Pope Madrid WYD debit account

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From: father patrick ...
Sent: Wednesday, 28 September 2011, 13:44
Subject: Madrid Profits from WYD

Madrid profits over $200 million from WYD

Madrid, Spain, Sep 27, 2011 / 01:30 pm (CNA).- The Spanish capital city of Madrid came away with over $200 million in profits after World Youth Day 2011 held this past August, officials said.
The WYD Madrid press office reported Sept. 26 that the Confederation of Businessmen of Madrid calculated that the capital took in some $216 million during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI.
The Community of Madrid estimated that WYD produced an increase of $199 million in the region’s Gross Interior Product. The contribution made by WYD was also recognized by the Madrid Consistory, which awarded the event with the Tourism Prize of the City of Madrid for promoting the city internationally. It also classified WYD as a National Patrimony.
Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid, who received the prize, said, “The hospitality of Madrid was crucial to the success of World Youth Day. The kindness and friendliness with which the pilgrims were welcomed shows the human reflection of the city, which is what surprised WYD attendees the most,” he said.
After WYD, Madrid experienced an historic increase of 42 percent in the number of foreign visitors compared to August of 2010, according to government statistics.
The Commerce Confederation of Madrid said this has helped boost the city’s image as one of great “hospitality and capacity to host large events.”
Attendees of WYD said their experience in the Spanish capital was very positive.  A poll carried out by GAD3 revealed that the level of satisfaction towards the city was very high.  Around 80 percent of those surveyed said gave high marks to the streets and monuments of Madrid.  Over 75 percent said they would recommend to their friends a trip to Spain and 47 percent said the event improved their image of the country.
WYD Madrid 2011 also stood out for its impact in the media. More than 12 million followed the specials broadcast on the Spanish television networks.  Some 5,000 journalists were given credentials for covering the event.

Thank you, Fr. Patrick,
passing on this message from the Mayor of Madrid.
Other great encouragement from

WYD 2011: Pope praises the "soul of Spain" as he departs.

Unforgettable Media coverage after all.
Donald 


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Sent: Thu, 25 August, 2011 16:24:26
Subject: Mayor Of Madrid

madrid-mayor-alberto-ruiz-gallardon-receives-the-pilgrims-backpack

Madrid's mayor impressed by behavior of youth during World Youth Day    

Madrid, Spain, Aug 24, 2011 / 01:48 pm (EWTN News)  

The mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, has attributed the success of World Youth Day 2011 to the excellent behavior of young people from all over the world.
“I have been mayor of Madrid for 16 years and never in my life have I met people so willing to help out and follow instructions,” Gallardon said during a radio program on Aug. 22.
“Madrid has never put on an event as challenging as this one,” he stressed, noting that all together some three million people participated in the events of World Youth Day.
Gallardon said his own personal experience of the Pope’s visit has left him with much food for thought.  “One thing is that it is amazing that an 84-year-old man can bring together more than one million young people."
“We should focus on the faith and not on a person, but we live in a world in which the abstract needs to be made personal by someone and in which young people need to affirm their willingness to set aside their routines in order meet others like themselves, and be open to getting excited and sharing about a message," the mayor said.
"(A)nd that is what Benedict XVI has done."
He thanked officials and city workers who helped make World Youth Day happen. 

Read more: http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/World.php?id=3852#ixzz1W3RHgmPA

