Enthusiasm of Asian young people travelling to WYD
Islamabad (AsiaNews) - Tomorrow, in Sydney, the 23rd edition of World Youth Day begins, with the participation of an official delegation from Pakistan, with seven young men and six young women from various dioceses of the country.
Pervez Roderick, secretary of the national association for Catholic youth, emphasises that there are "many young people who will come to Australia independently", because they obtained a visa only at the last minute. Because of those who are travelling alone, it is not possible quantify exactly the number of participants; the only certainty is that this will be the country's largest ever delegation of young people for a WYD.
"All the 13 delegates of official group are being sponsored by the national youth commission", Pervez Roderick says, "We have made a policy that our delegates would take part in all of the scheduled activities, so that they may return home enriched - in spirit and faith - from their encounter with the other young people from all over the world". He mentions that in mid-August, the participants at the WYD will go to Ayubia, to the association's office, to share their stories and most significant moments of their five days in Australia. "It will be a good opportunity", concludes Pervez Roderick, "to focus attention on interreligious dialogue, thanks also to the expected presence of a large group of Muslim faithful: dialogue and encounter are the only weapons for resolving the current conflicts".
Among the young Pakistanis, there is a mood of happiness and of the awareness of the privilege reserved for them: "I am very lucky that I have been selected for WYD 2008", says Sara Iram, a 23-year-old teacher from Sacred Heart Parish in Lahore. "My activities might be the reason that my parish has selected me for this huge Catholic event for young people". Sara says that she is inspired by the figure of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, participating in numerous fund drives and volunteer activities on behalf of poor students, who do not have the means to guarantee themselves a minimum level of education.
A similar climate of joy and impatience reigns among the Filipino young people travelling toward Sydney. With more than 2,000 officials visas released - although the number could be much higher - the Philippines constitutes the ninth-leading country in terms of the number of delegates. Among the thousands of young people, the correspondent for AsiaNews spoke with Jassica G. Gapuz, a 29-year-old official at the treasury department, one of the 96 female pilgrims from the archdiocese of Manila. "I am excited to attend the world's largest gathering of youth that will enable me to strengthen my Catholic faith, see Pope Benedict XVI, meet other young people across the globe, and learn from their experiences. This WYD is a kind of pilgrimage of my religious faith, a journey with God together with other youth all over the world". Gapuz also participated in the 1995 WYD in Manila, but the event in Sydney "will be different for me because it is held outside of my country. My parents, relatives and friends managed to put the resources together for my travel. They encouraged me a lot, besides arranging money for me. I am very grateful to them for this".
In the meantime, Benedict XVI has arrived in Australia, where he will rest for three days in the quiet of the Blue Mountains, to recover from the weariness of the long voyage. Long walks, reading, classical music, and the quiet of the place will help him to prepare for his encounters with the young people, the first of which will take place on Thursday, July 17.
(Qaiser Felix and Santosh Digal contributed to this report.)
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