus (cf John 19:25-27); and where they are reunited the brothers of Jesus in His name, there also is present his Mother, our Mother!

We welcome then, in each part this pilgrim cross and this icon of Our Lady as if they were the visit of Jesus and His Mother themselves, that in them they are remembered. In this time of preparation for WYD Rio-2013, Jesus missionary and Our Lady of Visit will go to the encounter of youth in hundreds of communities and cities in all of Brazil. Through the Church, Jesus will announce anew His Gospel and Mary his Mother will tell us to do all that He tells us.” (cf John 2:5)

We are very grateful to Pope Benedict XVI, for having chosen Brazil and the city of Rio de Janeiro, as the seat of WYD-2013; until then we have a time of much graces from God, “a favorable time,” for the evangelization to involve the youth in the life and mission of the Church.

May we bring many othes to Christ, as did the Apostles and many before us; so He may be able to attract them and to manifest Himself to them as Savior. We may be missionary disciples and whose enthusiasm, joy and strength of our faith may be contagious to others.

Pope Benedict XVI already gave us the theme of WYD 2013, God, then, make all peoples my disciples!” We announce, therefore, Jesus Christ to the other youth of Brazil, and help them to encounter the Savior. For all the Church in all Brazil, has a favorable time promoting the new evangelization and to transmit the heritage of the faith to new generations!

And we may be sensitive and attentive to so many person that walk through their life under the weight of the cross. In WYD Madrid, Pope Benedict XVI recommended that we are not indifferent before the suffering of our neighbor; in each of these persons, and thus Jesus Christ who continues to carry the weight of the cross. There are many sick, poor, victims of injustice and violence; there are many chemically dependent young people, hungry and thirsty as in Somalia and in other countries of Africa that wait for our solidarity…

May we be as the Cyrenian and may we help to make the cross of our brothers and sisters lighter; We can be like Veronica, that comforted and relieved Jesus on the road to Calvary…We can be like Mary, St. John and the holy women that could do nothing to take the cross away from Jesus, they were there at his side, sharing the pain with him…What cannot happen is that we remain indifferent before the pain of our neighbor.

We hope, that the pilgrimage of the cross of WYD through Brazil leaves behind itself, not the marks of blood and indifference, but the face of generous solidarity and of a renewal of love to our neighbor.

Brazil is receiving a caress from God, with this period of preparation for WYD RIO-2013. That it may be for all yough a time of marked encounters with Christ and of the discovery of the apostolic heritage, kept, lived and transmitted through the Church, from generation to generation, and that today it is going to be passed to the hands of these youth.

Welcome to us, Jesus Christ missionary! Welcome Our Lady of the Visitation! The Youth of Brazil welcome you with open arms!

Card. Dom Odilo P. Scherer
Archbispo of São Paulo

Translated from Portuguese

This is not an official translation