The Highpoint of WYD

World Youth Day - Madrid airport, Vigil and final Mass

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INTERVIEW

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The Highpoint of WYD

Bishop Munilla Discusses the Consecration of Youth
to the Sacred Heart

By Patricia Navas

• MADRID, Spain, AUG. 24, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The highpoint of World Youth Day was a moment that has been little-discussed, according to the leader of the Spanish episcopal conference's youth ministry department.
• For Bishop José Ignacio Munilla Aguirre of San Sebastian, the climax of World Youth Day occurred Saturday night, when Benedict XVI consecrated the youth of the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
• The 49-year-old bishop spoke with ZENIT about this moment, and about the keys for making the WYD experience bear fruit.
• ZENIT: What would you highlight from the Madrid WYD?
• Bishop Munilla: During the months and weeks preceding the WYD, we did not expect such a widespread involvement from Spanish youngsters. The number of pilgrims registered from other countries was very numerous, but the number of registered Spaniards left a lot to be desired.
• Their large-scale attendance at the last minute, which surprised us all, can be explained by -- among other things -- the enlivening of the Spanish dioceses by pilgrims from all over the world in the days prior to the WYD.
• Once again, the initiative of the Days in the Dioceses has been very effective and pedagogical. The footprint left by young people who came to Madrid has been truly profound and effective.
• ZENIT: In your opinion, what are the main novelties offered by this WYD as opposed to previous ones?
• Bishop Munilla: The dynamic of WYD is already fairly stable, and the outline of the Madrid meeting was very similar to previous ones.
• I think what should be pointed out is the very ample cultural agenda of this WYD, as well as the novel method of providing food -- no longer by catering, but making use of 2,500 Madrid restaurants, which contributed to the greater integration of young people in the city.
• ZENIT: How do you interpret the rain during the night vigil in Cuatro Vientos?
• Bishop Munilla: It is interesting to note that that strong storm -- which surprised all of us present there, making us feel our human weakness in face of nature -- introduced the culminating moment of Madrid's WYD.
• It was certainly a moment of grace, because it made us see how at a given moment the wind despoiled us of our plans and programs, and we were left naked before the grandeur of God.
• In fact at that instance, the Pope decided to omit his words and move to the essential, to Eucharistic adoration.
• In the midst of an impressive prayerful silence, the Pope pronounced with a confident voice the consecration of the young people of the world to the Heart of Jesus. It was the culminating moment of this WYD, which will pass into history.  
    
• ZENIT: This consecration of young people to the Heart of Jesus has not been greatly commented upon. What is the meaning of that gesture?
• Bishop Munilla: With that gesture the Pope wished to stress, before youngsters desirous of transforming the world, that it is necessary to "belong to Christ," to have intimacy with him, to allow ourselves to be moved by his Spirit.
• The Pope used a simple formula, presenting all the young people to Jesus Christ: "(...) with ardent prayer I consecrate them to your Heart, so that rooted and built on you, they will always be yours, in life and in death. May they never be separated from you! (...)." 
• It was an impressive image of the Pope, who was bringing to our memory what is known as the Priestly Prayer of Jesus Christ (cf. John 17), in which He prayed to the Father so that no one of those entrusted to Him would be lost.
• ZENIT: Of all that the Pope said in his addresses, what words have stayed with you the most?
• Bishop Munilla: Now, on returning to our homes, we must reread all the addresses.
• I have no doubt that it was providential that the Pope was unable to respond to young people's questions at the Vigil of Cuatro Vientos, because this obliges us even more, if that is possible, to access on the Internet his integral answers and to reflect on them, without staying with a mere phrase from a headline.
• ZENIT: What post-WYD reactions have you seen?
• Bishop Munilla: The young people are impressed, open at the same time to a new itinerary in their lives.
• Over these days, the advice I am repeating most is the following: Find a spiritual director to help you in your following of Christ! I have no doubt that the fruit of this WYD will be directly proportional to the quantity of spiritual support that is initiated.
• ZENIT: What is WYD like for a bishop?
• Bishop Munilla: I experienced my first WYD as a bishop in Sydney, and I must confess that in that WYD it was hard for me to participate in this way, because I missed the closeness of supporting a concrete group of young people as a priest.
• However, the relationship with other brother bishops during those days is also an occasion of grace, given that in general we do not have many opportunities to be together and to exchange our impressions and diocesan experiences.
• The organization was very punctilious with all of us, offering us a magnificent concert by the Orfeon Donostiarra in Madrid's National Auditorium, followed by a dinner in the IFEMA. It was an unforgettable moment!
• ZENIT: How were the bishops' catecheses?
• Bishop Munilla: The catecheses with young people are one of the main moments in which a bishop exercises his ministry in a WYD. It is an opportunity to make very direct contact with young people, and to answer their doubts and worries in an open dialogue without any filter whatsoever.
• It is a way to heal the deformed image of bishops that many young people have received through the media. The pastors are close to them, share their experiences, listen to them, and communicate the Word to them.
• To the above I add that on the present occasion, due to the distribution of the YouCat (Catechism for Young People) in the pilgrim's backpack, we have had the opportunity to encourage young people to engage in in-depth processes of formation.
• The climate of secularization in which we live obliges us to make a special effort to be able to give the reason for our faith to those around us.
• ZENIT: The Pope counseled the youngsters not to allow themselves to be led by their impulses, and to serve others and to pose life commitments to themselves. An Iraqi bishop appealed to Arab youths not to emigrate from their countries. Are these not rather unrealistic proposals for the young people of today?
• Bishop Munilla: Father Morales, a deceased holy Jesuit, said: "With young people, if you ask a lot of them, they give more, but if you ask little of them, they don't give anything."
• In other words, evangelical radicalism finds a very special echo in the heart of a youth, when he has not been "domesticated" or "surrendered" to the spirit of this world.
• Or as Chesterton said: "Catholicism is the only religion that frees us from the slavery of being children of our time."

