Vatican Radio REPORT: Pope Francis on Friday tweeted his best wishes to World Youth Day pilgrims, many of whom are en route or already arrived in the host city, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “Many of you have already arrived in Rio and many more are just arriving,” he wrote via his @pontifex handle on the micro-blogging platform. He added, “We will see one another there in only three days.” More than three hundred thousand people are registered for the event, with organisers preparing for as many as two and a half million visitors.
Fr. Michael Rogers, SJ is the coordinator of English-language WYD initiatives for the Society of Jesus in the US and a member of the lead committee for the international English-language welcome centre in Brazil, which will be the hub of English-language catechesis and prayer during the first four days of WYD events, starting Tuesday, July 22nd. Fr. Rogers, SJ, told Vatican Radio that host city Rio de Janeiro is already beginning to feel the effects of the pilgrim swell. “The city is already beginning to fill up, and you can see the green WYD pilgrim packs everywhere,” he said, adding, “I think it is going to be a wonderful four days at the centre and two days out in the field.”
SHARED FROM RADIO VATICANA
VIDEO AND TEXT FROM ROMEREPORTS:
Pope Francis, asked Benedict XVI for his prayers, as he gets ready to fly to Latin America.
The last time the Pope met with his predecessor was back on July 5th, when together, they welcomed a new statue of St. Michael Archangel at the Vatican Gardens.
This time around, Pope Francis decided to visit Benedict XVI to ask for his prayers, as he prepares for his trip to Brazil. During their meeting, they first prayed together in the chapel and afterward they talked for about 30 minutes. The Pope gave Ratzinger, the official World Youth Day booklet as well as the event's official medal. (SHARED FROM ROMEREPORTS)
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