Cardinal Toppo: "The young people of WYD will renew the face of the earth"
New Delhi (AsiaNews) - "It is fantastic. A sea of humanity is present here to welcome the Holy Spirit in the figure of Peter - our beloved Benedict XVI. I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the universal Church, the young people assembled here their faces glowing with joy and happiness to listen to the words of Truth coming from the Holy Father guided by the Holy Spirit. Here at World Youth Day, cultures, languages, nationalities cease to exists, all the apparent boundaries that separate humankind have crumbled". From Sydney, where he is participating in WYD, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo tells AsiaNews about this "new" experience in the words of the pontiff.
Commenting on the pope's words, Cardinal Toppo observes that "the distractions and issues of this globalised and secularised world do not allow us to listen to the Holy Spirit who dwells within us". But here in Sydney, the young people are responding to the call of the Spirit, through his witness. "You cannot imagine, the effervescence of the 150,000 youth here in Sydney. And yet they are so disciplined walking through the streets, participating in all the scheduled programmes, not enticed by other worldly attractions- is this not a gift of the Holy Spirit? The youth are so focused, such clarity of thought with reference to the Holy Father. Peace and joy are shared among the diversity of cultures. It is very clear, they are placing their faith and trust in the Rock of Christ through his representative Benedict XVI, with one voice and one heart".
"I have taken three groups of different nationalities for catechesis, from America, Canada and India. The themes were: 'Called to live in the Spirit’, ‘Holy Spirit Soul of the Church', 'Sent out into the World' and 'Holy Spirit, Principal Agent of Mission'. These were big groups and many others also joined in - these youth believe in the preaching, they were so enthusiastic and responsive, and this was possible only because the Holy Spirit stirred up the ‘seed planted within them at Baptism’ which was enflamed at this WYD".
"Parents and other elders at times fail to understand the sufferings, crisis and pressures the youth of the youth face today, there are constantly challenges and different voices that confront the youth of the world, and this is understood very clearly by the Holy Father. Pope Benedict addressed the ‘materialistic appeal of the world'; yesterday in his address the pope said, 'Do not be fooled by those who see you as just another consumer in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth. Christ offers more - he offers everything! Only he, who is the Truth, can be the Way, and therefore also the Life'".
"Here the pope understands the reality of the world, and gently appeals to the young not to be fooled, that it is God who has created us in his own image and entrusted creation to humankind to be stewards of his creation".
"The Holy Spirit, through the Holy Father, is renewing the sacraments of initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist - and very clearly the pope emphasises that the Eucharistic celebration is the perennial Pentecost. The young people are joyfully participating in the celebrations of the Eucharist, and for me personally the Eucharistic celebrations at this WYD make me renew my priestly vocation. The Holy Spirit who dwells in us will make this generation the hope of tomorrow. Now, we have more than half a million witnesses to the truth".
"This WYD heralds a new tomorrow, these young people, their hearts filled with the Holy Spirit, will renew the face of the earth".
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