[Translation by ZENIT]

One of the moments of the youth gathering that most moved the Pope was the Via Crucis

Vigil with Youth at Airport - Vis Crucis

WYD 2011: Full text of the Pope’s address at the end of the Via Crucis

By POPE BENEDICT XVI on Friday, 19 August 2011

Pope Benedict XVI attends the Via Crucis in the Plaza de Cibeles
(PA Photo)

Dear young people, we have celebrated this Way of the Cross with fervour and devotion, following Christ along the path of his passion and death. The commentaries of the Little Sisters of the Cross, who serve the poor and most needy, have helped us enter into the mystery of Christ’s glorious Cross, wherein is found God’s true wisdom which judges the world and judges those who consider themselves wise (cf. 1 Cor 1:17-19).

We have also been assisted on this journey to Calvary by our contemplation of these wonderful images from the religious patrimony of the Spanish dioceses. In these images, faith and art combine so as to penetrate our heart and summon us to conversion. When faith’s gaze is pure and authentic, beauty places itself at its service and is able to depict the mysteries of our salvation in such a way as to move us profoundly and transform our hearts, as St Teresa of Jesus herself experienced while contemplating an image of the wounded Christ (cf. Autobiography, 9:1).

As we were making our way with Jesus towards the place of his sacrifice on Mount Calvary, the words of Saint Paul came to mind: “Christ loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). In the face of such disinterested love, we find ourselves asking, filled with wonder and gratitude: What can we do for him? What response shall we give him? Saint John puts it succinctly: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 Jn 3:16). Christ’s passion urges us to take upon our own shoulders the sufferings of the world, in the certainty that God is not distant or far removed from man and his troubles. On the contrary, he became one of us “in order to suffer with man in an utterly real way — in flesh and blood … hence in all human suffering we are joined by one who experiences and carries that suffering with us; hence con-solatio is present in all suffering, the consolation of God’s compassionate love — and so the star of hope rises” (Spe Salvi, 39).

Dear young friends, may Christ’s love for us increase your joy and encourage you to go in search of those less fortunate. You are open to the idea of sharing your lives with others, so be sure not to pass by on the other side in the face of human suffering, for it is here that God expects you to give of your very best: your capacity for love and compassion. The different forms of suffering that have unfolded before our eyes in the course of this Way of the Cross are the Lord’s way of summoning us to spend our lives following in his footsteps and becoming signs of his consolation and salvation. “To suffer with the other and for others; to suffer for the sake of truth and justice; to suffer out of love and in order to become a person who truly loves — these are fundamental elements of humanity, and to abandon them would destroy man himself” (ibid.).

Let us eagerly welcome these teachings and put them into practice. Let us look upon Christ, hanging on the harsh wood of the Cross, and let us ask him to teach us this mysterious wisdom of the Cross, by which man lives. The Cross was not a sign of failure, but an expression of self-giving in love that extends even to the supreme sacrifice of one’s life. The Father wanted to show his love for us through the embrace of his crucified Son: crucified out of love. The Cross, by its shape and its meaning, represents this love of both the Father and the Son for men. Here we recognize the icon of supreme love, which teaches us to love what God loves and in the way that he loves: this is the Good News that gives hope to the world.

Let us turn our gaze now to the Virgin Mary, who was given to us on Calvary to be our Mother, and let us ask her to sustain us with her loving protection along the path of life, particularly when we pass through the night of suffering, so that we may be able to remain steadfast, as she did, at the foot of the Cross.

