Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
15 Mar 2013
15 Mar 2013
Pope Francis boarded a bus with the other cardinals after his first appearance on the balcony as pope
The 1,500 Australian pilgrims headed for Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day in July this year will be among the first in the world to meet Pope Francis, hear him speak and be inspired by a pontiff who just two days into his Papacy is already being dubbed "the People's Pope."
"The Holy Father is the first-ever Latin American Pope and during his more than two decades as Archbishop of Buenos Aires showed his deep concern for the poor and love for Catholic Social Teaching," says Selina Hasham, Chair of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference's National World Youth Day Committee.
"To travel to Rio and meet the Pope on his Latin American home turf will be a wonderful opportunity for young people world-wide," she says.
Jake Ryan, Project and Events Officer for the Archdiocese of Sydney and one of the organisers of the Australian pilgrim groups who will travel to Rio for WYD 2013 to be held from 23-28 July agrees.
"Having a Holy Father who from Argentina and Latin America is totally new and a great connection for all those attending WYD in Rio," he says and believes with the election of the new Pope, many hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from across South America as well as the US and Canada will immediately register and be part of the event which may well make history with an estimated 5 million or more youthful pilgrims now expected to attend.
Selina Hasham, Chair National World Youth Day Committee, Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life
Pope Francis is a great example of the new evangelisation and will inspire young people building on theme "Go forth and Make Disciples of All Nations" which has been chosen for WYD Rio 2013, Jake says and believes the election of a Pope from the New World will be like "a breath of fresh air for the Church."
Another who is urging as many young people as possible to make every effort to attend Rio for WYD this year is Bernard Toutounji, Director of Catholic Youth Services.
"The election of a new pope is an exciting time for all, and most especially young Catholics. Now with WYD set to be Pope Francis' first major apostolic pilgrimage, young Australians have a chance to see the South American Pope on his home soil," he says and encourages young people who have been considering WYD to take a leap in the final weeks before registrations close, and join the Aussie contingent to meet and be inspired by the world's new Holy Father.
Since his election two days ago, Pope Francis has continued to live the same simple and humble lifestyle he led in his native Buenos Aires and has surprised - and delighted - many when on Wednesday evening, he eschewed the special limousine to take him to his hostel after appearing on the balcony in St Peter's Square for the first time as Pontiff where he humbly asked the crowds gathered below to pray for him.
Instead of a limousine and chauffeur, he insisted instead on climbing onto the bus with the all the other Cardinals and arrived back at the Domus Santa Marta where they all stayed during the Conclave for dinner. The next day with a similar lack of pomp and circumstance, he left for St Mary Majors Basilica to pray and offer a bouquet of flowers to the Virgin Mary. He then stopped off at the hotel where he had stayed prior to the Conclave, packed his bags himself, carried them downstairs to the lobby and quietly paid his bill.
Rio de Janeiro site of World Youth Day 2013
"Much has been said about Pope Francis' humility and he has already given great example already as Pope, as well as before he became Pope, as to how we are called to live and act," says Bernard. "In his first homily to the cardinals on Thursday, he also clarified while we must serve those around us, if we do not confess Christ in all we do we risk becoming no more than social workers not apostles of the Lord."
Not only is the new Pope full of humility with a special focus on social justice and a robust champion of the poor, he also is a strong believer in mission and evangelisation.
"Benedict XVI has insisted on the renewal of faith being a priority and presents faith as a gift that must be passed on and be offered to others," Pope Francis said as Archbishop of Buenos Aires in a wide-ranging interview last year with the Italian newspaper, La Stampa. "In this Year of Faith we remember the gift we have received and we are called on to renew this alliance and our belonging to the community of God."
He went on to say that in South America, priests and religious and lay Catholics were encouraged to make contact with families that were not involved in the parish and be a Church that goes out to the people. "We are not just a Church that welcomes and receives. We organise missions in public squares where many people usually gather: we pray, we celebrate Mass, we offer baptism. This is the style of parishes and the diocese itself. Other than this we try to reach out to people who are far away, via digital means and brief text messaging."
The new Holy Father's exhortation to take the gift of Christ out into the world and cities, will resonate strongly with young pilgrims. And the fact that this year for the first time, instead of Days in the Diocese, WYD Rio 2013 is encouraging pilgrims to spend a week or more engaging in works of mission and mercy in cities and towns across Latin America in the lead up to WYD is certain to resonate equally strongly with the new Pope, Selina Hasham says.
Jake Ryan (right) with Harvest Travel director, Philip Ryall and some of WYD11 pilgrims prior to taking off for Spain
"The Aussie contingent going to WYD in Rio have responded to the focus on mission with many different groups going to various parts of Latin America to join the Fraternas and other communities to work with the poor, dispossessed and disabled," she says and believes while they may find the extreme poverty in the slums ringing the major cities confronting and overwhelming, she is convinced the experience will help deepen the pilgrims' faith and their understanding of the Church's teachings.
Throughout his years as Bishop and then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis has made the poor his one of his main priorities and has paid regular visits to the slums that ring the city. The poor and marginalised are never far from his thoughts and in 2002 when he was created a cardinal by Blessed John Paul II, he insisted that Argentineans not come to Rome for the Consistory but instead to donate the money they would have spent travelling to Rome to the poor.
"Human rights are not only violated by terrorism, repression or assassination but also by unfair economic structures that create huge inequalities," Pope Francis said as Archbishop of Buenos Aires and firmly believes this is even more true today as the chasm between rich and poor continues to grow.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
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