Do young people care about the Pope?

ARCHBISHOP EXPECTS 1 MILLION FOR 2005 YOUTH DAY
COLOGNE

Germany, MAY 13, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The archbishop of Cologne estimates that close to one million young people will participate in the 20th World Youth Day with Benedict XVI.
Cardinal Joachim Meisner said to the Spanish newspaper La Razon on Wednesday that there is reason to believe that participation will exceed the official estimate of 800,000.
"I think that now, as we are going to have two Popes -- one in heaven and the other on earth -- I am certain that one million young people will come," he said.
"Close to four million people went to Rome" for John Paul II's burial, "many of them young people." When "Habemus Papam" was announced upon the election of Benedict XVI, 80% of those present were youths, observed the cardinal. "I am convinced we can count on one million young people," he added.
"This day is not a ceremony of the Church in Germany, but a ceremony of the Pope. It is his World Youth Day. This year it is being celebrated under a specific theme -- the three wise men's worship of Jesus Christ," he continued.
"We have come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2), the theme of WYD 2005, "is a theme that allows the youths of each continent to cover ideally the itinerary of the wise kings, whose relics are venerated, according to a pious tradition, precisely" in Cologne "and to find, like them, the Messiah of all nations," said John Paul II in his message to young people in preparation for WYD.
We were "in a very difficult situation," said the cardinal, referring to the deteriorating health of John Paul II.

"We didn't know what would happen with the ailing Pope. What program could we offer him? A large program, then a smaller one, and then a very small one."
There has been a return "to the original large program," he said. "Everything is almost ready."

http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=56651

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There must be many millions of youth and young adults who had and still have a deep affection -in many cases love- for Pope John Paul II. Only a small fraction of them managed to visit Rome for the unforgettable events following his death. Yet millions throughout the world, young and old, shared the sense of having lost a second father -or even an only father. As the Vatican Undersecretary of State Archbishop Leonardo Sandri told the world upon the Pope's death, "We all feel like orphans now".

Upon the announcement "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus Papam (I announce to you a great joy; we have a Pope)", many of these same millions felt that they had in a real way regained their father. Nobody thought he was really the same father, yet somehow, their father had nonetheless been restored to them.

God had kept His promise, had sent to them -to us- a gentle man with faith of granite who received from heaven the keys which his successor of happy memory had serenely surrendered with his final "Amen".

In Cologne, the youth of the world will recall their spiritual sonship and daughterhood to John Paul II, whom we saw cross that threshold beyond which only hopeful faith can see. Yet they will ardently embrace their new father in faith with a love and enthusiasm which the world will neither clearly see nor understand. For so many, to be near John Paul was to be near Jesus Christ. Somehow they intuitively know that Benedict likewise will guide them to that same holy place, in which echo the words of Christ's mother: "Do whatever He tells you."

I believe that the name "Cologne" for years will exude the too rare fragrance of hope, exhaled by a huge gathering of grateful Christians: God has greatly blessed His Church in sending us Benedict to shepherd His flock.