Pope's address at the end of the Via Crucis

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Subject: Pope Receives enthusiastic greeting in Spain

Pope receives enthusiastic greeting in Spain

By David Kerr

Madrid, Spain, Aug 18, 2011 / 10:27 am (EWTN News/CNA)

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Pope Benedict XVI travels through the streets of Madrid after arriving at WYD 2011. Credit: Official WYD Flickr.com-Madrid11

 

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Madrid for World Youth Day 2011, to the delight of a massive throng of young people. Over the next four days, he will meet and pray with over a million young pilgrims.
“I come as the Successor of Peter, to confirm them all in the faith, with days of intense pastoral activity, proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life,” he said upon his midday arrival at Madrid’s Barajas Airport.
Pope Benedict was formally welcomed by a King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia of Spain along with Cardinal Rouco Varela of Madrid.
As military bands played the Spanish and Vatican national anthems, an honor guard composed of Spain’s military and, uniquely, a group of schoolboys dressed as mini-Swiss Guards met the Pope. Also there to welcome the pontiff were two thousand enthusiastic young pilgrims waving Spanish and papal flags.
King Juan Carlos thanked Pope Benedict for his third visit to Spain in his six years as pontiff, adding ,“we interpret this as a very special distinction for our country.” In return, the Pope described Spain as a country “rich in history and in culture through the vitality of its faith, which has borne fruit in so many saints over the centuries.”

Pope Benedict said that the hundreds of thousands of World Youth Day pilgrims were seeking an alternative to “the prevailing superficiality, consumerism and hedonism, the widespread banalization of sexuality, the lack of solidarity, the corruption,” and that “they know that, without God, it would be hard to confront these challenges and to be truly happy.”

“But, with God beside them, they will possess light to walk by and reasons to hope, unrestrained before their highest ideals, which will motivate their generous commitment to build a society where human dignity and true brotherhood are respected.”
During his four-day visit, Pope Benedict will attend a total of nine World Youth Day events. This will include leading young people in the Way of the Cross tomorrow, hearing their confessions on Saturday, and offering Mass for over a million pilgrims at Madrid’s Cuatro Vientos airport on Sunday.
Of the young pilgrims, the Pope said it gives him “great joy to listen to them, pray with them and celebrate the Eucharist with them,” because “they really have a future before them and are not afraid of the decisive.”
Hence, he said, “World Youth Day brings us a message of hope like a pure and youthful breeze, with rejuvenating scents which fill us with confidence before the future of the Church and the world.”

He then made his way to the papal nuncio’s residence in the popemobile. Pope Benedict was accompanied along the entire route by the cheers of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who chanted “Benedicto! Benedicto!” while showering the popemobile with confetti and balloons. Home-made banners were also in great evidence, with one displaying the message “From Madrid to Heaven with the Pope.” 

Read more: http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/World.php?id=3806#ixzz1VQYXmHYY

World Youth Day - One English Pilgrim's thoughts and feelings

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Sent: Fri, 19 August, 2011 16:28:35
Subject: World Youth Day - One English Pilgrim's thoughts and feelings

Guestview: World Youth Day, from carnival atmosphere to silent prayer

Aug 18, 2011 11:57 EDT

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(Pilgrims wait for the start of the World Youth Day’s opening mass at Madrid’s Cibeles Square August 16, 2011. Up to a million pilgrims are expected to attend various events during the week, culminating in Pope Benedict’s visit to Spain from August 18-21/Susana Vera)

