Jéssica Marçal
from the Canção Nova newsroom
Brazilan youth carry the Cross to give it to the youth from Krakow, the next site of WYD in 2016/ Photo: L’Osservatore Romano
At the end of the Palm Sunday mass this week, in the Vatican Brazilian youth turned over to Polish youth the symbols of World Youth Day. The exchange happened moments before the Angelus with Pope Francis.
In his words, before the prayer, Francis greeted the delegations from Rio de Janeiro, city where WYD happened in 2013, and Krakow, Poland, that will be the host of the event in July of 2016 with the theme “Blessed are the merciful, for they will encounter mercy.” Each delegation was accompanied by their archbishop, Cardinal Orani João Tempesta and Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz.
The Holy Father remembered that 30 years ago, Pope John Paul II entrusted the cross to the youth, asking that they lead the whole world as as the sign of love of Christ for humanity.
“On the 27th of April all will have the joy of celebrating the canonization of this Pope joined with John XXIII. John Paul II who was the initiator of the World Youth Day, will become its great patron, in the communion of the saints, he will continue to be for the youth and the world a father and a friend.”
The Brazilian youth then turned over the symbols of WYD to the Polish youth. “We ask the Lord that the Cross, joined with the icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani, may be a sign of hope for all revealing to the world the invincible love of Christ,” Francis said.
After the passing of the Cross, the Pope took the advantage of announcing that on the fifteenth of August of this year, he will visit Daejeon, in the Republic of Korea, where he will meet with youth from Asian in his great continental encounter.