The following is a guest contribution. Reuters is not responsible for the content and the views expressed are the authors’ alone. Jo-Anne Rowney is a young journalist and pilgrim attending the World Youth Day in Madrid with the Diocese of Westminster (London).
By Jo-Anne Rowney
World Youth Day has officially begun! It’s been a week since our group from London first arrived in Spain. Back then, hot and tired, I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the events that we’d experience and the amazing atmosphere we’re part of.
The WYD events began with an opening Mass on the Plaza de Cibeles on Wednesday. There was a carnival atmosphere when we arrived in the square. Each nationality had its own flag and everyone was waving them until the sky became a sea of colour. Pilgrims wearing brightly coloured shirts, rosaries, crucifixes and their WYD badges filled the square over the next two hours. The square itself became so crowded people were shoulder to shoulder. The sun was right overhead, beating down on us so for the Londoners used to the rain and cold it was a bit of a change!
I soon met Filipino pilgrims had just arrived after 12 hours flight.  Imelda, from Manila said: “It’s like a carnival. Everyone has so much energy and there’s this buzz that I can’t put into words.” In the underground after the Mass, Imelda’s carriage was still in the party spirit: “There were chants of Viva la Papa! and songs being sung in many languages. We even sang the old WYD songs!”
Then silence. Once Mass began, a hush fell over the square. It’s an amazing sight and sound. when nearly half a million young people fall into complete silence before God.  The only sound during the Mass was the choir. Even more beautiful and amazing weres the pilgrims queuing for confession around the edge of the crowds, where open-air confessionals were set up in the parks nearby for pilgrims.
While some pilgrims are staying in hotels, others are camping out or have been bundled into school halls. Catherine, from the English Faith Movement said: “There’s about 70 of us in a hall, sharing minimal facilities. It’s a pilgrim experience in the truest sense. Just having the basics while we’re here to grow in prayer and faith.”  

             

(Pilgrims walk inside a school that is hosting them on the second day of the World Youth Day meeting in Madrid August 17, 2011/Andrea Comas)

“It’ll all be worth it when the Pope arrives,” she assures me. “All we’ve been hearing are pilgrims asking each other where they’re going to wait for the Pope to go past. Some are going hours beforehand just to catch a glimpse of him. I heard more than 50,000 people are expected to line the streets!”
The streets are filled with WYD pilgrims. A Scout group have set up a campsite outside my hotel window. A Canadian group that were sleeping on the street endured a tiring flight and no dinner to make the opening Mass because they “wanted to be here, together with all the youth. Showing youth are present in the Church. Together in Christ!”
One pilgrim from Canada told me she felt “an opening of the heart and mind in Madrid” that she had never felt before. “There’s an acceptance of who you are. All your faults your failings. Seeing everyone ready for confession drew me in, and I found myself queuing wondering how I got here. WYD makes you braver. I struggle with confession at home, but here it just seems right. There’s no judgement of who you are, or what you’ve done.”
Dean, from Detroit said: “The mix of silence and stillness against the craziness of the Mass is unbelievable. There’s just you and God – with thousands of others in prayer. It’s a powerful moment when the shouting and cheering, the pure adrenaline drops away leaving you tingling with the joy of being here.”
Natasha Purcell from London couldn’t make it to the square for the opening Mass and ended up watching it on a big screen in a side street with her group. She told me how Canadian, American and English prayed together during the Mass. “None of us have met before, but it doesn’t feel like we’re strangers. There’s an understanding that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. One in Unity and spirit.”

(Pilgrims pray in Ana Mogas Chapel in Madrid, 12 August 2011/Jo-Anne Rowney)

My own pilgrimage echoes these feelings of unity and togetherness. My defining moment came during Adoration, time spent in silence before the Blessed Sacrament – Jesus himself. There was a sense that everything was really beginning.
During a talk earlier in the week we’d been told by Sister Paula, from Verbum Dei, that we should spend time in silence. “To listen to God calling you. He’s knocking. Listen to him” she  said. “Fall in love with God again … open your heart and just say God what do you want with me?”
In the stillness of the Mass, I found myself looking at Jesus, really looking at the crucifix above the altar. In that moment, Sr Paula’s words made sense to me. I felt that love again. A greater love than Romeo and Juliet, Jack and Rose on the Titanic. More than any relationship or friendship. I felt a great peace. I turned and looked at my fellow pilgrims to see if they’d felt the same thing. I was surprised to see some deep in prayer, others crying.

Pope in Madrid OnLine Mail pictures

Pictures in Madrid
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2027393/Pope-restores-calm-Madrid-protest-storm-lands-Spain-4-day-tour.html 

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Popular figure: The Pope is swamped by thousands of supporters as the entourage winds its way through central Madrid

The Pope arrived in Madrid to jubilant scenes yesterday morning at the start of a four-day trip to the Spanish capital.

But the trip  was not without controversy - protesters marched on the city's central Sol Plaza to voice their concerns about the 50million euro price tag for the visit.   

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2027393/Pope-restores-calm-Madrid-protest-storm-lands-Spain-4-day-tour.html#ixzz1VTf7tgLp